To want to go to A&E!?

[hollowtree]

My first AIBU so go a little easy- also feeling extremely sorry for myself!

For about 2 weeks I've been having chronic headaches (think can't drive/lights hurt) which I put down to sleep deprivation. On my worst days I used the codiene I was given after my EMCS! Naughty I know but when you have a small baby and no time for the bloody doctors you'll do anything.

Last few days been feeling a bit fluey- temperature, fatigue, aches and pains along with the usual cough/sore throat/stuffy nose.

Then, last night around 2am I woke up with this excruciating pain in my ear along with (what sounded to me like) a firework display in my head! Followed by fluid leaking out from my ear all over my pillow.

So I thought- happy days: must have been an ear infection/abscess which had sorted itself out and explains the headaches and temperature.

But the pain is getting worse. And I'm feeling so dizzy and just so so shit. My head is banging, my neck is aching and my body feels like it's giving up on me.

I sort of want to see if I need fixing, and getting through today has been a struggle let alone waiting all of tomorrow for an appointment on Monday 😓 WIBU to call 111 and ask if I should be worried or if I need to go to A&E?

I read a thread on here recently about wasting NHS resources and now feeling guilty please tel me WWYD

Yes totally agree. My surgery is awful and I know that’s common

"Cherrycokewinning
Tbh don’t you think the reason 111 is so busy and A&E so full is all these people with normal (if incredibly painful and dibilitating) illnesses who want to be checked to make sure they’re not going to die of sepsis?"

Sepsis is a big buzz word right now, and to be fair, there is a degree of 'it could be Sepsis' when it is far from Sepsis territory, but that's why campaigns are launched, for awareness, and the hope is that by making people aware of the signs and symptoms of Sepsis, we catch people in the early, treatable (but still, statistically, terrifyingly life-threatening) stages, and reduce fatalities. We'll never reduce it to none, because it is a syndrome, not a disease, so there will be no cure. It is a complex autoimmune response triggered by infection, but the response doesn't correlate with the initial infection, so a tiny scratch can lead to an overwhelming Sepsis, whilst a vicious infection results in no Sepsis at all.

But we routinely screen for MRSA on admission, despite our MRSA rates being very low. Many more lumbar punctures are taken with negative results than positive for meningitis, and doctors are relieved, not angry. The list goes on.

If a person has the red flag warning signs for Sepsis, they should be seen by a medical professional, because the red flag signs are all significant derangements from normal function, which indicate potential severe illness.

Not necessarily A&E, or 111, if a GP is available, but if you are feeling very unwell, you have a raging temperature, you have a very high heart rate, your breathing is fast, you can't remember the last time you needed a wee and you just feel grim, then no, you don't politely agree to phone back at 5 past never to see if an appointment will become available. You do whatever you need to do to get a health professional to see you, because the likelihood is that sepsis has begun, your kidneys are failing, and you're going downhill very fast.

id still try and et a gps appointment. this type of thing if an ear infection will be seen by them all the time,so they will no the difference different warning signs etc if it might be something else or tip,stress relief to your anxietys if anything else will be able to be given. but at least it will be clocked in with them and so youll then be calm in knowing you've done all you can and now just need to wait it out or whatever else the doc says.
they will also no what meds over the counter and otherwise will hit the spot.or should do.
but whatever it is the doc deff said it was an infection so that warrents a visit to ur doc if you need it.ur poorly get help you deserve that hun.
get a hot water bottle and stick it in your pjs its like a big hug.cup of tea and some toast and box sets.
try to relax too the more you get scared or anxious the more your blood will pump to all the poorly areas.xx

How are you feeling this morning?

I think that the way we organise emergency areas of hospitals should be transformed. You should be immediately triaged (not by a receptionist) and then sent to a relevant area, this could be majors, minors, a GP, nurse practitioner etc... sent straight for an x-ray if a broken anything is suspected.

There should also be better ways to deal with people who had have a medical crisis and are waiting for surgery but who become worse. I clogged up our A&E loads last year but really just needed to be put straight back to the Surgical assessment unit, only I couldn’t self refer to the SAU as they only took walk-ins (after ringing) during office hours. I had a gallbladder drain in situ which kept getting clogged and causing pain.

How are you feeling this morning?

Oh goodness OP I do hope you're feeling better today.

The state of the NHS in general and A&E in particular is a disgrace. I don't know how May and Hunt look at themselves in the mirror to be honest. This government is killing our NHS.

Checking in to see how you are feeling op?

Hope you are feeling better OP?

NHS has a far more massive budget here than its equivalents in Eastern Europe or even African countries, and I often think I'd rather end up in A&E there than here. It's not all Tories and cuts, the resources are spent and directed nowhere near as efficiently as in the private sector.
My Russian friend's British husband was dismissed by a local GP after several visits to his surgery with increasing complaints about pain in his leg, and approved to fly (to Moscow) when he was near agony.

Nearly as soon as he landed he had to be rushed to A&E with horrendous deep vein thrombosis and basically his life was saved. And Russian health service has a fraction of NHS' budget I imagine.😐 In fact I doubt there's any other public health system in the world with a similar budget and similar waiting times in emergency, for surgeries, to see a specialist, poor many cancers diagnostics times etc.

OP, hopefully you can let us know how you are doing and put people's mind at ease,we are worried for you.

I remember when Labour got the waiting lists right down. Plus there were more walk in centres when Labour were in Government.

It's not all Tories and cuts

Not all of it. Just 90% of it. Things are noticably worse than 8 years ago.

And one case of your mate's friends' husband's brother got good treatment in Russia doesn't make a case for me tbh

Hi everyone- I hbnt had time to read all replies bit I'm updating from hospital, on IVantibiotics and fluids for severe infection . Wait in on results of CT scan as they think I t might be in my brain. Husband found m me unresponsive early this morni g and had an ambulance. checked signs- high temp/racing heart and so on so straight in and jjst on iV can i just say a massive thank you to you all- ifelt so roufgh yesterday I asked DH to keep an eye and without him checking up on me he would have just thought I was asleep. I am feeling quite unwell and emotional and just keep thinking without the advice on here my DD might not have had a mum. Very drastic I know but again very emotional and the thought does run through my mind. Thank you so much

Wishing you a quick and complete recovery

So good to hear from you, OP.

Everything crossed for you to get well soon!

So many typos haha and yes that does sound very dramatic I doubt very much I would hved died tbh but just watedto thank everyone becaue without your advice I don't think of would have sought any more help

Oh my goodness OP! I hope you're feeling better very quickly.

It sounds dramatic because it is, and without wishing to alarm you things could have escalated very quickly if you hadn't been admitted. I know it's probably the last thing on your mind now but once you feel better, please consider formally complaining about your treatment. This should have been checked and dealt with by A&E

Hi OP, hope everything will be ok. If the results of the CT aren't clear then please insist on a lumbar puncture and MRI. Lumbar puncture should be done whilst your in hospital. Hope it's nothing serious 🙏🏻

Crikey OP. Get well soon. You are right, we know when we're really ill.

Yes,I agree with fadingfast on this. Focus on recovery, but then follow up because this likely would have been caught at A&E had they done a proper exam with vitals.

Get well soon

Yes, I would certainly be putting a complain in if I was you. When you are fully better of course.

Your 'care' on your first A&E visit was disgusting.

I hope you feel much better soon OP

Oh my goodness, hollowtree, thank heavens you're getting the right treatment at last. And shocking that the doctor sent you home yesterday with a prescription, rather than doing a full set of obs and maybe some bloods.

Hope you're feeling better and back at home very soon.