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

I have never bern to a&e myself or with my children and not had basic obs done by the triaging nurse. That's terrible! What if you do have sepsis or meningitis or something? They haven't done anything to rule that out.
I hope you feel better soon and it's not something bad, but I can't believe they didn't check!

Long frequent detailed updates on mumsnet don’t tend to go hand in hand with serious illness

Mmmhmmm

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3161522-how-do-i-make-a-complaint-whilst-still-an-inpatient-and-very-sick?pg=1&order=

I'm a great believer that we know our own bodies best. If you genuinely believe something to be very wrong, you are right to act on it.

I have never been to a&e myself or with my children and not had basic obs done by the triaging nurse. That's terrible! What if you do have sepsis or meningitis or something? They haven't done anything to rule that out.
I hope you feel better soon and it's not something bad, but I can't believe they didn't check!

I’m sure they did a pulse and a resp rate and they did look in her ear so reasonable to diagnose an ear infection based on that and the history. The vast majority of diagnosis is based on the history. As the op is an adult they can reasonably expect a decent history.

However pressed staff are there’s no reason not to take someone’s temperature surely. It takes a few seconds. If at any time you feel
Your symptoms are worse please get further help. Your treatment has been awful and I could understand it if you didn’t feel there was any point getting further medical attention but please don’t let this stop you if you feel any worse.

Try to rest propped up to make it easier for your ear to drain and keep drinking little and often. You poor thing. I really hope the antibiotics kick in soon and you are soon on the road to recovery.

“YetAnotherSpartacus

I never said anything because it's been a tough week and I'm not spoiling for a fight, but I was pretty appalled that people were trying to talk the OP out of going to A&E when she posted yesterday sad.”

I think this is why though- OP has waited many hours and had no treatment, just a pack of antibiotics that could’ve easily been prescribed by an OOH GP.

There is no doubt it could’ve been something more serious and needed to be checked out. But as the OP has shown A&E isn’t always the answer. I think we have all become a bit dependant on needing to be seen RIGHT NOW in case we have something LIFE THREATENING and forget that plenty of non life theatening things can be extrutiating and terrible too.

And honestly I speak as someone who would’ve done the same as you OP- just putting accross the other side

not to take your temperature or blood pressure, or check your respiratory rate, is negligent.

Yes, I agree.

I had severe gallgallder issues ignored by a doctor in A&E who advised I might have gallstones and indigestion and to go back to my GP in the morning. He didn’t even touch me once. GP sent me straight back and I was admitted with bad cholecystis and needed IV antiobiotics, which I could have had immediately if the overworked tired doctor had given me some time.

I feel for you Hollow. The suggestion of going to the pharmacy on the way home is a good one. I was in A&E with a severe asthma attack a few weeks ago and they tried to send me home without doing anything at all, they didn’t even listen to my chest until I kicked up a fuss (as much as a breathless person can, and which I hated having to do). Afterwards I thought about complaining to PALS, but didn’t because in A&E they are so obviously severely overstretched. My asthma nurse was spitting feathers though when she asked about my visit there and I told her what had happened.

Your situation sounds like it could be far more serious than mine though Hollow. Please do make absolutely sure that you’re ok and the antibiotics are enough. X

It would be helpful if people did not post "you've been sick a few days already so it's not an emergency." That is categorically untrue. People can deteriorate quite rapidly regardless of how long they have been ill.

I've had sepsis twice, both times I was ill with something else prior and then suddenly boom - ambulance required.

I also had sepsis and was lucky enough to already be in hospital. Temperature was monitored very closely as changes can happen very quickly. For a doctor to not bother once is just ridiculous. Hopefully not the case here. I hope you recover soon with the anti biotics.

Have they re examined you? I really hope they have

You would think that ‘something that you’ve had for a few days but is now deteriorating’ would be the very definition of things that might be urgent.

It’s the difference between minor ailment you can treat at home with common sense and potentially dangerous complication of minor ailment, isn’t it?

I don't think I would leave tbh if they haven't even taken your temp. The dr is obviously incompetent as it is a necessary part of a checklist to see how Ill you are. Don't go unless you have seen someone else like you requested

Sounds unbelievably poor.

It is no wonder that people go to A&E in a non-emergency situation because it is so difficult to see a doctor out of hours. I went to a walk-in centre in the Manchester Royal Infirmary. They told me there were no doctors on duty, only nurses, and sent me to A&E next door. They were even turning sick children away from the walk-in because of the absence of doctors and because the queue was more than 2 hours long and it would be closed in 2 hours.
What a mess!

I'm still waiting for 111 to ring me back. It's been eight years. Luckily I posted on here and someone said I really needed the GP and I got seen.

Hope you're ok Op - agree with the other posters re Sepsis & making sure they check it's not that.

I was going to say sounds like a burst eardrum- can see that's what they said. Sorry you're feeling so rotten.

If you feel neglected definitely male a complaint to PALS. They are very helpful.

I think you'll be ok. Good luck op

You need them to take your temp, blood pressure and hr if they’ve not done that go back

Have they done anything other than look in your ear? Absolutely nothing.

ziva no- nothing else I promise you. One quick look in my ear was all. I don't even know how they check a respiratory rate?

When I said I really do feel very unwell he said I'll go and check with somebody else came back and said "here's a prescription for antibiotics".

I still feel completely shit to be honest but I genuinely do not have the energy for a fight and they were just so busy so I'm just going to call the GP tomorrow. At least I've got some antibiotics to get started on

Hithere1981 when I was already sat up in a plastic chair surrounded by sick people with bright lights in a 4 hour long queue in A&E I can assure you it was LITERALLY impossible to feel worse, hence posting on MN. In fact, it actually helped me to feel better. And I use the voice thingy for most of it so I can close my eyes. My DH keeps saying "sorry what was that?" So I have to say I wasn't talking to you I was talking to Mumsnet!

This is so shit for you hollow, it's not surprising that you haven't the energy to argue

How has your dh been? Is he prepared to keep an eye on you overnight and call for help if necessary? (Obviously hoping it doesn't come to that) you really need to sleep given the last 24 hours but I also really think someone should be actively checking on you.

She has an ear infection. Why is everyone panicking so much?!

Could you have flu, op? I ask
Because I do and it brewed like that for two weeks before it got me. They say it doesn't brew but this did, then all of a sudden, within 40 minutes one afternoon everything changed for the much worse. My ears hurt leading up to it.