Grievance Debate

Pelvic Mesh Awareness

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (15:47): This week I co-hosted, with the member for Frome and the Hon. Dennis Hood MLC, a Pelvic Mesh Awareness morning tea in Parliament House, which was attended by 18 South Australian mesh-injured women determined to be heard and to make a difference. For some of the women, it was not their first visit to a parliament, having previously given evidence to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee inquiry into the number of women in Australia who have had transvaginal mesh implants and related matters. The status of this inquiry is that the report has been tabled, and I understand that there are a number of recommendations requiring a progress report by 29 November this year.

At the mesh awareness morning tea on Wednesday, four women—Kim, Kirsty, Tracey and Yvonne—bravely spoke about their horrific journey since having a pelvic mesh procedure. They did not do so for those present to feel pity for them, although there were tears of sorrow and headshaking, but to aid in creating greater awareness about possible side effects and to highlight the need for remedial action and support for all mesh-injured women.

'Mesh stole my life. Mesh stole my children's happiness. Mesh stole my mind and my body.' These are just some of the words used by Torrens resident Tracey to describe the impact of pelvic mesh injury following a surgical procedure.

Kim told us that, as a mother of four, career paramedic and registered nurse, the effects of transvaginal mesh caused life-altering effects to her and her family physically, emotionally and financially, impacting on both her personal and professional life. She said:

Mesh has impacted me in many ways. It has robbed me of quality time with my family and friends; it has limited severely my everyday activities that I enjoyed prior to mesh implantation—cycling and walking. Spending quality time with my children and partner has been made almost impossible due to extreme pain…

Yvonne, like the other women present, told us that she was not fully informed prior to a mesh device being implanted and that the experience has negatively altered every aspect of her life, leaving her in excruciating pain. She said:

Going into surgery I was fit and active—a much needed wife, mother and grandmother and full of hope. Due to adverse surgical injuries, I awoke bewildered and broken… A bladder perforation left me unable to void and catheter-dependent. I developed a foreign body reaction to mesh. I felt I was dying a slow and agonising death which at times I would have welcomed.

Mesh stole my dignity, ability, self-esteem, confidence and independence—mesh shattered my hopes and dream and put an end to quality time with my family, but more upsetting, mesh left me unable to lift my granddaughter. I'm saddened when I reflect on life before mesh and life now—gone is the fun, happy, energetic me who loved to dance and socialise. Instead is a traumatised, slow moving, helpless, unsociable and angry me.

Also present at the morning tea was Kirsty, accompanied by her husband. With Kirsty's permission, I will read an extract from a poem she wrote:

The bullet I dodged has returned yet again.

The time bomb embedded, has fastened its tick,

the lies haven't changed and the advice is the same.

The infections aren't thrush or your average UTI,

the doctor said they were fine, but the tests didn't lie,

No, the smell isn't normal; it must be your fault!

Fix your hygiene, really, the biggest insult!

As the mesh bares the truth and its colour clear blue,

against my delicate skin and the raw it rubs through.

That nerve pain that won't go away,

no matter which way I sit, stand or lie,

or how much I strengthen my back

fighting against each wretched titanium tack.

The surgeon's gold standard tarnished,

revealed it's just plated.

The lives of our women, our daughters, our mothers, our lovers,

undervalued, understated.

No longer the victims, lining the pockets of others.

Silent no more, together we stand.

It's our lives, our bodies, our flesh—say no to mesh.

I have run out of time. They deserve more and I will speak on this in the future.

Time expired.