Camille A. McNicholas, CRNA

My experience with Camille McNicholas was TORTURE!  As soon as I was sliced open, I complained of pain on the right side of abdomen as I could feel my right knee and above. She immediately stood up and look over the sheet to watch surgery for awhile. Why did she do that? She sat down. I continue to complain about the pain. She said, 'You don't feel pain, your feel pressure.' I said, "I feel pain!' She said, 'Breathe through it.' She sat there while I cried and ferociously shook. Mind you, when you feel pain this severe, it is difficult to speak. I focused on the clock to my right. The birth of my daughter was a mild distraction. My husband and daughter left the room. I tried again to get help by saying, 'I feel my whole abdomen.' She said and did nothing but I knew she heard me because I heard her clothes rustle as she bent over to hear me. I was wheeled to recovery room. Then she ordered Demerol for the IV. Wasn't she supposed to have that available in the operating room? I had to wait over 45 minutes to get any pain medication since Demerol was not readily available. I told Camille that this was the most painful Caesarean I had ever experienced (my fourth). She said, 'If the doctor gave you anymore medication, you might have vomited.' I told Camille how I could feel and move my feet. She saw my feet move. She just stood there near to my head complacent and ignorant of my severe pain. 

She NEVER asked me about my comfort. She was complacent about my complaints, crying, and ferocious shaking. I was strong enough to keep my composure and knew if I became a raging lunatic, I would have put my baby and self in danger. My words alone should have gotten some concern from an anesthetist. Was told by the hospital's anesthesia chairman that no one perceived my pain because I wasn't 'hysterical enough' to feel the pain I was describing. Chairman said we had a communication gap. 

Reported her lack of basic anesthesia skills to the Joint Commission. Did not sue. Suffered PTSD for years.