Ambar-Rose Powell, 19, went into surgery to reduce her excruciating endometriosis pain.
But what was meant to be a “minimally invasive” procedure went horribly wrong, leaving the teenager from northern NSW with potentially lifelong complications.
Doctors nicked her bowel, leading to a sepsis infection which left the teen in a 12-day coma — and thousands of dollars out of pocket in medical bills.
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After multiple surgeries since, Ambar is now relearning how to do basic tasks such as walking and chewing food.
This was just the latest in a series of medical misadventures for the teen, who says she struggled for years to get doctors to take her endometriosis pain seriously.
Once it was, things went horribly wrong.
Ambar told 7NEWS.com.au she was just 10 years old when she got her first painful period.
“I got very bad pain in my pelvis and my back … and some days I would collapse to the ground but I was told it was just normal period pain,” she said.
That monthly pain continued throughout Ambar’s entire teenage life.
“I went to more doctors … and they just said, ‘You’re fine’ or said I just have a cyst,” she said.
Finally, on July 1, 2024, a doctor told Ambar her pain might be caused by endometriosis, a condition where uterine tissue grows outside the uterus.
One in seven women in Australia is said to experience the condition, which is reported to cost the nation’s health system $220 million per year.
It was recommended Ambar undergo a common procedure used to help treat endometriosis, whereby doctors use keyhole surgery to go into the abdomen and remove the endometrial tissue.
Due to demand, women can face wait times of 12 to 24 months for the surgery in the public system, according to Endometriosis Australia.
Not wanting to be in pain any longer, Ambar, from Terranora near Tweed Heads, elected to use her health cover and have the surgery done at John Flynn Private Hospital at Tugun, on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
Surgeons were successful in removing much of the endometrial tissue that had caused Ambar so much pain over the years.
But then something even more sinister quickly took hold of her body.
“They said they had nicked my bowel during the surgery, and waste had leaked causing septicaemia,” Ambar said.
Septicaemia, or sepsis, is blood poisoning caused by the body’s extreme response to an infection.
It is fatal in almost half of cases.
Ambar was placed in an induced coma, which would last two terrifying weeks while she underwent multiple surgeries and her blood was cleaned.
“My boyfriend sat by my side every day,” she said.
“Every day he would come straight from work and sit by my bed.
“It’s all been really tough on him.”
Since Ambar has awoken from the coma, she has had to relearn how to perform basic functions.
She also faced the daunting possibility of needing a colostomy bag for the rest of her life, although doctors have since told her that can eventually be removed.
“It messed up absolutely everything,” she said.
“Currently, I have many significant scars on my abdomen and use a colostomy bag.”
But the news only got worse for Ambar.
“They said I might not be able to have children,” she said.
“And that has always been one of my biggest dreams … to have a family.”
Ambar said the complications had thrown out many of her “big plans”.
“You know, I had a normal life that I was excited to get back to,” she said.
“I was going to go for my black belt in tae kwon do.”
Further complicating her recovery, her experience — both the surgery complications and what she perceived as “medical gaslighting” over the years as she sought help for her extreme period pain — has left her terrified of any further medical intervention.
“I didn’t ask for any of this,” she said.
“I’m anxious … I’m getting depressed, and I’m terrified. I’m so scared.
“I’m scared … I’m scared to have a reversal surgery done (to remove the colostomy bag) … I’m terrified to ever step foot into a hospital again.
“This was my very first surgery and something went wrong.
“They told me it was an easy surgery … and they told me the risks but said that’s not going to happen.”
Ambar says while her initial surgery was covered by her private health policy, and the hospital refunded the $500 gap fee in light of the complications, she still faces out-of-pocket expenses adding up to thousands of dollars for further surgery, follow-up appointments and medications.
Hospital responds
A spokesperson for John Flynn Private Hospital did not comment specifically on the case but invited Ambar to get in touch.
“Our thoughts are with Ms Powell and we wish her well in her recovery,” the spokesperson said.
“Due to privacy restrictions, we cannot provide information about our patients, however our hospital executive team will make themselves available to speak to Ms Powell should she wish to discuss any aspects of her care.”
Advice
After everything she has been through, Ambar says she wishes doctors had taken her pain seriously to begin with.
“I wouldn’t lie about my pain,” she said.
“I was upset … because every hospital I went to they just said I was over-exaggerating.
“I would say to other girls, do your research, get a good support system … because bad stuff can happen … and don’t let anyone tell you twice that it’s just period pain.
“Don’t let anyone say that you’re not in pain when you are.”
A Go Fund me organised to help Ambar pay off her medical bills has raised more than $1,000.
“Thank you all for your support and I very much appreciate you all,” Ambar wrote.