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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Child ill on holiday...need some advice

25 replies

Holidaymum2 · 26/07/2019 15:16

Sorry to post here, but I’d appreciate some other parental perspective, as I’m quite worried about my daughter, and we had a poor experience last year at the local hospital here in Spain when she had to be admitted.
DD has immune problems, and is a regular inpatient back home. Last Friday just as we arrived, our daughter started complaining of stomach pain, and vomited a few times over the weekend. She’s been listless all week, barely eating, and can’t stay upright without being faint. We assumed it must be a stomach bug, so have been giving rehydrate medicine etc. However last night her pain has considerably worsened, is now more to the lower right, and she’s now uncontrollably leaking large quantities of foul smelling liquid faeces. She can’t move without crying out in pain, and her initial fever has returned. We took her to a local doctor, his English was limited...he immediately dismissed it as viral gastroenteritis, and offered no assurance over my concerns for possibility of appendicitis, or indeed her underlying immune status. He just didn’t seem that concerned at all. We were in and out in 5 minutes.
Having had my own burst appendix as a child, and my eldest suffering the same a few years back, the shift in pain is all too familiar. Has anyone had any experience where they’ve had gastroenteritis wrongly diagnosed? Isn’t 7 days too long for a regular tummy bug?? She is very thin and has already lost a lot of weight...just a very worried mum at the moment, she is usually on open access to the paediatric ward at home so are feeling quite vulnerable out here...any advice would be so helpful Confused

OP posts:
Tamsyn143 · 26/07/2019 15:18

What travel insurance do you have ? It's common now for travel insurance to include a consultation with a U.K. doctor via Skype/face time. I used it during a recent trip to Spain x I'm not a medical expert, but if she was my child I would not be accepting the Doctors dismissal. She's clearly very poorly

onanothertrain · 26/07/2019 15:20

Could you phone the paediatric ward and ask their advice?

lmusic87 · 26/07/2019 15:20

I would call your travel insurance and ask them to sort something out for you. Your poor daughter xx

Aquamarine1029 · 26/07/2019 15:22

I would be taking her to hospital immediately.

LIZS · 26/07/2019 15:22

Ask your insurer for details of the nearest paediatric outpatients clinic they would fund. Are you near a city?

MrsEricBana · 26/07/2019 15:23

Poor poorvhercand you. DEFINITELY 2nd opinion at another GP or A&E. Agree with ringing your travel insurer for advice first. Hope she's ok.

Yotam · 26/07/2019 15:25

Could it be a blockage in the bowel? Did the dehydration make her constipated? I just wondered about the leaking - is it maybe seeping round an impacted lump. Either way I think she needs more medical attention than it sounds like the doctor gave.

WhenZogateSuperworm · 26/07/2019 15:25

Can you fly her home? I would just want to be back in the UK I think with a child that poorly.

bloodywhitecat · 26/07/2019 15:27

Ring your open access ward and ask their advice.

msmith501 · 26/07/2019 15:32

All good advice OP. Please call for expert help now and don't over think it.... and don't waste time waiting for more MN replies. You've got the answer you need and fingers crossed. FWIW I was mis-diagnosed for 18 months despite me insisting it was an appendicitis. My local UK hospital vacillated between my motion being too hard (take a suppository) and them being too loose (Fibrogel). It was whilst on holiday in Kos and after literally chewing on a piece of skirting board to numb the pain in my abdomen, that I was properly diagnosed and it was sorted. I'm sure you're issue is not serious but take no risks pls.

Nearlyfriyay987654 · 26/07/2019 15:34

You probably ended up at a local hospital not a private one last year OP. I’d take her to the docs of hospital but look for a private one rather than a public one.

Holidaymum2 · 26/07/2019 15:46

Thank you everyone, I appreciate your suggestions. I didn’t think of calling the paediatric ward back home, because they usually say bring her in.. and yes last year it was a public hospital we went to. Nobody spoke English and I had to google translate her history...even then there was so much lost in translation. We are staying on a large club resort, and we paid to see the doctor on site. When I asked if her underlying immune issues could be complicating or prolonging her illness in some way..he just waved his hand and said I don’t know about her other issues...all I know is what I see now. And for most children I see with these symptoms..it is viral gastroenteritis. When I asked why nobody else is ill...and why things seemed to be getting worse not better...he just said it takes 48 hours..come back in 48 hours?!...it was so frustrating going round in circles. Thank you everyone..I will try and call her paediatric ward and see what they advise.

OP posts:
Outsomnia · 26/07/2019 15:50

I wouldn't care about anything, I'd be off to the nearest Public A+E pronto. Covered by EHIC. Ask reception if they would translate over the phone when you get there. Worth a try.

Spanish health system is ace.

Outsomnia · 26/07/2019 15:54

Nothing wrong with Spanish public health system. It is beyond efficient and great. Why are ex pats in Spain bricking it because of Brexit so?

OP took child to a Doctor. Now it's time to get to A+E. Accidente y emergencia.

Hope it goes well Op.

CottonSock · 26/07/2019 15:58

Just take her to the Spanish a&e.
We took my daughter on last holiday and they were brilliant. It was private as the first one we found (allergic reaction so time critical), but they even advised me I could go to public hospital for free.
Immediate and comprehensive treatment, all on a bank holiday.

TSSDNCOP · 26/07/2019 15:59

Go to A&E and ask for a translator.

Benjispruce · 26/07/2019 16:00

Go to the hospital. Spanish care is normally very good. Google translate he problems and show them. Good luck.

TSSDNCOP · 26/07/2019 16:00

And I agree, had only excellent treatment at Spanish hospitals.

Hoppinggreen · 26/07/2019 16:02

Go to A&E
We’ve had to do this a few times in Spain and had better treatment than here, got slotted into a Paediatric clinic once
I do speak Spanish which makes it easier but I’m sure they will be able to help you

lmusic87 · 29/07/2019 09:56

How are they OP? Flowers

LakieLady · 29/07/2019 10:01

A&E, now.

If they don't have an English speaker, they will use a translation service.

OW98765 · 29/07/2019 10:01

Go to A&E. Ignore the doctor you have just seen. Hope she’s ok.

Holidaymum2 · 31/07/2019 17:13

Thank you, we rang the paediatric secretary, and had a call back that evening. As she has been on long term antibiotics for many years and had previous issues with something called c-diff, the suspicion was (rightly) that it might be this. We took her to one of the larger regional hospitals, not the one we visited last year and they were much better there. Spoke better English and seemed to know exactly what to do in the context of her history. Interestingly, even having stressed her immune background to the resort doctor we had seen, he didn’t ask about her antibiotic regime or anything that might have been a connecting issue, so it was right to ignore and get another opinion. Thank you for your replies that day, we were so worried and it gave me the impetus to get the care she rightly needed! Flowers

OP posts:
Benjispruce · 31/07/2019 20:42

Well done. Always trust your instincts. Hope she’s ok now.

DontBeOffensive · 31/07/2019 21:02

This is not meant rudely but why are you taking her away every year if shes so unwell generally? It must be miserable for her poor lamb.

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