"There was absolutely no reason for me to have been put in that position"

I was in for day surgery but didn’t go down to theatre until 4pm. Having had a spinal anaesthetic, by 8.30pm I was still unable to pass urine and I had no idea how long it would take for me to be able to do so. I asked one member of staff if I would be going home as I needed to let my husband know and they said I probably wouldn’t be. However, when another member of staff came to see me they said that I was definitely going home and demanded to know who had told me that I wasn’t. I explained who it was and they said well they're just a trainee! I had no way of knowing that!

I was made to feel that I was being awkward when they told me that my only option was to have a catheter fitted and be sent home and to have to return the next day to have the catheter removed. When I said I didn’t want to go home with a catheter as it worried me they said that wasn’t a good enough reason for me to stay overnight. I told them that I would keep trying to pass urine and get someone to collect me no matter how late.  

My Husband tried to get to me but the weather was so bad the roads were flooded. I told them that we both suffered with eye conditions and driving in the dark was difficult for us. They said if they’d have known that they could have arranged hospital transport but that it was then too late. I had no idea we would be facing driving back so late at night so there was no way I could have foreseen that problem!

It was only when I called my Husband and told him that they’d got upset with me for not wanting a catheter that their attitude towards me changed and I was told that I could stay. I got my daughter to collect me at 6am as frankly I didn’t want to stay as I was made to feel that I’d far outstayed my welcome.  

There was absolutely no reason for me to have been put in that position. I should not have felt forced to have a catheter unnecessarily when all I needed was some extra time for the anaesthetic to wear off