Why Stop At Just One Appendectomy?

An honest mistake

Sometimes luck runs smack into people for no reason at all. Luck and Mark Wattson seemed to miss each other on this particular occasion.

Mark Wattson, from Swindon, Wilts, had two appendectomies in a month after doctors failed to remove the appendix at the first attempt. He claims that he lost his job because his employers did not believe that he needed to have the operation twice.

If you’re friends with Mark Wattson and a storm is a’ brewin in the distance, you might want to steer clear of the impending lighting strike on his head because his Final Destination seems to be written. He’s just denying it.

Mr Wattson, 35, had his first appendectomy on Tuesday, July 7…He said that doctors informed him that the procedure had gone well. He was discharged the next day. Yet a month later, Mr Wattson was taken to hospital after collapsing in Swindon town centre. He was told by doctors at Great Western Hospital – where his original operation had taken place – that his appendix had burst and that he needed an emergency appendectomy. “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing,” Mr Wattson said. “I told these people I had my appendix out just four weeks earlier but there it was on the screen for all to see.

This dude must have felt like Neo when he meets with Agent Smith for the first time and Agent Smith says, “Tell me Mr. Anderson, what good is a phone call if you are unable to speak?” and then Neo’s mouth gets fused together.

Mr Wattson then suffered further complications. The incision made during his second operation became infected, leaving a hole in his stomach 4cm deep and 2cm wide. He had to be admitted to hospital for a third time and spent another six days there. He was prescribed antibiotics to treat the infection. “I had a temporary job but when I took in two medical certificates saying I had my appendix out twice they didn’t believe me. Now I’m helpless. I can’t go out and find a job, I can’t go to interviews. I can barely walk and am in constant pain.”

I’m sure the hospital is going to take care of all of this and notify his employer right away about the unbelievable mishap on their end so that Mr. Wattson can get back to work, right? …. Right?

Paul Gearing, the deputy general manager for surgery at Great Western Hospital, confirmed that an investigation into Mr Wattson’s claims was under way. He said: “We are unable to comment on individual cases. However, we would like to apologise if Mr Wattson felt dissatisfied with the care he received at GWH.

If Mr. Wattson felt dissatisfied? Like this is a matter of opinion now? Mr. Gearing, either you are the Great Western Hospital’s Scooter Libby or you have the most peculiar view on the definition of the word: dissatisfaction. You incorrectly removed something out of this man’s body that he surely needed. You botched up the real appendectomy, leaving him with an infected hole in his stomach. And now you won’t help this man get his job back, immediately.

Apologizing to Mr. Wattson for feeling disstatisfied is like smacking Mr. Wattson in the head with a golf club, putting a bag over their head and throwing them out of a moving plane in the dead of the night and then apologizing if Mr. Wattson ”felt disoriented” during his descent. WTF!