Shielded dad taken to A&E for Covid test, even though he doesn't have it!

[feelsoshitnow]

My dad (75) had kidney cancer, and now has one kidney. He also has had bladder cancer, has stage 4 CKD, COPD and diabetes.

He was diagnosed with mets to his aorta earlier this year, and after much consideration, his oncologist agreed to trial him on Pazopanib(sp) to see if it could slow the cancer's progression.

He started paz a few weeks ago. He was fine to start with, but the last week or so has been violently sick. He's not been able to keep anything down and just sleeps 24/7. The oncology nurse advised he stop.

His oncologist phoned him today to discuss an alternative. My dad was breathless on the phone (he has been for ages a combination of COPD and some fluid where his kidney was, that prevents deep breathing).

The oncologist arranged an ambulance, said something vague about 'blood clots' and that was that.

The ambulance crew have told my mum he seems fine, he doesn't have a clot, but they have to take him to A&E as the oncologist told them he may have covid due to his breathing. They were angry about it, but said they have to.

So dad, who has been shielded, is now going into an envrionment where all the shielding was for nothing. There is no way he's got it (mum has washed all shopping, quarantined post, etc). He doesn't have a cough or fever, just breathlessness, which he's had for 18 months or so.

Not sure why I'm writing this, I'm just so upset.

[ChelseaCat]

Sounds really daft. Your dad has enough on his plate. He could have refused to go?

[ChelseaCat]

Sorry that sounds really insensitive. I wrote in a rush

Hope you are ok and he’s back home in no time 🤞🏼

[feelsoshitnow]

Thanks @ChelseaCat, I'm worried about mum, but don't want to go to see her, as I've not shielded, so could be a risk (mum is very with it, very tech savvy, so she's fine really).

Maybe he could have refused to go, but he's really struggling to talk due to breathlessness (that hasn't changed), and was scared (he told me so, and that he loved us children). It's stupid in the extreme.

Thing is even if he had it, they wouldn't do much. His GP phoned him at the beginning of lockdown, saying he wouldn't go to hospital and had DNAR on his records...so it seems pointless as they wouldn't ventilate him anyway...now he's at more risk of catching it.

[Mumof1andacat]

Its likely he will go in to a suspected covid ward where patients are isolated from others until the result comes in. Depending on the result will depend on which ward he goes to. Not all wards in the hospital are covid positive wards.

[TinnedPearsForPudding]

How do the paramedics know he doesn't have a blood clot causing the breathlessness?

[Clemmieandareallybigbunfight]

I think they've taken him in because it could be covid or it could be a pulmonary embolism.

[feelsoshitnow]

@TinnedPearsForPudding I'm not sure, it's just what they told mum.
They spent 45 minutes monitoring him, then told her it wasn't

That's what I'm worried about Mumof1, there may or may not be Covid patients in the ward, but I'm worried he may catch it from someone who is found to be positive.

[feelsoshitnow]

@Clemmieandareallybigbunfight You are probably right (sorry I'm so vague, but my mum is very forgetful and usually my sister or I speak to drs, go to hospital appointments etc, but we can't at the moment, so what my mum says often has a bit missing.

I just want him home, and to know he's safe.

[ChelseaCat]

How’s your Dad OP?