Please help. Just found this on my dad's back.

[sprigatito]

My dad's partner died of cancer a few days ago, he and I were with her when she died, and I've brought him home with me until the funeral (and probably permanently). He's got Alzheimer's and his partner was his carer. He's been looking pained and twisting his shoulder, he said it's just a spot, but I made him show me his back and found this. It looks just like the squamous cell carcinoma he's had removed before, only it's enormous. He's lost weight and is pale and more vague and breathless than usual, but I thought it was just grief

This is really fucking bad, isn't it? He survived stage 4 lymphoma in 2017 and has a heart condition. I have a doctor calling me back from 111, but should I just take him to A&E?

You shouldn't be buying dressings they should be prescribed. I'm sorry I know this is very distressing for you and walk in centre gps not the best possibly to advise on wound care. Go again a.m get it reviewed and redressed then arrange to see the hca/nurse (or home visits if he becomes unwell) at your gps for daily dressings from Mon.

OP, I’m not sure if it’s the same everywhere in the UK but if you call 111 they should be able to make you an appointment at the nearest urgent care for this evening / tomorrow.

I'm so sorry you're both having to deal with this. I do t have any medical training or knowledge.

I would personally call 111 now, and see if you can get an out of hours appt at the hospital. I know my local hospital does these through 111. There's doctors available 24/7.

He sounds like he should be seen urgently as it sounds like infection maybe setting in. These can things can quickly go from bad to worse very quickly.

Could you ask the gp for the district nurses phone number (or maybe 111, I'm not sure on Friday night if it can be organised) for them to come and change the dressing? They may be better to advise on any changes when it needs escalating?

111 will get you an appointment at an OOH GP surgery.
FGS don't go to A and E. Worst place for someone with dementia.

You're doing well. Keep calm, keep the wound well covered. I'd put extra padding on it if it's oozing a lot.

You're doing the right thing by just changing the dressing. Keep the area around the wound clean but do not try to clean broken skin or the area inside. Try to get an appointment to see a GP or nurse just to make sure it isn't infected. They should also be able to give you dressings.

Call 111 tomorrow morning and arrange an ooh gp appointment. A&e isn't the place for an elderly person with dementia

I'm in Ireland so it's probably different. A relative of mine had abnormal blood test result. The hospital sent a nurse out to the house at night to give her the medication she needed. Surely the local health service has nurses and doctors for emergencies involving people who aren't fit to attend A&E. I hope someone can help you. It's very difficult dealing with cancer.

I would contact 111 for advice as PP have said- you have been doing the right thing as per the advice which you had received from the Dr at the walk in Centre but if the wound is leaking that much it needs reviewing and a proper care plan put in place. Hopefully 111 can get a clinician to call you back and arrange either an out of hours appointment- or you can ask if they could refer you to a District nurse to come and dress the wound, and take over the management of it until dermatology have come up with a diagnosis and plan. Feel for you, have been watching your thread since the beginning. You've coped incredibly with what you've got going on and have been a wonderful advocate for your dad.

Ring 111 to try and get an OOH gp appointment

I've called 111 and been told a clinician will call me back. I hope they do actually call back this time. If not, I may take him to A&E in the morning, when the wait time hopefully won't be as horrendous.

If the wait time is 10 hours anyway, you could potentially take him in to A&E at 8am with the new shift when it’s quietest.

With the repeated caveat that I’m not a medic, afail ulcerated cancers can get infected, if there’s any concern in that direction he should be seen asap.

I’m a bit surprised that they told you to change the dressing yourself as, when I had an infected cyst that had to be drained and left a big hole, I was not allowed to have someone dress it for me at home, I had to go to the surgery to have it dressed every other day for 6 weeks! DIY lead to infection.

Your poor dad. I hope you get a call back and I'll be thinking of you all.

How's your dh doing - and you?

Thinking of you both. OP xx

Sending strength to you and your family OP...x

Praying you get a call back asap

Oh, OP, what a difficult time you're all having. You're doing ever so well in such circumstances. You must feel utterly exhausted, juggling so much.

Hope your poor Dad gets sorted via 111 asap. Hope your DH and MIL are also as ok as possible.

Sending thoughts and strength your way, and a virtual soothing ☕ (or🍷).

I am sending all best wishes, but not surprising re dress wound yourself
DH recently had surgery for a cancer,and the wound broke open and was discharging.
he was prescribed dressings ( though the chemist took forever to source them) and i was to change the dressings every day and he saw the nurse about every 3 days.

If there is a lot of exudate on the dressing, then yes of course you should be changing it. If you leave all that moisture on it, it will macerate.
Do not be poking around in it. Just give it a wipe over with gauze and normal saline, then redress it.

Yes changing it between a nurse doing a dressing would be fine but the op has had to actually manage the wound herself independently albeit with a Dr at the walk in giving her a dressing last Sat.

The nurse who referred him in the first place should have anticipated this very situation and booked wound reviews with spares for any dressings that needed replacing.

I hope from Mon the surgery has a bit of a wound care plan in place. Relatives shouldn't have to wonder what to do in a situation like this when the person has been seen twice already by hcps.

Sorry that I have nothing helpful to add but just wanted to send my best wishes. I hope you get some help & support soon. 💐

The doctor told her to change it.

'The doctor told her to change it.'

Yes true but he should have said change over the weekend if needed then book in at the GPs for wound reviews and redressing until seen at the hospital and there is a plan is in place.

Sorry op it isn't helping us analysing who said what, just going forward I'd avoid A&E unless he deteriorates and get a nurse at the GPs to come up with a wound care plan and dressing prescription.

I agree with PP above re wound care although just to note community nurses usually only visit patients that are housebound.

Hope you manage to speak to someone today OP to give further medical guidance.

It might also be worth contacting Macmillan and asking to speak to a nurse which is one of the options via their support line.

I hope 111 called back and @sprigatito 's dad is being seen today. If not, I think you have to bite the bullet and rock up at A&E.