Attending A&E when no one to look after child after school

I'm glad you went and got checked out. It is good news that you can be at home.

Going forward - you need to work on creating the network that is missing or (without friends/relations) at finding out how social services can help you. Looking after people in really challenging situations like yours is the sort of thing they were created for.(They are not wicked child collectors and won't be trying to find ways of taking your children from you.)

Finding a network of your own is a challenge. I wonder if there is anyone on here with experience of how to do this - and how to overcome the additional challenge of doing all this with autism and for children with additional needs.

That's easy to say in hindsight knowing the outcome.

It's different when you don't know what the outcome will be so A&E for worsening chest pain is always a good idea because it would be a very different story if it was cardiac related and she just ignored it.

@rainbowunicorn because in all honesty, what did she get from her a&e trip other than reassurance?

she needs to sort out what to do with her children in these situation, and it shouldn’t have been left until the situation arised.

im glad it all turned out ok and I hope OP gets to the bottom of her issues but it may well be all stress related.

Why are you so determined to be right? Why can't you just accept that OP did the right thing for her circumstances at the time. What exactly are you trying to achieve here?
Being unwell enough to need to go to A&E does not necessarily have to mean that you need admitted. That dosent mean you should have gone in the first place. You really aren't contributing anything helpful to the thread. You just seem to be on a tangent about why OP shouldn't have gone and seem to think you've been proved right because she is now home.

OP's case sounds very different though as she had scans and bloods etc and was told by several medical professionals that she did the right thing.

Her chest pain was worsening, you should always go in with that. Especially women as heart attacks can present so differently compared to men.

There is yes, but sometimes common sense does not prevail. I’ve rang 111 before with what was obviously a gastric issue and I’d only had an ECG very recently and as soon as I said I’ve had pain in my chest they wanted to send an ambulance and I had to pretty much beg them not to. I’ve got an ambulance to a&e before that 111 advised and they’ve asked why I turned up in an ambulance and when I’ve said 111 advised it they’ve rolled their eyes and said I thought as much.

I’m not saying if someone has chest pain they’ve never had before or worsening to not get it seen to as it could always be something but if I rang 111 every time my chest hurt I’d never leave a&e.

Not having a support network is unhealthy and leaves you really vulnerable. I understand that it is easier said than done, but you really need to put yourself out there and get to know people. Please say hello to your neighbours, some friendly looking parents at the school gates, join the class WhatsApp, whatever you can. Next time there's a problem you will have people to ask. I've picked up children before whose parents I don't particularly know following an emergency request on the WhatsApp group. Lots of people would.

When we're talking about potential cardiac issues, I wouldn't be taking any risks.

There's a reason why it's always recommended to go in with chest pains.

But she’s ok and she’s home.. she’d have been admitted if it was life or death 🤷🏻‍♀️

Not maybe wrong. Just wrong.

Well, exactly.

Worsening chest pains with a history of cardiac issues is absolutely a reason to go in. Even without the history of cardiac issues.

How are you? Any results? Did they check your cardiac troponin blood levels?

What else do you suggest? If OP thinks she’s having a heart attack, there’s no time to mess around! We have had the police turn up at school when something has happened to a parent - they don’t march into the classroom and announce it, there’s ways of bringing the child somewhere private to speak to them.
When my DSis died suddenly, the police went to my nephew’s school and he was brought home by the police with a member of staff who stayed with him until my BIL got home.

Yes. And why is that, do you think?

They would always tell you to go to A and E with chest pain. They have to.

111 are always going to say go to a&e in these situations, they have to cover themselves.

No member of staff is going to tell you you shouldn't have gone even if that's what they thought. I've said to plenty of patients that they were right to come in even if it's been the biggest waste of time and there's no reason for them to be there. It's called being polite.

No, she was right to go. All advice is that chest pain, particularly if it is increasing should be checked at A&E. It is not wasting resources.

I am sorry you have had a hard time on this thread. I don't think people always realise how hard it is to build a support network if you don't have family nearby who can help and your children have additional needs/medical needs

My suggestions, as you do need to plan for this, and it can't fall to your DD

• get on the class WhatsApp.
• can your son go to after school club once a week? Then that becomes an option at least
• offer to have his friends round a lot. I let my daughter have friends round a lot/ eg on inset days and holidays etc. Result -, when I need a favour I don't feel at all bad asking!
• could you find a babysitter, or a couple of different ones, to use for an hour or so here or there to give yourself a break. This will give you another network to call on in a crisis too. Given his age they could be older teens or similar

Actually, it’s extremely useful to have an ECG from when the pain is worse when you’re trying to work out whether it’s cardiac or not. And if A&E also did bloods to check troponin levels, it sounds like they thought she was right to go.

So glad you're ok, and I think you 100% did the right thing. I'm sure all of the medical professionals did too! Hope you have a restful weekend. X

People aren't very understanding as you went to A&E went you didn't need to (probably again) and it's wasting resources.

Hope it gets sorted quickly OP. Nice work on finding a solution for DS.