Reassure me I'm not wasting a&e's time?

[Piehunter]

Started with bad pain lower left abdomen last night, slept fitfully through the night as it woke me regularly, was sick in the night too. This morning at 6am pain was severe, waited to call gp surgery at half 8 and saw Dr at 9.50 by which point had been sick again but slightly less pain as I'd taken paracetamol and oramorph (I have abdominal pain regularly from adhesions/scar tissue in my abdomen from burst appendix and ruptured bowel). Gp said v v tender over colon and prescribed antibiotics for suspected diverticulitis. I'm 25 and so on the young end for that, he said come back if it gets worse. Phone 4 hours later, the pain is worse, super nausea and hot face (temp 37 so no fever but I'm normally around 36). He says I can go in and see him again but he doesn't see much point as antibiotics wont have had chance to work. Asks if I can "put up with it" I say is borderline unbearable and he repeats "not much I can do for you"

My concern is that I have a very high pain tolerance, I had appendicitis in 2015, was discharged with it after 2 nights in hospital where they missed it despite severe pain and vomiting and was at home very ill for 10 days before my appendix burst and bowel ruptured (peritonitis and septicaemia, 3 weeks in hospital, lasting effects) as no one thought I was in enough pain for it to be serious because I don't really cry/scream and I'm used to pain from chronic health conditions.

I'm not willing to risk any further complications from people fobbing me off. I'm so concerned about being seen as a hypochondriac/time waster though despite severe pain, if they can't find out what it is then experience says nothing will be done.

Is this a reasonable use for a and e?

[cellardoors]

I would say that, based on your history, you'd be sensible to go to A and E. Good luck x

[CondensedMilkSarnies]

Yes definitely an A&E job . Hope you get it sorted x

[lljkk]

how R U now?

[MollyHuaCha]

Adhesions can be life-threatening. If they are strangulating internal organs immediate surgery is required! Hope you are feeling ok OP?

[rubberballcomebouncingbacktome]

How are you feeling now? Hope you have been seen at A&E, you are not wasting anyone's time.

[Piehunter]

Thanks guys, got seen by Dr in a&e and sent to surgical unit, I've been in a bed on assessment ward since midnight, they suspect diverticulitis here too but the plan for that would be IV antibiotics and fluids rather than oral antibiotics at home as my pain is bad. Waiting on blood results, had an abdo xray. Pulse high, flushed face and looking rough. Just still got the fear of them telling me I'm making it up even though I know I'm not feeling like a fraud as it comes in waves and right now it's relatively tolerable!

[MavisTheTwinklyToreador]

Hope you feel better soon

[oldlaundbooth]

Feel better soon OP, hope you're OK xx

[Lorelei76]

Wish you better, glad you went
Do keep telling them about high pain tolerance, it muddied the waters when I had a spinal injury. So it's essential they know you have that.
Hopefully IV via antibiotics will mean fast recovery

[Piehunter]

Well... At 3am they came to tell me they think it's just a uti. Have no urgency, frequency or burning just severe abdo pain, nausea and vomiting... No nitrites in the dip I did yesterday morning at home (I self cath so I have some at home) and they dipped it in a and e which presumably was clean else they'd have told me it was a uti down there? But nitrites in the dip they did on ward. Feels like a massive waste of time all round! Got maybe 90 minutes sleep all night over 6 hours..

There was talk of an ultrasound by one Dr but then another said they're happy with uti diagnosis alone. Just want to get home now!

[myoriginal3]

The nhs is shit.

[soupmaker]

Piehunter that sounds rough. At least you've been seen and no, you are not a fraud, you're in pain and it needed investigated. Hopefully you'll get the right antibiotics and they'll kick in fast if it is a UTI. Get well soon.

[soupmaker]

Myoriginal3 Exactly how is the NHS shit?

[gingeroots]

Piehunter how is the pain ? That does sound a bit odd about the UTI - clear dips and then not .And pain prior to dx a UTI ?

I'm completely the same about not wanting to make a fuss ,paranoid in fact .It's very hard as I think a lot of HPs automatically assume that patients are overreacting/exaggerating .So when they are faced with someone who isn't ( and is probably feeling much iller than they say ) it really confuses the issue .

Let us know how you are .You did the right thing going to A&E .

[Piehunter]

Thanks Ginger I listened to lots of people last night say their pain was fine, like a 5. I was saying mine was a 6, with morphine on board and in too much pain to chat much... Causes issues!! I need to learn to bump pain score up a bit but then there's nothing left for worst pain ever!

I've seen consultant surgeon this morning who has requested ultrasound and made no mention of uti at all... This is what I hate about hospital, every person has a different opinion and whoever is on at the time, wins! In this situation it goes for me, but not always!

[Piehunter]

Thanks soup also, sorry to have missed you! I have been to a and e 5 times in the last month (mainly catheter issues which out of hours have to be dealt with there) so I think I'm feeling it more keenly... Every single one if those times I have consulted gp/ooh beforehand but I still have to get validation from my mum DH is too protective to be objective

[gingeroots]

hunter one of the things I'm telling myself at the moment ( to overcome my fear of causing a fuss/"bothering" them ) is that It's not sensible to ignore things .One needs to take responsibilty for one's health .No one else will .
But golly ,it sounds like you've been through the mill .

And I know what you're saying about
every person has a different opinion and whoever is on at the time, wins!

[Piehunter]

Ultrasound showed free fluid in pelvis, have been having IV ondansetron for nausea/vomiting. Who knows what happens next... Keen as I am to get home, not so much while I'm so nauseas I can't eat...

Taking responsibility for your own health is difficult, standing up for yourself in the face of trained professionals who "know better" but don't know YOUR body personally is tough.

On top of this the consultant I am under is the same one who misdiagnosed my appendicitis (by ignoring typical symptoms and claiming my white count was normal...!) and nearly killed me and I cried this morning after he examined me (and asked what my mega scar was from...) but apparently it's not possible to change consultant!

[iloveeverykindofcat]

OP I also have a high pain tolerance and don't like to make a fuss, but I've learned my lesson after near-death by organ strangulation. Though I do appreciate that HPs are used to people who exaggerate and are probably sick of it, so I never know what to say either.

[soupmaker]

Good to hear that things are being investigated Pie.

I'm another one with a high pain threshold who doesn't want to be regarded as a time waster. Learnt my lesson when I was admitted with an ovarian cyst the size of a grapefruit which I'd thought was just a pulled muscle every time it gave me pain. Ended up lying on the floor unable to move for the pain with my almost 1 year old crawling about.

[gingeroots]

Oh hunter I'm sorry you're feeling so ill and that you have the same horrible consultant .I bet the nursing and other staff know what he's like .

I didn't mean to criticise you in any way or suggest you should be doing things differently .I was just trying to suggest a tactic to help you overcome fears that you might be "wasting" the medical profession's time .
I hope they get the nausea and pain under control and come up with a plan for you .

.Thinking of you .

[WellErrr]

How are you getting on? Are you still in?

[Piehunter]

Ginger I totally didn't take it as a criticism at all, sorry reading back I can see it maybe looks defensive! I've had about 2 hours sleep in little broken chunks since Monday morning and I'm exhausted and my brain isn't great!

I'm still in, been moved wards (at 11.30, just as I was finally starting to settle and doze, had to pack up all my stuff and move) and now I'm wide awake again. My eyes sting I'm so tired but I can't sleep.

You'd have thought I'd have learnt my lesson staying at home with a burst appendix.. But clearly not! I'm working on advocating better for myself and valuing my opinion and knowledge of my body.

No drs ever came to discuss scan results so that'll be in the morning and I expect to be discharged poss with follow up plan, I suspect that it may have been a rather large cyst that ruptured and the free fluid is blood as I have been spotting for 3 days now. Orrr my intestines are inflamed enough to cause the fluid and also the all consuming nausea with occasional vom.

Looking forward to my own bed and cuddling with DH instead of this lonely business.

[Piehunter]

I wasn't discharged til yesterday night and they were happy to keep me longer for observation but I was desperate to get home. No IV anti-emetics since 3am yesterday morning when I threw up the tiny amount of food I'd had at 6pm... Bowels have slowed down massively- hence throwing up food 9 hours after it was eaten- and I still feel sick but on oral meds may as well be home!

[gingeroots]

Thinking of you hunter and hoping that you're more comfy and snuggled up at home .

What a rotten week you've had !