Giving birth is painful. They say that it is a hundred times the menstrual pain that most women experience during their monthly periods. That is why when giving birth, women now have an option to get injected with an epidural.
An epidural is a way to deliver an anesthetic so that it can help stop pain signals to travel from the spine to the brain. During the procedure, a small amount of anesthetic is injected into the epidural space of the spine. The epidural space is filled with fluid and surrounds the spinal cord. An epidural will provide anesthesia that creates a band of numbness from your bellybutton to your upper legs. It allows you to be awake and alert throughout labor, as well as to feel the pressure.
But have you heard of an epidural gone wrong?
This is what happened to Grace Wang. She was a victim of epidural gone bad and because of that, she was left paralyzed after giving birth.
According to her story shared on the Cafemom website, an anesthetist mistakenly injected chlorhexidine, a skin-cleansing fluid, instead of administering an epidural during a routine injection of spinal anesthesia for her epidural. The 33-year-old mother from Sydney suffered massive nerve damage. She also had to endure two brain surgeries and ended up paralyzed from the waist down.
The hospital admitted fault about what happened but they said that Grace’s case is an isolated incident that was ever recorded.
Grace and Jason never expected for this heartbreaking moment to happen. Grace recounts the sadness in her heart because she couldn’t even physically hold her own son when he was born. What was supposed to be a moment of celebration, ended up being a nightmare for these first-time parents. Grace said, “When all those nurses hold Alex when they kiss and hug him, I feel really sad because I really hope I can also hold him just like the others do because our Alex is so cute.”
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that both clear liquids were placed in separate dishes on a sterile table in the delivery room. They were mistakenly switched because they were un-labeled.
During her interview with SBS Mandarin News, she said that she still feels the after-effects of the epidural gone bad even up to the day of the interview. Even while sitting in her wheelchair, she still feels very stiff, and as though all the nerves in her body are constantly in pain.
Emotionally, she shared that there are days when she still cannot accept the tragedy. But she had no choice. She has to accept that she will not be able to care for her own son. Her husband Jason not only has to take over that role, but he also has to care for her at the same time. And this is difficult for them because they are on their own in Australia with no other family members who can help.
Epidurals are safe for both baby and mom when administered correctly and by a trained anesthetist. Countless women have positive stories about how their labor and delivery were more worthwhile because they considered having an epidural. However, there is still a possibility of human error. It is rare, but it happens.
Are you considering pain relief the next time you go into labor? Will you consider an epidural?
