Melbourne mum wakes up in hospital with no fallopian tubes after two horror medical blunders
Melbourne couple Liz and Mouhamad Darwish were thrilled when they found out they were expecting their fourth child in early 2022.
Sadly, 10 weeks into the pregnancy, she began experiencing abnormal bleeding.
The couple rushed to Bacchus Marsh Hospital, in the city's west, where they were told Ms Darwish had suffered a miscarriage.
'This is life and this is how it is and we have to be thankful for our blessing and sometimes things are out of our hand,' she told Nine News on Monday.
While still coming to terms with the loss, Ms Darwish's health took a turn for the worst five weeks later.
She recalled getting out of the shower and suddenly losing consciousness.
Ms Darwish believes she fainted up to five times before her sons found her lying on the bathroom floor.
The mother was rushed to Sunshine Hospital, also in Melbourne's west, where doctors asked if she was pregnant.
'I said no, I wasn't pregnant, I had a cleanout five to six weeks prior in Bacchus Marsh Hospital so there was no chance I was pregnant,' Ms Darwish said.
However, it turned out she was still pregnant.
The doctors at Bacchus Marsh five weeks earlier had missed an ectopic pregnancy in the fallopian tube, which had ruptured.
Mr Darwish recalled facing the 'horrific' possibility he may become widower as his wife bled internally.
Not understanding what was happening, Ms Darwish told doctors to do whatever it took to save her life.
'I just thought, 'I'm not going to make it, I'm not going to make it home',' she said.
'I just didn't think I would be able to see my kids again and I thought my daughter's going to grow up without her mum.'
When she woke from surgery, both her fallopian tubes had been removed.
Typically, only the affected fallopian tube would be removed in the case of a ruptured ectopic pregnancy.
Three years on, Ms Darwish claims the staff at both hospitals 'got it wrong every step of the way'.
The mother-of-three is also yet to receive an explanation as to why both fallopian tubes were removed.
Ms Darwish is now taking legal action against Western Health, the owner of both Bacchus Marsh and Sunshine hospitals.
She has opened up about the ordeal in the hope it doesn't happen to any other expectant mum.
Maryse Andrinopoulos-Tsigolis from Shine Lawyers believes her client would not have lost either fallopian tube had she received appropriate care.
'This shouldn't have happened, it has had devastating consequences for Liz and is something that could've been solved through a simple laparoscopy,' Ms Andrinopoulos-Tsigolis said.
The hardest part is the significant struggles the couple would face if they want to extend their family.
'That choice and that decision was taken away and that's what's hard,' Ms Darwish said.
'Take accountability and fix what you've done. Fix it so it doesn't happen to anyone else.'
A spokesperson said that Western Health was 'committed to providing patient-centred, high-quality care and the safety and wellbeing of our patients is our top priority' but wouldn't comment on the individual matter, citing privacy reasons.
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Finding data on success rates was frustrating given the myriad factors that can affect the outcome, which include Gleason scores, age, health, obesity, comorbidities and whether or not the cancer has metastasized beyond the prostate. I banked on my fitness and the skill of my surgeon as deciding factors to undergo the operation. My greatest fears were long-term incontinence or erectile dysfunction, but I was fortunate not to suffer either. As lucky as I was, earlier testing and detection would have afforded me more treatment options. 'The benefits of early detection can't be overstated, which is why I advise men between 50 and 70 years of age to have a PSA discussion annually,' said Tewari. 'PSA screening combined with imaging is an important approach to effectively screen for prostate cancer.' It took moving across the country, my wife's diligence and a doctor who routinely prescribed PSA tests for my cancer to be diagnosed. It was a complicated road, and experts' divergence on the effectiveness of screening show just how difficult it can be for a layperson to make these kinds of medical decisions. It's not ideal to rely on a testing option that at best results in an estimated 10 out of 1,000 people avoiding death from prostate cancer, with treatment options that can result in incontinence and sexual dysfunction. But taking the test when I did had a dramatic impact. It saved my life. At the very least, I wish I'd had an earlier opportunity for a detailed discussion with my doctor. Given what I know now, I would have preferred screening and early detection, because for me, there is no such thing as the best type of cancer. Ed Manning is a 67-year-old technology executive, jazz pianist and freelance writer who is writing a memoir about surviving prostate cancer
