Wwyd, Dr wants me to go to a&e

[Alpacathebag]

I've been feeling a bit off colour for a few days, with a bit of a temperature, headachey, sore throat and needing to pee more frequently. Was pretty sure it was a UTI or possibly even a kidney infection, but also maybe a virus of one kind or the other.

Been to walk in centre this afternoon because I thought if it's a UTI I should get it checked really. Did the usual dip test, no infection apparent. Have got a bit of an ache in the kidney region and it was a bit sore when he pressed on my bladder and upper stomach (around the bra line) but otherwise nothing much else. My BP is fine and he recorded my temp as 37.1c (although my skin does feel warmer than usual)

He can't decide what's wrong with me so wants me to go to a&e. I don't think I need to, I don't feel THAT ill. Husband of the opinion I should go if GP said so.

Wwyd?

Why did you go to the GP if you're going to ignore his advice? You're clearly determined it's just a virus.

TBH, I'm baffled why anyone would bother to go to the GP/ walk-in at all if they had "just a virus".

They told me she was the sickest person on the ward - including the rest of the geriatric respiratory people in there.

Sensitivity not their strong suit!

to be fair they were trying to persuade her to have some stuff done / take some pretty revolting oral meds that she didnt want to do, and wanted her to understand the severity of the situation. She has ASD as well so they had been struggling to do proceedures once she gained conciousness because although she is gillick competant in normal life, when anxious she simply refuses everything.

Will you let your husband know where the thread is, so he can let us know in that case?

I actually get your dilemma OP.

I've never had to attend A&E for myself but can imagine if I'd been to GP feeling a bit rotten but not super ill, last thing I'd want is a trip to A&E.

I always imagine with regards to myself I'd "know" if I was ill enough for A&E? So yeah I do get you @Alpacathebag

However, I think I'd just suck it up and go along (the earlier the better) and then get on with my weekend.

Agree get there ASAP before it gets really busy!!

But I don't have abdominal pain @xxcess that's why I'm so confused. He prodded me in the stomach and it hurt. But it's not abdo pain. I saw the dr last year with serious lower abdo pain, they thought it might be appendicitis, I went to a&e and it was something else equally serious, a burst ovarian cyst. On that ocassion I felt really ill. I saw a GP today because I thought I had an infection or virus. I don't want to waste a&e time, I don't want to clog up a system to be told yep, it's just a bit of a temperature and it'll sort itself out.

People have been really bloody rude from the moment they posted calling me stupid etc.

And waiting for my husband to come home because he will want to come with me if I go to a&e. Would have thought most people would do that?

Let's just say I never posted this thread and i can go off and have a cup of tea and wait to die of my apparent sepsis and abdominal abscess and you can all be safe in the knowledge you were right.

Please go to A&E. it really isn’t worth the risk of not going, if your gp thinks you should!

The worst that could happen if you go and you’re fine, is that you’ve wasted some time. The alternative could be a lot different.

What are a&e going to do for me

Really? Going to A&E means you get much more accurate tests than your GP can give you

I was referred to A&E for similar symptoms to yours - turned out I had a severe kidney infection. They identified it after doing blood tests. Your GP isn't going to refer you unless he thinks its necessary

Please go

OP, I hope you do decide to go to A&E, I'm sure your doctor wouldn't have advised it unless they thought you needed to be seen. The hospital has diagnostics (such as ultrasound) at their disposal that the GP doesn't have, and if it does turn out to be something untoward, you will be treated more quickly, and before it gets any worse.

Alpaca

Do you have any other health conditions which might make an infection more significant? In the same way a chest infection may be more serious for an asthmatic?

If he was that worried why would he not explain his concerns to you?

That would have been more professional than writing something in that letter he hadn't even mentioned to you. I think plenty of people would react the way you have to that.

The times GPs have sent me to a&e they have always explained to me exactly what their concern is, why it's important, and what they are anticipating may happen next in terms of tests and departments. So that I understand and can make an informed decision.

@midlifecrash grumpy at the replies, don't feel particularly angry at anything else. Anxiety now because of this thread though, so there's that

@NettleTea

Trying to get her to take meds by telling her she’s the sickest personality on the ward? Frightening her in to taking them, that does not sound like nursing good practise to me.

Dip this in your . So it doesn't hurt your throat.

You lot are savage

OP I totally understand why you are querying it. It feels like a disproportionate response to your symptoms and who wants to spend a wasted eight hours in the waiting room at A&E?

The GP hasn’t explained what he is suspecting or what A&E will do that he hasn’t ie what further hospital based tests are required or why you need observing in hospital rather than at home.

It sounds like given you are an intelligent adult that he could have safety netted along the lines of ‘you seem stable at present and it is likely a virus but it couldPotentially be the early stages of X so take some analgesia and rest with fluids and if X Y or X happens then please seek immediate help via A&E.

Have to agree with everyone else.

Why go to the GP if you are then going to ignore his/her advice ?

And waiting for my husband to come home because he will want to come with me if I go to a&e. Would have thought most people would do that?
Nope. If I were at the walk in, or GP and they said 'Go to A&E', then I would go to A&E. I wouldn't go home and think about it for a few hours then ask randoms on the internet then wait for dh to accompany me.
^Once I was at A&E, I'd then make a judgement about if I wanted dh to come there after work or leave work early to come or not come at all, and message him when I'd made that decision, but generally (as you say you aren't even feeling that unwell at present) I'd wait and see before seeing if I wanted dh to rock up.

You're not stupid OP but you do need to take the advice of your doctor; you've got a letter from your G.P. so not a random person rocking up to A&E for no reason.
(TL;DR - stop fannying about and go)

Oh op what a mean thread. I know what you mean, but I do think a lot of women/mums tend to downplay their illnesses as we usually have to get on with it regardless.
And the last place you want to spend Friday night is in the local A&E! But if a GP had told you to take one of your kids to a&e, you would, wouldn't you? So why not take the same care of yourself?
Hope you feel better soon anyway.
Ps if you do go to a&e, bring a phone charger, you could be there for a while. They usually let you charge it at the nurses station

One medic thinks she should go

And the one non medic who is actually with her wants her to go

No brainer

my dh had sepsis with only slightly raised temp & feeling like a bit of flu - if doctor says go - go

OP you have abdominal tenderness. It is not normal to be tender to the touch, even on deep palpation (pressing hard). That is why your GP is concerned.

Could it be nothing serious? Definitely. Can you be sure it's nothing serious? Definitely not.

Alpaca

I am finding your reaction a bit hard to fathom. I think most of us who had been told to go to A&E by a GP would be a bit surprised and wouldn’t argue the toss - we would just go.

Hard to say, I'd probably go if the GP suggested to go. Maybe a way of trying to decide is what would you suggest to your DP or DC if they were the ones who had been suggested by the GP to go to A&E?

Good luck whatever you decide to do!

If my GP told me to go I'd go. They usually try and put you off going, as resources are stretched so tight, so I would really want to get it checked out. The doc has probably written the letter that way so A&E don't shut the door in your face!

You may feel better now, but is your life worth gambling on?

Go now! If for no other reason you'll be able to get in before the Friday rush.

If there is something wrong then the hospital is a lot better than being at home.