Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

To not take DD to the GP/A&E until Monday

138 replies

HearTheThunderRoar · 20/02/2015 22:15

So DD (15) has a had a bog standard cold, so had Friday off school, much to her horror as she has three internal assessments due next week.

But now she has an awful cough that she cannot rid of and every time she tries to speak she starts dry coughing, this has happened before with most colds and the cough lingers for weeks, if not months, so the GP have always just put her on something similar to an asthma inhaler (she has sports induced asthma).

The problem is the inhaler we received last time has run out of puffs, so I will have to take her to A&E but I live abroad where we have to pay for healthcare and it costs $50 to go to A&E but I can't really afford it at the moment and the GP would only be about $20 on the Monday. If I can't get her in on the Monday, I will take her to A&E.

I feel bad though she's going to spend the whole weekend in bed with a mountain of homework to do. AIBU?

OP posts:
Gileswithachainsaw · 20/02/2015 23:04

When you suffer from these things you get used to it. and because they are up and running and laughing in between flare ups you don't always have the constant reminder of just how bad it actually can be and how quickly things can change.

You will be surprised how low sats can get while the person is still seemingly ok aside from a "cough"

asthma sufferers really do keep going til they drop they are just used to it and carry on. doesn't mean that that things are actually ok

ragged · 20/02/2015 23:04

Right, we're being daft, you've got 36 hours to wait until Monday when GP opens, don't you?

MNHQ
TheOnlyOliviaMumsnet · 20/02/2015 23:05

ahem
Here's a link to our guidelines

Apols, just realised this may have come across as being flippant about the Op's dd's cough, more a reminder to be nice y'all.
hope she is okay Op

countessmarkyabitch · 20/02/2015 23:05

Wow. I have asthma. My children have asthma. My siblings have asthma. I know a lot about asthma
A young person who hasn't had their inhaler refilled for over a year, who only ever uses it for sport, who is sleeping peacefully all night, has the same cough they get frequently with a cold, is not coughing other than when talking, is not wheezing, is not struggling to breathe and is well able to do homework is not at deaths door.
And oddly I'll go with the the judgement of her own mother who can actually see her over those online who think their experiences with their own children qualify them to diagnose at several thousand miles away.

OP, best of luck. You'll know if she needs attention.

glampinggaloshes · 20/02/2015 23:05

There are a lot of doctors on here tonight. Why not try a real one.

ragged · 20/02/2015 23:05

ps: sorry, I've gotta go to bed. You should sign out here & go fuss over your DD. Good luck.

countessmarkyabitch · 20/02/2015 23:07

/>>>There are a lot of doctors on here tonight. Why not try a real one.

Original poster
HearTheThunderRoar · 20/02/2015 23:07

Thank you so much for your help ragged and countess

OP posts:
byhec · 20/02/2015 23:10

I'm sorry but i don't understand. Either she is unwell enough to go to a&e now or you wait to go to the gp on monday?

Gileswithachainsaw · 20/02/2015 23:12

So what was the point of this whole thread then?

to have a dig at people who take kids to a & e for a cough? no we don't actually we go to a&e if we feel our asthmatic children are in trouble. not being able to speak. is a sign of that regardless of how well they appear other wise.

to accuse people of being dramatic? again we have all been there with our kids and have seen just how quickly things can deteriorate?

just to laugh at people so horrified at the thought of putting money before treatment?

you clearly have your plan this whole thing was pointless and basically set up to try and prove we waste drs time

babyboomersrock · 20/02/2015 23:16

I feel bad though she's going to spend the whole weekend in bed

Why would she spend the whole weekend in bed, OP??

Original poster
HearTheThunderRoar · 20/02/2015 23:17

I wasn't sure if I needed to take DD to A&E or not and like I said I will take her tonight (its lunchtime now) It is going to take forever get through now as it's freshers week here.

OP posts:
Original poster
HearTheThunderRoar · 20/02/2015 23:19

Because she has a blocked nose, a headache and generally feeling under the weather.

OP posts:
bettyboop1970 · 20/02/2015 23:21

"They can also cough a lot if their asthma is not under control. Asthma is a serious disease and can kill if not treated the right way" getasthmahelp.org

HicDraconis · 20/02/2015 23:24

I'm wondering where you live in NZ that you have to pay to attend ED. We do pay for GP appointments, but every time we've been to ED it has been free. I thought that was universal across the entire country. We're South Island.

In terms of the cough - nobody can tell if it's an exacerbation of asthma triggered by a recent cold which may be more serious than a post viral cough that's going to linger for months (as they can do, often also helped with an inhaler) without seeing and examining your daughter. Given that the difference between the two is crucial (one can deteriorate rapidly, without warning, into respiratory failure while the other is irritating but not life threatening) I would get her seen.

I would also suggest that you always have a spare inhaler for next time.

(London 1998 - before someone asks me where and when I got my medical degree)

Original poster
HearTheThunderRoar · 20/02/2015 23:28

I know its now free for under 13, we're in Dunedin btw.

OP posts:
bettyboop1970 · 20/02/2015 23:29

Just trying to help your DD, as my son has ended up in hospital with asthma I worry about people not taking it seriously.
Incidentally OP A&E is generally quiet during the day at my local hospital. Night time however is the polar opposite and resembles the set of a horror film, especially Friday and Saturday nights.
I hope you take DD soon and she is OK.

Original poster
HearTheThunderRoar · 20/02/2015 23:29

Thank you too for that info too Hic. Very helpful!

OP posts:
Original poster
HearTheThunderRoar · 20/02/2015 23:31

Ha! Thats weird Betty it's the opposite here, but thats also because they treat fractures there too.

OP posts:
arethereanyleftatall · 20/02/2015 23:37

I'm with the countess in this one.

Everyone is hysterically projecting their own experiences, with clearly far sicker children than the op us dealing with.

Op, you know whether you need to take her or not. You can see her, we can't. Don't think about the money, take her if she needs to be taken.

When dd1 was a baby, her breathing would go up to 70 breaths a minute when she had a cough. At first it was scary and hospital every time, but then we got used to it, and knew when hospital was needed and when we could manage it. Only you can really make the decision here op. We can't see her.

bettyboop1970 · 20/02/2015 23:37

My local hospital has security guards 24\7 more on Friday/Saturday nights!

DeeWe · 20/02/2015 23:39

I would agree with the countess. If she was struggling to breathe then the Op wouldn't be wondering if she could get away with waiting.

And Hallelujah for the NHS, so most of us on here don't have to toss up between it being bad enough to spend 30 more on being seen 2 days sooner. Not a nice situation to be in, and I don't think people really appreciate that.

GoadyGeisha · 20/02/2015 23:40

but thats also because they treat fractures there too.

Same in the UK - usually fractures from the drunkards falling or fighting on a Saturday night!

bettyboop1970 · 20/02/2015 23:46

Yes goady, plus covered in blood and fighting/swearing. Going to A&E on a Saturday night is certainly an eye opener. But at least we have it and it is free thanks to all the tax collected from booze and fags!

passthewineplz · 20/02/2015 23:50

My dd and I both suffer with this, it is not pleasant in the slightest. Cold triggers the awful cough, as does getting a cold, virus ect.

The constant coughing sounds horrendous, leaves you with a very sore throat and tight chest, my dd is often sick due to the amount of coughing she does.

When the cough turns into something more serious like bronchitis or a chest infection I also get pain in my chest and have trouble breathing. My dd is only 4, and I've taken her to A&E numerous times due to her coughing - it keeps her awake at night and all day it's cough cough cough. It's awful to watch. She was diagnosed with likely asthma after demanding a hospital referal when she was 9 months old. I was diagnosed with asthma in my teens - suffered with chest infections, bronchitis as a child, but tbh I've not had to use an Inhailer in years and when I did it was when I had a cold, virus or bronchitis. I now only give dd her inhailers when she gets a cold, virus ect as I've realised the coughing only happens when she's a cold, virus ect.

As the op DD is in her teens, and otherwise feels well and isn't weasy or struggling to breath the op is probably ok waiting until later to get an Inhailer. Tbh the inhailers don't really do anything for my dd or I, they do help relieve the pain in the chest a bit but they don't do anything for the cough, the cough doesn't go until the virus or infection has gone. I've suffered from being a child, my DD unfortunatly looks like she'll be the same.

I think as the op dd is in her teens, and otherwise feels well, I'd also take the risk. However if she had other symptoms, weasing, struggling to breathe ect I'd be straight down to a&e.

Also a lesson learned op - please have an Inhailer to hand in future.

I'm no means a Dr, but do believe that 'most' mums/parents know when something is wrong that they need to seek urgent medical advice.

The thing that has annoyed me most about your question op, is that cost is a major factor to you seeking medical help for your DD, and that because we (the UK) have the nhs system where we can obtain help. For this, I'm afraid you'll be well and truely slated. If you'd have mentioned your DD's symtoms - most people I assume would say yanbu!