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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be embarrassed at having to go to A&E for this?

146 replies

RentANDBills · 02/11/2016 16:11

I realise the title sounds like I've shoved something where I shouldn't have (or "tripped and fell") and need it removed. Sorry to disappoint, not one of those stories!!

I had a coil fitted this Saturday and it was excruciating (literally a whole other thread), according to the little booklet afterwards, it shouldn't have been that painful.
Afterwards, Satan's mistress the doctor tried to use an ultrasound on my belly to check it was in the right place.
Because I have, and I quote, a "backwards" uterus, and I was in so much pain I couldn't stay still, she gave up before seeing it.

Cramps are totally normal apparently, but I've been distinctly feeling a stabbing pain - always in the same space, and alongside the cramps. Its not constant, but frequent enough and when I feel it it makes it difficult to stand up.
It feels a lot like something is stuck and is pressing into the side of my uterus, but I'm not convinced that isn't me just with that idea in my head IYSWIM.

I put up with it for several days but in the end called 111 yesterday to ask what to do.
I spoke to a lovely nurse who told me I should get an ultrasound again to try and see that it was in the right place, hadn't perforated my uterus or got stuck in my cervix. She said to go to A+E.

I said I didn't really fancy getting out of my PJs and wasting an evening in A+E that I could spend eating ice cream - which in itself is a good sign of someone who doesn't need to go to A+E. She laughed, agreed and said then if I felt I could cope, to call family planning in the morning (who fitted it).

Now after hours and hours of phone calls, I have found out that there are only two places within travelling distance that have ultrasound that aren't the hospital - neither have doctors present until next Tuesday.
My GP can refer me to the ultrasound at the hospital for an appointment, but again that won't happen until Tuesday. None of the walk in centres have the right equipment.

I don't think I have a choice but to go to A+E (which is literally 2 minutes from work) after work.

But it isn't an Emergency. I feel ridiculous for going, I feel like I'll be wasting their time! This is not the purpose of the service, surely?
I'm embarrassed to trot over and whinge that my "belly hurts" whilst people come in holding their own heads under their elbows etc and have swords coming out their chests.
Though I appreciate that beheadings and sword injuries will have priority.

AIBU?

OP posts:
ashamedtoask · 02/11/2016 17:10

And yes, ask to see the on call gynaecologist - I'm sure mine was left for so long because it was always 'just' a GP or FY2 checking the coil, one told me she had very little idea of what she was doing and that it was probably normal for it to be sore..

Kittenrush · 02/11/2016 17:15

Conveniently I am an A&E nurse :) and I would say go. As PP said, keep your pain relief up to date (there's nothing we hate more than 'I'm in pain but I haven't had a paracetamol, now give me some of that morphine everyone raves about') explain you've tried everything else you can think of and that you're worried about any permanent damage. If you've got a good A&E they will understand :) you may be in for a little wait but it's worth it to ensure there's nothing nasty going on. On behalf of nurses everywhere thank you for being so considerate! Xx

RhodaBorrocks · 02/11/2016 17:20

Go go go! You may be sent round to the EPU or Gynaecology Emergency Unit if they have one but they will be able to help you.

Waiting 6 days with a possible perforated uterus is not an option. Sepsis takes hold very quickly.

Original poster
RentANDBills · 02/11/2016 18:21

I'm in A+E.

It is possibly one of the most depressing places to be on Wednesday night, not least as its under construction.

I explained to the reception lady that 111 told me to come and she didn't scream at me that I was a sham and a liar and instead took my details and told me to wait.

DP has met me here, laden with chocolate, water and two books for me to read - probably assuming we're going to be here a while.

Everybody has a head and I can't see any swords. Disappointing.

OP posts:
Slightlyperturbedowlagain · 02/11/2016 18:23

Any pineapples?

PinkSwimGoggles · 02/11/2016 18:24

wednesday early evening is school sports injuries.
maybe a leg hanging off by a flap of skin?

LeftRightUpDown · 02/11/2016 18:31

Glad you have gone. I recently recovered a patient whose coil had migrated out of her uterus and had in bedded itself in her bowel.

Original poster
RentANDBills · 02/11/2016 18:32

Disappointing lack of pineapples...

OP posts:
Katy07 · 02/11/2016 18:35

Any of the old 'I fell off the toilet onto a toilet brush'?Or 'My mobile was on the sofa and somehow disappeared inside me when I rolled over asleep, naked' Grin

Original poster
RentANDBills · 02/11/2016 18:39

If there are, Katy they have been considerate and put clothes on.
I've got my eye on the old lady in the corner though, she looks like the shifty pineapple-sort

OP posts:
Original poster
RentANDBills · 02/11/2016 18:40

There are a lot of policeman very clearly searching for someone.

Perhaps they're just putting on a show to break the monotony

OP posts:
Katy07 · 02/11/2016 18:41

It's the ones who refuse to sit down Wink

Tigger365 · 02/11/2016 18:42

I had a coil, had very similar symptoms to you, turns out it was pelvic inflammatory disease, I'm glad you went to A&E

Katy07 · 02/11/2016 18:42

Or searching for the coffee machine? Or for a missing mobile :)

LeftRightUpDown · 02/11/2016 18:44

I particularly liked one that I looked after that had a deodorant can up his bottom. Apparently he fell at work and landed on it.

He couldn't explain how it had managed to get through is clothes......

PikachuSayBoo · 02/11/2016 18:46

I had to go to a&e years ago after a coil fitting. Funnily enough I couldn't sit down as it was far too low down. I was having full blown contractions as my body tried to get rid of it.

A&e dr rang the gynae dr and got step by step instructions over the phone as he was doing it on how to remove it as he hadn't done it before!

zzzzz · 02/11/2016 18:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mysistersimone · 02/11/2016 18:52

I really hope you get seen and sorted. Your DP sounds lovely.

leftright I want more lost item stories Grin

SamPotatoes · 02/11/2016 18:56

Even if the scan shows it is in the right place it could still be causing bother. I've just had a year of abdominal pain with multiple scans to check my coil and ending in a laparascopy for suspected endo.

5 weeks ago, driven mad with the pain I pulled the coil out myself as I'd become convinced it was agrevating the situation. No pain since! My consultant said it must have been irritating my uterus even though the scans showed it in the right place (after she went "you did what?!").

GinThief · 02/11/2016 19:00

Hope you don't have too long a wait OP

verytiredmummy1 · 02/11/2016 19:12

Good luck xx

pissedglitter · 02/11/2016 19:22

Sounds dreadful hope they see you soon

Original poster
RentANDBills · 02/11/2016 20:00

So I saw the initial consultation nurse (I'm sure she had a different title to that) and she was sympathetic (also didn't scream at me that I was a liar and a sham) but told me that they didn't have the facilities to do an ultrasound*, a doctor could only do an external (touch my belly) and internal (I probably don't need to explain that one) exam. She said this wouldn't confirm if it was necessarily in the right place.
The wait would be "approximately 2 hours" presuming there wasn't a major emergency in the mean time.

Obviously the whole point of going to A+E was the get the damn ultrasound, as that's the only way they can actually see it - poking it was just a "tenderness" test.
So we decided to not further waste the emergency department's time, and force a fanny-examination upon the unsuspecting A+E doctor and go to our local walk in centre instead, which is still open.

Cycled the 3 miles to walk in centre, filled out the form, only to be told that they couldn't do an examination - not even an external one - because they had no doctors, only nurses. They said their doctor retired.

They told me to go back to A+E.

I have not returned to A+E as I think I'd end up crying it this point (I'm feeling pretty run down now) and have just gone home.

I will call the doctor tomorrow, hopefully get an appointment with him after work and get him to refer me to a gynae - which hopefully will occur asap!

And most guttingly of all, we've run out of icecream.

OP posts:
PikachuSayBoo · 02/11/2016 20:22

Can you feel the strings?

When I had my problems the OOH on the phone prior to the a&e trip told me to find the strings and pull it out myself. Not a 100% sure that's excellent advice but a bona fide dr encouraged me to give it a go.

Original poster
RentANDBills · 02/11/2016 20:32

I can feel the strings but I'm not going to try and pull it out (I can only just feel the strings anyway so I'd struggle and I'm not sure DP would be able to look me in the eye again if he helped) as it was horrific enough getting it in, and if it has pushed through something I don't want to do anymore damage.

I'm kinda hoping it doesn't have to be removed. The coil is my only contraceptive choice as its hormone-free, so I'd only have to have another one. heavily sedated

OP posts: