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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to take my son to A&E

44 replies

kat088 · 07/01/2017 09:01

Completely freaking out at the moment because my son has a large hard painful lump on his leg that is getting bigger and more painful, pain worse at night. A quick google shows that this is not good news, saw doc on Thurs am who made urgent referral for an X-ray. Nothing has come through yet and I am beside myself with worry. A lot of me just wants to take him to A&E to get this xray, but I am also aware of the pressures on them at the moment and that there is a referral coming. WIBU?

OP posts:
CrazyGreyhoundLady · 07/01/2017 09:03

Phone the doctors and check on the referral, tell them it is getting larger! I fear even if you take him to a&e they may just make another referral and not actually xray the lump because it isn't an accident or emergency. Sorry you are going through this and I hope it is nothing serious. Flowers

LTBforGin · 07/01/2017 09:06

I think I'd try ooh gp first . They may be able to chase up the x ray?

GreenTureen · 07/01/2017 09:06

My sister had something similar when she was about 14...a hard lump on her knee/just above that grew over a period of weeks that was fairly painful.

The GP also 'urgently' referred her and my mum was freaking out. She went for an Xray and the results were 'mmm, yeah, it's a lump' Hmm. Just one of those things that they do nothing about.

It stopped getting bigger, the pain went and is only slightly visible to the eye, mainly when you feel it.

Don't freak out, just go with the treatment suggested, it may well be nothing Flowers

SoupDragon · 07/01/2017 09:09

If it has got worse since Thursday I would go to an out of hours clinic or walk in centre. If it is the same, I would just chase the referral on Monday.

i wouldn't go to A &E for this unless it had got far far worse and my child was in agony.

Original poster
kat088 · 07/01/2017 09:10

Thanks all

OP posts:
LotsoNumbers · 07/01/2017 09:11

A&E isn't a fast track service, so yes you would be very unreasonable since this is not an accident or an emergency

GahBuggerit · 07/01/2017 09:20

is it one of those gangelon things? my mum had one near her knee, v painful and she had to wait ages for referral to get it drained. i think the more concerning lumps are softer?

id try ooh first to see if there are any stronger painkillers that they can give. a&e wont do anything......mind you i was told to go to a&e over an abscess, i thought it was an overreaction but they stuck a drip in me immediately and was kept in overnight Confused i thoughttheyd send me away for wasting their time!

HicDraconis · 07/01/2017 09:26

Having read this thread on chat, yes I think you would be unreasonable to take an issue that is neither Accident nor Emergency to A&E because you want an X-ray.

X-ray of the leg isn't going to show much if it's a soft tissue lump anyway, he'd need an MRI for that. If paracetamol and ibuprofen aren't controlling the pain well enough then ooh GP for extra analgesia is definitely worth a try. Calling your GP on Monday to chase up the X-ray request is also not a bad idea.

NavyandWhite · 07/01/2017 09:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bitlost · 07/01/2017 09:54

Do you trust your GP? Do you know the referral has actually been made and is not sitting there waiting to be typed?

If the answer is no, I'd go to a&e and see if they can help. If you go there and it's super busy, you can always go home.

At my local hospital, we have a children's a and e - is that the case for you too? I think in your situation, I'd want to talk to a paediatrician rather than a GP...

3luckystars · 07/01/2017 09:59

Follow up witI the Gp and tell them how worried you are, but if the situation is changed and your son is unwell then GO BACK to the Gp and if your gut feeling is that he is deteriorated and it's serious then definitely go to a and e. Only you can get assess the situation and it could be anything. Good luck and I hope things improve soon.

Iwannabelikecommonpeople · 07/01/2017 10:01

Has there previously been an injury or something to cause this? ie. playing football a pulled muscle could actually be torn causing a hard painful lump. How old is he? I think if pain is so bad he can't sleep I would def consider a+e. Good luck.

thatdearoctopus · 07/01/2017 10:01

Yes, YWBU.
This is not an accident or an emergency and you have seen a GP and have been referred.

Original poster
kat088 · 07/01/2017 10:06

Thanks everyone. It's on the bone, hard, painful and now warm. To me it feels like an emergency but I'll wait until Monday.

OP posts:
CondensedMilkSarnies · 07/01/2017 10:08

Ultrasound is the best imaging modality for lumps. Most of these turn out to be lipomas , which are harmless.

CondensedMilkSarnies · 07/01/2017 10:09

If it's warm it could be a cyst brewing.

CondensedMilkSarnies · 07/01/2017 10:11

Have you given pain relief. ( so many people rock up to A&E with painful something or other and when asked if paracetamol has been taken they say no ! )

SoupDragon · 07/01/2017 10:49

To me it feels like an emergency but I'll wait until Monday.

There are other non emergency options though.

thatdearoctopus · 07/01/2017 11:13

Wait until Monday for what? To try A&E then? Or the GP again?

WeAllHaveWings · 07/01/2017 11:51

111 or ooh doc if you are worried.

SparklyLeprechaun · 07/01/2017 12:07

How does the referral work in your area, are you actually expecting an appointment from the hospital? I'm asking because my local hospital runs the x-ray department as a walk in service, you just turn up with the form from the GP.

Chocolatecake12 · 07/01/2017 12:13

Yesterday in the hospital I work in they were flat out - over a 4 hour wait, no beds for patients needing them and people who were obviously very poorly waiting in corridors.
To you your sons lump seems an emergency but honestly it's not. He's seen the Gp - Give him regular pain relief and rest it. Keep an eye on it. Wait for the x-ray appt to come through.
Try not to worry!!

mumblechum0 · 07/01/2017 12:15

What chocolatecake said

CondensedMilkSarnies · 07/01/2017 12:19

My worry is that an X-ray isn't the best way of finding out what the lump is. You need an ultrasound .

reallyanotherone · 07/01/2017 12:19

It's not the x-ray you need though, it's the specialist to interpret it.

A&e dr's expertise is not in that area, and it's unlikely there'll be anyone in on a wekend to look at the x-ray, so you'll wait until momday for the results anyway.

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