NL woman’s cancer treatment delayed by hospital error

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Julie Pike of St. Brendan’s Island said that she would have been finished her cancer treatment by now if she hadn’t been delayed in getting her lumpectomy, and her healing dragged out after a surgical error.

Pike says that on the day of her surgery in February 2025 she was sent to the wrong unit of James Paton Hospital in Gander. That unit which had no record or information on her case. 

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Pike thought she was having the surgery done that day and was frustrated when it didn’t happen. The fact that staff didn’t even have her file frustrated her more.

“When I went in and saw the surgeon, he didn’t know why I was there. He had to ask me,” said Pike.

“I expected to have something done, but he didn’t assess me. He looked at me and said, ‘You’re not supposed to be here’.”

Pike had been sent to the “special procedures unit” instead of the regular operating room and surgical team.

The special procedures unit takes care of surgeries such as tooth extractions, not cancer surgeries. Pike had been informed in a letter from NL Health Service’s (NLHS) central zone that her surgery would be in that unit.

“We have asked who schedules those appointments for special procedures, because whoever it was obviously messed up. I wasn’t supposed to be there,” said Pike.

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When Pike says “we,” she is referring to herself and her husband, Gabriel.

Gabriel was beyond upset to find out they were in the wrong unit because, he points out, with cancer, “every second counts.”

‘IT WAS DEVASTATING’

Pike had found the lump in her left breast during Christmas 2024, just two months earlier.

In January, through Medicuro, she was referred for testing. It took from January until the day she ended up in special procedures to have her MRI, mammogram and biopsy with a marker.

It wasn’t until she saw the surgeon in February that he officially diagnosed her with cancer — the first time it was confirmed for Pike.

“Even though I had myself prepared, it was still devastating,” said Pike.

The first thing that went through her mind was her 12-year-old son, and the second was, “I need to get this out and done.”

Pike was referred to the Cancer Centre, and once she was registered, she had to wait again for her surgery.

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Pike’s actual surgery date finally came on March 11, and the lumpectomy successfully removed the full tumour.

Pike doesn’t remember the type of cancer it was, but was told by doctors that of the three types, it was the “best of the three.”

SURGICAL CLIP LEFT BEHIND

Things didn’t end for Pike then — they actually got worse. Pike had to return to James Paton on March 12 due to complications from her surgery.

Pike began to experience bleeding and a hematoma, so she had to be opened back up, cleaned and drained. She spent close to four nights in the hospital having antibiotics administered to her through two IVs.

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She was sent home sporting dressings that needed to be checked on by a nurse because she was still experiencing discharge. Two holes in her chest wouldn’t heal properly.

After having her dressing changed in Eastport one evening, Pike returned home and was still experiencing bleeding, so she decided to change her bandage herself. When she did, she pushed out her drainage, and out popped a surgical clip.

“I was shocked when it came out,” said Pike.

The clip was used to hold together a blood vessel but was never removed. It’s part of the reason she experienced so much pain.

To this day, Pike says she hasn’t received an apology from NLHS about the clip or the delays in her surgery and referral.

“We’re human, we’re not a number, all of us are human. We’re not numbers, but that’s what it seems like,” said Pike.

Pike was due to start 22 rounds of radiation treatment following her surgery, but still hasn’t received it due to the holes in her chest, which need to heal before she can begin.

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She also hasn’t received her pathology report to see if she needs chemo.

It’s left Pike in limbo and deeply concerned by how long it’s taking to get critical information.

Pike believes that if she hadn’t been delayed, she wouldn’t have experienced the complications she did and would have received her treatment and been done with this disease.

NLHS STATEMENT

NLHS told The Telegram in a statement that they were sorry to hear of Pike’s experience and that they strive to provide the best possible health-care experience for all patients, clients and residents.

Their statement said they take their patients’ concerns seriously, but due to the Personal Health Information Act (PHIA), they are unable to comment on care provided for individual patients.

NLHS said that patients, residents or loved ones who have questions or concerns about their health care can discuss them with their care team and can follow up with management if needed.

Their statement added that concerns may also be directed to the Patient Relations Office in the respective zones.

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