Natalie McGreevy, 33, says a routine fertility operation went wrong mid-surgery, leaving her with chronic pain that has 'ruined her life'. The former marketing contractor underwent endometriosis surgery in January 2024 at University Hospital Coventry to increase her chances of conception after spending £5,000 to freeze her eggs.
She says the procedure was 'supposed to be a routine operation', but an unexpected incident occurred and she 'almost died' on the operating table. Since then, she has suffered severe neuropathic pain, loss of leg sensation, daily bowel and bladder dysfunction, and fertility complications.
Life turned upside down
Natalie, from Coventry, West Midlands, says she is now housebound for weeks at a time due to difficulty standing and sometimes goes days without food because she cannot cook. She has 'no quality of life' and says doctors have told her she will never fully recover.
She said: "It was supposed to be a minor, regular, day-in day-out surgery. It was just to remove the endometriosis tissue that they thought was potentially impacting my egg quality and blocking my egg tubes. It was supposed to be routine and they [had an issue during the surgery] and I crashed [which is a sudden drop in vital functions]. I'd paid out £5,000 already to do egg freezing. To find out the surgery that was meant to unblock my tubes and make my body healthier to carry [a baby] had almost killed me [...] I felt betrayed by the doctors. It's taken everything, my life, my house, the things I used to enjoy."
Diagnoses and daily struggle
After the operation, Natalie says she developed genitofemoral nerve pain and pudendal neuralgia, a chronic pain condition affecting the nerve that runs through the pelvis. She has also been diagnosed with myofascial perineal disorder, a condition often caused by surgeries that causes pelvic pain.
Natalie said: "I was angry for a long time. I have to do two to three sessions of rehabilitation daily and if I don't my hip will lock up. I've had falls in public as a result of it. The longest I've been stuck in my home is six weeks. The longest I've gone without eating is three or four days because I haven't been able to stand up long enough to cook or go out to get food. I have no quality of life anymore."
Fundraising for spinal device
Natalie is fundraising £6,000 for surgery to insert a TENS machine-style device into her spine to help manage her chronic pain. She says the initial device costs £5,000 to £6,000 and lasts five years. She now lives on disability benefits and says her Personal Independence Payment (PIP) does not cover medical costs most months.
She said: "The next step is they put a device in my spinal cord, it's like a permanent TENS machine. I just want to be able to wake up one day, even if it's not every day, I just want one day out of seven where I can have a few hours without meds and pain. I just want to be given a chance to have a better quality of life."
Natalie is no longer sure she can carry a baby to term due to her medication, after losing a baby in the early stages of pregnancy eight months after the operation. Donations to her fundraiser can be made at gofundme.com/f/help-nat-run-again.
The University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust confirmed that an issue occurred during Natalie's surgery. A spokesperson said: "We are unable to comment on the care of individual patients. We are committed to providing the safest possible care and encourage the patient to get in touch with us through the appropriate channels to ensure we can provide the right support."
