‘Screams in pain’: Ipswich dad’s desperate plea as wife’s endometriosis worsens

An Ipswich father caring for his chronically ill wife is pleading for meaningful change to the public healthcare system so endometriosis sufferers have adequate access to support. SEE THE HEARTBREAKING FOOTAGE

An Ipswich father caring for his chronically ill wife is pleading for meaningful change to the public healthcare system so those suffering with endometriosis have adequate access to support and treatment.

North Ipswich man Chris Muller is caring for his wife Elicia, 35, who he says is suffering debilitating pain daily, and that it is not responding to pain medication.

“I struggle to get up and help her every day, I’m on so many pain killers myself (because of a permanent back injury,) and I’m trying to help her walk or carry her to the toilet,” he said.

“She’s gone from being a healthy person to me assisting her with everything.

“The kids are suffering a lot because of this … it’s traumatising watching their mother go from a playful happy mum to being stuck in bed, screaming in excruciating pain.”

One in nine Australian women suffer the disease which occurs when the uterus lining grows outside the uterus and attaches to other organs, causing chronic and debilitating pain.

There is no known cure to the condition, however there are treatments available.

After two years of specialist appointments and doing the rounds of hospitals across southeast Queensland searching for treatment that extends beyond pain medication, Mr Muller said Elicia’s health had reached breaking point.

“My wife said to me the other day, ‘what’s the point of living, when you are living to be in pain?’ now that really hit a nerve in me, and the reason why I’m so stressed (and started making videos),” he said.

“If I could take her pain away, I would take it in a heartbeat, we’ve been together for 18 years … and we’ve lost years of our life because of this.”

The father of two said after trying and failing to get immediate help from Ipswich Hospital twice last week, he was at a complete loss and did not know where to turn to for help.

“The gynaecologist there has refused her application twice,” he said.

“Our GP has told us that she should be a category one, but the Ipswich Hospital has told us via the gynaecologist that she is a category two and needs to wait another four weeks (for a consultation),” he said.

“There’s no help, no one to turn to, no support, no empathy for her. I think she needs to be admitted and monitored.

“I do understand the health system is struggling … but the little people need the support and the government isn’t doing it.”

Elicia Muller waiting at the Ipswich Hospital ED for four hours after being sent there by a gastroscopy doctor when she was in too much pain to sit through the hospital appointment on Tuesday, June 21.

West Moreton Health chief executive Kerrie Freeman said she was sorry to hear that Elicia and her family had concerns about her care at Ipswich Hospital.

“West Moreton Health continues to provide clinically safe care for patients by prioritising urgent and emergency surgeries (and) we endeavour to see all patients who require urgent elective surgery within the clinically recommended time,” she said.

“Surgery is indicated within 90 days for patients experiencing pain but whose condition is not an emergency.

“In the first quarter of 2022, 100 per cent of gynaecology patients needing elective surgery at Ipswich Hospital were seen within the clinically recommended time.

“We encourage anyone who is concerned about their experience in our care to contact our Consumer Liaison Office for a respectful conversation about issues of concern.”

Mr Muller said they tried to lodge a formal complaint about the gynaecologist department at the hospital with the Consumer Liaison Office and was told there was nothing that could be done.

The stay at home dad said although he was physically and mentally exhausted, he was determined to raise awareness for everyone struggling with the disease.

“They shouldn’t have to go through this,” he said.

“Everyone needs to understand what the women of Australia have to go through, we need support, we need help, yes Elicia is a number one candidate that needs it, but there are so many other people going through it too.”