Katherine Akum Lum is recuperating and undergoing further tests as she prepares to go under the knife for a second time at the Norfolk Sentra General Hospital in the United States.
“Initially they said one surgery, but when I arrived here and ran their tests they made a decision to do two surgeries,” she explained.
Akum Lum, 54, suffered extensive internal damage after lye was accidentally used to do a pelvic wash after she underwent a hysterectomy at the St James Medical Complex in June 2019.
She sued the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA), which is paying her medical costs and accommodation in the US.
Akum Lum did the first surgery on February 17.
She, however, will remain under the care and supervision of a battery of doctors and nurses at the hospital where the second surgery will be done next month.
Akum Lum is also being seen by a psychologist. Responding to criticism over social media following comments she made about the local healthcare system in T&T, she said she was speaking about her experience.
“I am only telling my story based on my experience. I am not saying the whole of Trinidad and Tobago is like that. Some people had positive experiences, some had negative. I had negative experience with them,” she said
She said she was shown no compassion at the St James Medical Centre, especially by those in charge and she felt as though they had just tossed her aside.
“She (official) knew I just did the hysterectomy. She knew what was done to me and instead of trying to help to ensure I get good medical services, she just toss me aside and send me home without even saying that my life could have been in danger,” she said of her experience.
Akum Lum recalled that when she went back to the institution in August 2018 searching for answers, she was again shown no compassion or empathy. She said it was not until her lawyers from Freedom Law Chambers got involved she found out what really happened to her.
“I think if they (NWRHA) had acted earlier when this had happened to me and sent me for the medical treatment there would have been less damage in every aspect, less suffering, less pain. Because of the length of time, obviously a lot would have been damaged more,” she said.
Days before she was scheduled to leave T&T for the surgery, Akum Lum gave an exclusive interview to Guardian Media about her horrific experience and appealed to Health Minister Terrance Deyalsingh to intervene. Deyalsingh contacted her and ensured the financial commitments for her surgery.
Akum Lum had sued the NWRHA and they agreed to pay for her surgery and associated costs, but based on the correspondence from the authority’s attorneys, she was worried they would not have met the payment deadlines and her surgery would have had to be postponed.
“Even with the surgery, they (authority) kept dancing me around. How much pain could I suffer? How much can I go through? This is two-and-a-half years, a lot of pain, a lot of suffering, a lot of drugging. A lot of stuff going on mentally and emotionally.”
However, she said as she entered the hospital in Virginia, everyone was shocked and saddened to learn about her ordeal
“Imagine, they (US doctors) apologised to me. Did Dr James apologise to me? Did anyone of them (Trini doctors) apologise for me?”
While she knows she may never fully return to the woman she was before, Akum Lum is keeping faith that after the surgeries and post-care, her body and life will return to some level of normalcy.
She again thanked everyone, especially her attorneys, who have been supporting her.