To think that DD1 can't come home in this state?

[AllDirections]

DD1 (17) woke up with severe pain in the right hand side of her lower abdomen 10 days ago, a week gone Monday. I took her to the GP on Tuesday when it was no better and she was admitted to hospital with suspected appendicitis. They gave her antibiotics thinking it might be an infection and sent her home on Thurs.

Over the weekend the pain remained constant and severe. She stayed in bed and could barely eat or drink anything. She was back in hospital on Monday and yesterday they did a laparoscopy. DD1's appendix is fine but there was fluid around her ovary so the docs said that she'd had a heavy period and that was causing the pain. They told her that she could go home today.

I've just been to the hospital and she's no better. The pain is still constant and severe and she rates it between 6-8 depending on when she's due more pain relief. She's on a concoction of different medication to help the pain. But this is only when she doesn't move. When she moves the pain is worse. She's lost about 11 pounds in 10 days and my normally vibrant, active, sociable teenager is wasting away before my very eyes

I'm going to the hospital in the morning to catch the doctors doing their ward round but I don't know how to help DD1. They seem to think that they've checked everything and she's fine. If she was getting better then I'd be happy to bring her home but she's not and I don't know what to do. I'm at breaking point with juggling my other DC, work, etc. with no help. Can anyone advise me? Can I insist that she stays in hospital or do I bring her home and hope that she'll get better?

[Mouldypineapple]

Can you speak to the ward sister? She may be able to explain what the doctors are thinking but can also be a useful mediator between you/ your daughter and the medical team.

[CrohnicallyFarting]

I am not a doctor.

However, your daughter's story is so similar to mine. I suffered what I thought was a stomach bug for a few days- severe pain in the lower right hand side of my abdomen, and vomiting. When the pain got so severe I couldn't move, I went to hospital and was admitted with suspected appendicitis. That was ruled out, then gallbladder attack was ruled out, so I was given antibiotics and sent home. A few days later I was re admitted, having lost 5kg since my original admission a week earlier. This time they did more tests as I said I wasn't going home till they found the problem and treated it- so they did an ultrasound and CT scan of my entire abdomen, and this time they suspected Crohn's disease, I had a colonoscopy a few weeks later as an outpatient which confirmed the diagnosis.

I would ask them outright if there is any chance it could be Crohn's, and I would also ask for an ultrasound of her entire abdomen, there are no known side effects to having an ultrasound so they can have a good look at all her internal organs and hopefully identify the problem.

[AllDirections]

Thanks for your thoughts so far. The nurse agreed with me that there was no way that DD1 could go home today and she suggested that I go in early tomorrow to see the docs.

Chronic That's interesting. Did you have any problems before then? DD1 hasn't shown any signs of having any stomach problems before this happened. I feel better knowing that I can insist on her staying there until they find out what's wrong. I don't know how they thought I could get her home anyway. I'll google Chrohns now.

[Maverick66]

Sounds like Polycystic Ovaries to me . Both my daughters have it and pain is quite horrendous.

[CrohnicallyFarting]

As a child I had a few 'stomach aches' that would be severe enough to double me over in pain, or prevent me from being able to walk. Often after a couple of hours or so I would then have diarrhoea and feel much better. These happened very infrequently- maybe once every 6 months or so- so we always put it down to a bug, or something I'd eaten (we thought maybe I had food intolerances). And as I grew older, they lessened in frequency.

That is the only sign I had before the flare that lead to my diagnosis, and I hadn't had a stomach ache like that for ages before I became ill (I was 24 at diagnosis, and probably hadn't suffered more than one or two since leaving school).

Like I said, I'm not a doctor, but I do think your daughter sounds so similar to how I was that it's worth ruling out.

[Finola1step]

If she is still in the hospital, then I would say stand your ground. Don't take her home until signs of improvement. Talking to ward sister is a good idea.

[MaxsMummy2012]

Really sorry that your poor daughter is going through this. I just wanted to say that I have Polycystic ovaries and although periods are quite painful they are no way near bad enough to warrant a hospital admission and if they have done a CT Scan of her abdomen and ovaries (you don't mention how they determined that she had fluid around her ovary so I'm assuming she's had a scan) then they would know if she had PCOS and would have mentioned it to you so I doubt this is the answer. I hope that you get to the bottom of it soon - definitely nag for them to keep investigating, it's not good enough for them to send her on her way when she is still suffering. X

[AllDirections]

She's had a scan and a laparoscopy so it's definitely not her ovaries. She hasn't actually had any heavy periods, that's just what the docs said. And I don't really know what they mean about fluid around her ovary but I'll ask in the morning.

Thanks for your thoughts everyone. I feel a bit stronger now and ready to insist that they do something to help her. I'm off to bed so I can get to the hospital early (and hope that breakfast club will have DD3 if I just turn up with her). I'll check for any more replies in the morning.

[NorthernLassie724]

I had exactly the same thing at exactly the same age - literally no details you've given are different to what happened to me.
The doctors were stumped and eventually diagnosed something called mesenteric adenitis, apparently it's quite rare in older teenagers. I'm still not 100% if it was correct or not. I have since found out I have PCOS but apparently you can get it where the ovaries look quite normal on scans etc and I didn't get many typical PCOS symptoms until I was in my twenties.. As time has gone on (probably from my mid-20s onwards) I've been having more ovulation pains so I think the PCOS is getting more severe. However it is currently a bit better since having dd last year.

I think what I'm trying to say is that maybe your dd has got PCOS but not the typical version. I feel for her - the pain I had during my episode in hospital was the worst I've ever had, much worse than labour. Hope she feels better soon.

[BurningBridges]

Depending on what happens tomorrow, see if there is a Patient Advice Liaison office (PALS) in the hospital and ask them to take the case up, get DD seen by a different consultant. Next step is Hospital Administrator's office - you'll need to speak to them by phone first, just ask when you get through to switchboard. Good luck please let us know how you get on.

[taxi4ballet]

Is she in a medical / surgical ward because they originally thought it might be appendicitis? Perhaps she could be referred to a gynaecologist in the hospital...

[MyBodyIsAtemplate]

taxi just about to post that. if she was admitted as a surgical emergency she may not have seen the gynae team.

best of luck anyway op, your poor dd. xx

[worriedsick100]

just to add 5 pence worth when I was young 7-10 years old I suffered bad abdominal pains and can recall frequent gp visits, gp call outs in night etc. Eventually at 10 I had emergency appendix operation - how do doctors assess if you have what is called grumbling appendix? I suspect mine was doing this for years (though this was decades ago and hopefully things have improved). I guess I am saying just keep the appendix cause in the back of your mind in case you need to raise it again at some point. I do wish her better x

[AllDirections]

I spoke to the docs this morning and they confirmed that DD1's pain is caused by ruptured cysts. They said that the pain could be this severe for another week yet so she's coming home today.

I panicked yesterday because of not knowing why she was so ill and not knowing if it was caused by something life threatening. I feel better now I know but I wish the nurse could have told me this yesterday.

Thanks for the support everyone, it really did help.

[TaurielTest]

I had episodes of acute pain in my right iliac fossa (the bit of my abdomen that it sounds like your DD has pain in) in my teens and twenties. Fluid around ovaries was evident on scan. I had PCOS and it was ruptured cysts (though this wasn't diagnosed until after my perfectly healthy appendix had been removed).
Agree with taxi that gynae referral may be sensible - either in hospital or as a follow up if her pain subsides.

[TaurielTest]

x posted. Hope her pain eases off soon.

[wannabestressfree]

Oh Chronicallyfarting thats just like me! I had persistant nasty stomach aches as a child. Would spend several days in hospital and then sent home. My mum was told I had colic, a grumbling appendix, then they quered whether I was the victim of abuse [I wasn't].
Finally I was admitted with appendictius, taken to surgery and had the first of many bowel resections. I have just had a total colectomy and now have a bag.
Persevere. Take her back and say its not good enough. My crohns never had to get as bad as it is now........

[CrohnicallyFarting]

Glad you have some answers and I hope your Dd feels better soon!

[BurningBridges]

Hope she's better very soon thanks for update

[Maverick66]

Glad dd feeling better. I would definitely get her a gynae appointment as she may have more cysts. She will need an internal scan to diagnose. There isn't anything they can do about cysts unless pain is unbearable and then they will operate on them. Gynae can prescribe a great painkiller though which will help with any recurrence of pain.