Chamber and committees

David Ellis submission of 29 July 2021

PE1865/MMM - Suspend all surgical mesh and fixation devices

The road for me to being diagnosed with, “Intractable Pain and depression” has and remains a very difficult one.

I had a recurrent Hernia following an accident, approximately 5 weeks after my first Hernia repair, which tore the Mesh anchor points from the first operation. It took surgeons 5 months to order a CT scan, which revealed the re-occurrent hernia plus other issues. The surgeon told me the second operation would take about 45 minutes. It would simply tidy up the previous hernia and I would be as good as I was following the first operation. Sadly this didn’t happen, I was on the table for 2.7 hours. During that time, they inserted a mesh measuring 15 cm x 15 cm. At no time was it discussed that they “May, or Might” have to insert another mesh.

When I woke after the surgery, something felt different, but, I dismissed it as being post operation pains. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

The following months, my abdominal pains got worse and worse. I was told that there was no way that the pain I was experiencing was from the mesh and, it must be a psychological problem, I was dismissed with this, time after time. My pain was real and debilitating. It took over my life as it became worse. I began to question myself, this slowly but surely sent me into self-doubt, anxiety and finally serious depression.

It wasn’t just the pain from my abdomen that was affecting me. After a while, I developed sciatica, muscle wastage and serious arthritis. My body degradation was ruining my life. Finally, one senior specialist psychologist stated that the physical pain was real and my condition was Chronic. He also stated that Chronic Pain and Depression were inextricably linked.

Over the next few years, I struggled to maintain my life and work. Gradually the pain became worse, the medication became stronger, and the depression increased, due to my lack of self-worth. I found myself struggling to function, to even get out of bed in the mornings, largely due to the strong medication and pain.

I pushed on like this for two years, but finally, the depression took over my life. The final straw came when doctors declared that there was nothing more that they could do for me. It was a huge body blow. That was when I decided that there was no point in carrying on, I may as well end it all. I figured that I may as well put myself to sleep! I don’t know why I didn’t do it? 3 times I was sat there with the tablets, wine and the tears, but something inside me just wouldn’t let me do it! I have always been a fighter, a determined man who never gives up, this was a whole new low for me!!

What I hadn’t realised is that my family were, as they put it, “On suicide watch”. I had got to the point of being so low and in pain, I could no longer read, or, understand my family. A good friend of mine did commit suicide during this period. I attended his funeral and witnessed the devastation that he had left behind, it was heart breaking! I think back at that now and realise that his death saved my life. He is forever in my thoughts.

Move on to my life now? I have learned to accept that this wasn’t my fault, the self-loathing that I had is still there some days, other days? I am angry at the medical profession for doing this to me and abandoning me. My pain and other problems are still there and to a degree are getting worse, or, there are new pains! One of my main coping strategies now, is to turn all that negativity into trying to help others, who are in a similar situation as I was when told that there was nothing wrong with me.

I have taken part in a documentary as part of the Victoria Derbyshire Programme and write the occasional verse on Facebook.

I know that I have helped to save other people from suffering the same fate as my dear friend, as I have had many, many, people message me to that fact.

It is a terrible position to be in, and believe me, I know. The pain, the desperation, anxiety and depression all play on your mind. It doesn’t help when you are being told that, “it’s not as bad as you are making it out to be” by the medical profession. They also say (and others have confirmed this) that your condition is very rare indeed!!! Absolute lies, it is more common than you think. There are millions globally suffering from Mesh related injuries, infections, rejections and side effects. Until they ban the use of mesh, this will continue.

I have researched the polypropylene plastic that the mesh is made from. Many of the manufacturers have openly stated that this “Petrochemical product” is TOXIC inside the human body and should not be used.

This has been known for decades and still they are putting it into humans! It has never had any HUMAN TRIALS! It’s an absolute scandal and it should be stopped without delay!

Save lives! Stop putting Profit over Patients!!!