Should I go to A&E?

[ShrillSiren22]

I’m severely anaemic. I have a gastric condition which regularly causes internal bleeds which leads to anaemia and I normally have 3/4 blood transfusions a year to deal with this.

I’ve been feeling anaemic since April when I went to my GP as usual and my Hb was 80 which is borderline for a blood transfusion but anaemic enough for an iron infusion. As I’m under a gastro consultant at the hospital he has to contact him to sign it off before I can go to hospital to have my iron infusion/ blood transfusion. Except the gastro department has not been answering the phone or returning my Gp’s calls/ emails since April.

My GP is tearing his hair out as my hb is now 56, the lowest it’s ever been. I am sleeping downstairs as I cannot climb the stairs to bed. I am driving my dc’s 100 m to school as I cannot walk. I am sleeping nearly 20 hours a day, I’ve lost 9lbs as I can’t eat anything, I’ve constantly got a blinding headache and I’m sobbing nonstop. I don’t know what to do and why no one will help me.

My GP has even driven to the hospital to try and get someone in gastro to sign it off but no one will. There’s nowhere within an hour drive that does it privately even if I could find a way to get there as I can trust myself to drive that far without falling asleep.

Id have to take my kids with me to A&are but I can’t think what else I can do.

If you're not able to care for them or to send them to someone else then I would expect emergency foster care. There simply isn't the staff numbers required to look after them.

Sorry I don’t know anything about your condition but is it possible to wait until tomorrow and then go in as soon as you drop them off to school?
It sounds as though this isn’t something that has just happened today.

If your school offers before or after school care you can see if you can put them in there too as an emergency which will give you a bit longer.

Obviously if you need to go tonight then go but it will be much easier without them there.

Make sure you have everything charged ready and any snacks or drinks incase you need to go today.

@CallOnMe evrn when I have a scheduled blood transfusion it easily takes 6 hours as they need to cross check my blood before they can start. There’s no way I’d get them to school and be able to pick up, even with clubs. I’d rather have them with me than have to leave hospital and lose my place in the queue.

Of course you need to go, 56 is dangerously low. However if you present at ED at this time you won't be sorted until later this evening/night and they probably wouldn't transfuse overnight anyway as its not 'life or death'. Your children would absolutely not be allowed to stay with you so you would need to sort something out before hand.

@MolliciousIntent im not expecting anyone to look after them. I’ve made them a packed dinner, they can quietly play screens and 9yo can go to vending machine if they need snacks.

They’ve been dealing with me being ill for years and are pretty self sufficient, sadly.

The hospital 100% will not let your under 10s just hang out overnight while you're being transfused. That's a safeguarding nightmare. I know this isn't what you want to hear but you need to be prepared, they will not be able to stay with you.

@Greenqueen40 I can’t sort something, I have no one I can leave them with. My 6yo requires medication that I cannot expect a neighbour/ school mum to safely administer. I’m sorry, but I simply don’t have anyone. If I did it wouldn’t be an issue.

As hard as it is, you need to prioritise yourself for a change. They may have to go into emergency foster care over night. I wonder if there is some sort of respite place who would take your youngest - should be able to manage meds etc?

@familyissues12345 yes, I’m prepared for them to possibly have to do that for a few hours. I’ll try and brief them for it on the way over so they don’t find it too scary. I’m not doing this just because I fancy having my kids around to keep me company, I have no one I can ask.

If you don't go to A and E to get sorted you could collapse, end up much worse and have to stay in hospital then they would end up in foster care for much longer. Don't put this off. Go to A and E. I honestly don't know what a and e would do if you turned up with the kids but hopefully that can stay with you and you will get sorted.

Take the kids go and get help

You poor thing

A&E with the children seems like the only option.

Although, you could try emailing the chief executive of the hospital? And the head nurse, PALS, and anyone else on the board to get them to listen and get onto the gastric dept. It's drastic, but so is a hb that low.

I hope you get sorted, fast.

Op if I were a neighbour I'd take them no problem, though I see you say medication is an issue.

I'm assuming not, but is their dad on the scene at all?

It will be a long hot wait in A&E for you all, but I hope you get the help you need.

You just go to A&E with the kids ASAP and get sorted. I recognise that you know what you're doing and what to expect (unlike some of the other posters on here).

I work in A&E and have seen all sorts of circumstances that you wouldn't normally think is right or usual but you deal with what's in front of you at that time and if that is a woman who needs her children with her for whatever reason then that's what will be dealt with.

Good luck and I really hope you get seen to quickly and with minimal fuss.

Can't your gp refer you direct to a medical assessment unit or similar?
You should skip A&E because they investigation and diagnosis has been done, you should be a direct admission for treatment.

Please get to hospital. If you do need to stay in hospital contact social services they will arrange for an emergency foster placement if there's nobody you can leave them with. Take all meds with you for you and child. You might be in for a wait.

It's all different now it used to be you have open access to a ward. But thanks to our bard government cutbacks you now have to go through A and E for medical conditions. This is partly why A and E is constantly chocca and waiting time's are longer. A and E doctors are frustrated with it themselves. Once had one ask a paramedic what's she doing here? Refering to my daughter. He did apologize then reminded him the system has changed. The system is fed up

A lot of respite services closed over lockdown and haven't reopened. Those that have, have at reduced capacity.

Oh my goodness, you poor woman. You have no support network to help you in this crisis, from what you have said. You need to access urgent medical treatment and your children will need to be cared for. Arriving at A&E with the children will trigger a safeguarding referral immediately. That's not a bad thing. You need people around you to step in and help out should this happen again.

Oh gosh yes, you should be seen ASAP. My HG was 69 at the end of last year, also have underlying gastric issues, GP arranged for me to go to immediate assessment which was a bit off the side of A&E for when GPs have referred people etc so saves you the long wait. Could you ask again fir GP to send you and say your worried about your heart? If not I’d just go now and take the kids with technology and hopefully you’d get back out tonight and before Friday night A&E craziness. Hoping you feel better soon.

I agree with a PP Friday night is crazy and the weekend is just going to get busier.

If you’re going to go then go asap and hopefully you’ll be seen quickly.

If you’ve got an iPad and some headphones you can download some movies on Netflix. You also take some paper and pencils. And a packed lunch and drinks.
Definitely go as soon as you can.

OP you need to go to A&E. I had a gastro bleed last year and my HB was 55 when I got to hospital. I was told had I left it any longer I would have collapsed and been at risk of heart failure.

They sound like such good children..
Please go to A&E with them if necessary.

Best of luck. Hope you get that life~enhancing blood today.

Definitely go to A&E, that’s insanely low and you’re at real risk of collapse. Anaemia as severe as this can actually impair your heart and kidney function. A&E can refer you somewhere else to have a transfusion if required.

Your children will be safer with you in hospital getting treatment, than at home with you collapsed.