With how I was treated in a and e

[Arcade]

I’ve got endometriosis it gets so bad I pass out throw up etc. I’m currently on morphine codine and other meds for the pain. Yesterday it became so bad I was almost hysterical with pain and nothing was working the bleeding was also more extreme than normal. My partner ended up driving me to a and e as I couldnt spend any more time in this amount of pain. When I arrived I was seen fairly quickly and the nurse was lovely she suggested right away I have more morphine codine and some other meds. She said she could only give me the codine as they where tight on space and I really needed to be watched while taking morphine and codine at the same time but I would be seen soon for the morphine. So I took my codine and went back to the waiting room and politely asked the receptionist roughly how long the wait was tonight so I could tell my partner to go home instead of waiting in the car they said it wasn’t long. I then wasn’t seen for 1.5 hours and ended up just silently crying in the waiting room. I went back to the receptionist and said would I be aloud any more pain relief as I’m in agony. She spoke to the nurse who then did after 25 minutes bring me out some morphine . I was in so much pain I did consider going home as I was so uncomfortable but I knew going home wouldn’t fix it and I was throwing up badly. By which point I hadn’t been seen again for 3 hours but was then eventually taken for a blood test and told to have a sleep on a bed as the wait time in a and e was six hours before a doctor could see me. I said in the end while crying through the pains that I would go home to sleep as I live 2 minutes away and was exhausted by this point as it was now 2 in the morning. I then did get home and manage to sleep through sheer exhaustion. But I’ve woken up being sick again from the pain my partner thinks I should go back to a and e but I cant manage sitting in a waiting room for 6 hours again. Atleast at home I can lay down with my hot water bottle and take some of my own morphine. How can and a and e leave someone throwing up and crying in pain with no real pain relief until they beg I get they where busy but I’m at my last end I’ve tried every cure going numerous surgery’s physio therapy private doctors hormones just to have pain like this constantly.

Sounds awful OP. I think the wait times are just insane. I had a crazy wait the other month when I was crazily dehydrated after vomiting 90x (yes I counted). I couldn't even hold my head up in the waiting room I ended up practically lying on the floor. Still took 4 hours I was beside myself. I really fear for the future of the NHS. I just don't know how it can get any more broken ☹️

How does private medical insurance work with a&e?

Feeling endo suffer here - I feel for you!

As I think someone has said here if your in this much pain it sounds like you need further treatment. Both of my pregnancy have been after treatment, pregnant within 6 months post op. This was after trying for many years - 6 years age gap. Especially if your in this much pain - back to the GP.

What has changed my life is the mirena coil - obviously this isn’t what your after as your trying for a baby but worth looking into after. I can function like a normal human with it in place.

Fellow endometriosis sufferer here. Have you ever been referred to a pain clinic? You can ask your GP for this.

@Innocenta

Thank you! It's strange how prolonged severe pain and agitation on all NHS resources will tell you to "seek help immediately" to only be told once there to wait 11h. In fact, due to my agitated mental state (I was telling every passing doctor that they are letting me die) I was apparently going to be barred from A&E.

Aargh, don't even like remembering that day, gives me a racing pulse!

Even though OP has diagnosed endo, it does not exclude complications by something else. How about an ectopic pregnancy? Or appendicitis? I don't know... I just can't see how agonising paint can't be a reason to prioritise.

I mean, I've been in the A&E with cystitis (that's how one gets antibiotics on the weekend ) and wouldn't mind someone in agony go and get help ahead of me!

Yabu this isn't what a&e is for, you said Atleast at home I can lay down with my hot water bottle and take some of my own morphine. So did you have morphine at home already?

I went around 9am to visit my mum who was in a bed waiting to be seen. It was quiet then in the big city I live in. Heaving about 4pm. Go early morning if you have any choice!

The NHS is being choked to death by lack of staff.

im sorry for your pain and hope you are better soon but the situation is horrendous everywhere

Yes, I feel the same. It’s quite scary to think about anyone in the family needing serious medical help now.

Maybe it’s not, but it’s just not on to expect people to live like this for goodness knows how long while waiting to see someone. People go to A&E because they get to the point of despair as medical care here is so lacking and dire. They are left to rot for things that should be dealt with in a much more timely way in an ideal world.

I don’t work in a hospital bit I’m guessing that to give out any sort of drug the requested has be discussed and approved which all takes time

Ps I voted that you’re not being unreasonable. The whole NHS is, as oft repeated, on its knees, on its last leg in fact. A and e across the country is unsafe for patients and staff.

And it’s a choke it to death til they yield. Anyone working there will I know exactly what I mean

Even although you were in pain, you were conscious and breathing and unfortunately I’m sure there were people in worse states than you. . Unfortunately our NHS has been stretched as far as it can go and it’s the patients who are losing out due to staff shortages etc.

You poor thing. I think it’s a very poor sign of the times reading the responses on here that people are so resigned to long waiting times ! It really highlights how people think it’s acceptable to get such poor care and zero empathy!
Yes obviously RTA and life threatening emergencies take priority but AE used to have different Drs working in majors and minors so someone like yourself would have been seen fairly promptly!
It’s not obviously the people who work there at fault,it’s the general decline of the NHS …bloody shocking TBH !

Husband called 111 at 14:00, they suspected an aortic aneurysm, made him an appointment at A&E for 15:00, I got him there at 14:55, he wasn't seen till 18:00 they said scan not needed, took bloods and said he could go once Dr had seen results, he called me at 21:00 to come and get him. Waited in the car park untill 22:30, he rang to say he was on his way out when a dr insisted on BP check, dr wasn't happy wanted him to have the scan he came in for several hours earlier, I went home. They took 2 hours to do scan as part of the portable unit was missing so had to go to the unit for the static machine. Report done, not loaded onto computer system correctly so had to do it again. He eventually called me at 03:00 to collect him, home by 04:00. A&E is hell. PS no aneurysm but due to age and medical history advised to have a repeat scan every 3 month oh joy.

Thank you for all your advice yes I’ve been referred by my gp to my local endometriosis clinic have seen them for the last 5 years. they want to send me to a pain management specialist but the wait is over a year to be seen. I’m saving up for another private appointment and they want to do a MRI but it’s all so expensive. Yes I could manage to go home but it was choice between being in pain at the hospital for 3 hours waiting to be seen. Or in pain at home so I chose home as I was exhausted.

You were treated badly, but I don't think many people are actually being treated well at all at A&E at the moment.

Last month an elderly relative waited three hours for an ambulance for a suspected broken bone, then had to wait six hours to be seen.

She was admitted after the six hour wait and had to stay overnight alone and was given nothing to eat, nothing to drink, not taken to the toilet - you can imagine the state she was in the next day.

We basically discharged her ourselves in the end as it wasn't safe for her to be there and she received no care. It took more than 24 hours from the ambulance being called until she was actually x-rayed. It's a disgrace.

You might aswell have waited at that point if they gave you somewhere to lie down -i mean other people cant go home can they

@Arcade See if your doctor would be comfortable with you titrating your Oramorph dose (obviously within a safe range) at home. If you know for sure that it's endo pain because you recognise it, then you'll probably always do better at home with more sources of comfort and relief. Of course I am not suggesting you increase the morphine without permission!

Also make sure you have optimised all forms of relief at the same time. You can take an NSAID (i like naproxen) with paracetamol, and then morphine on top of that. I also take buscopan during my period if the cramping is affecting my GI tract. If you are getting nausea, ask the GP to prescribe a strong antisickness tablet.

Overall while it is better not to be on too many meds, there are often several that can help combined (if the GP thinks they are safe for you), but that aren't necessarily given. You can also add topical heat and a TENS machine.

@CrocodilesCry I'm so sorry about your relative. From what I've witnessed during the pandemic, older people seem to be the most affected and it's heartbreaking.

Are you a doctor? If not, then you're nowhere near qualified to declare this as fact

OP that sounds so awful for you 😔. I really hope you find some sort of relief and ok you weren’t going to die at any moment but I do think severe pain that requires morphine is still an emergency. I’m just sad the services are so underfunded that people like yourselves cannot be helped quicker.

it must be a frightening and lonely experience for you with the condition. Have you tried the keto diet ? Apparently some people with endo have had success with that.

A and E will rarely do anything more for those suffering with endometriosis. You don't need to be a medical practitioner to know this, just an endo sufferer.

I called an ambulance because I was on my own and had badly burned both of my hands. The ambulance took hours and they said I’d wait at least another six to see a doctor. I ended up calling a friend and we treated my hands with what we could come up with from googling. I was sobbing in pain and the paramedics were googling what to do as well. It was hopeless.

Just to clear up some questions yes I’m having treatment for my endometriosis have been for the last 7 years. I’ve tried and am trying lots of medication, surgeries, pelvic floor therapy I’ve had numerous scans and doctors appointments paid to go private etc the only options at the moment are the coil and a hysterectomy which may not work I’m also currently trying for a baby. My hospital dosnt have A doctors bit and previously I’ve been told by my doctor to go to a and e when it becomes unbearable and I’m bleeding clots bigger than a 50p which I was. I’m still feeling rubbish especially after a day at work. Work have said I can take some time off or cut my hours down but I can’t afford too