How can she be left like this? Take her back to A&E?

[Fearsheisdying]

Posting for traffic has honestly I'm terrified something is seriously wrong with my Mum and don't know what to do so please be nice.

Last week she started with some pain that she says feels like it's right at the very bottom of her ribs and radiating round the sides. She was in agony, basically screaming with pain so I took her to A&E on the advice of 111. All obs and ECG were normal but the blood tests were abnormal. They were going to do a CT scan but then decided as her obs were ok and they didn't think there was a bleed as no fall/injury, they were not going to do a CT scan there but would refer it to the GP to arrange BUT because of the blood test results and recent weightloss, they wanted it done urgently under the "2 week rule" and from his grave tone, I highly suspect he thinks it's cancer and serious. They couldn't/wouldn't give her anymore painkillers because of the painkillers she's on for severe arthritis but these are not touching the pain.

Fast forward to today, she has been in absolute agony since Thursday and seems worse today and can barely move. She's exhausted and crying/screaming in pain. My sister called 999 today but they said as not life threatening they won't send an ambulance but had to speak to GP within an hour. GP receptionist tried to say no appointments so we couldn't speak to GP but after I explained the issue (and she could hear my Mum crying out in pain) she finally agreed to pass a message to the GP so currently waiting to see if GP will call back today or not. Mum says if I take her back to A&E we'll be sat for hours again and nothing will be done but I can't just sit here and watch her in so much pain and do nothing.

What do I do?! Do I make her let me take her to A&E? Do we wait to see if the GP will call? Just feel so helpless

Oh your poor Mum, what an ordeal. I hope all goes well tomorrow .

Your poor mum, I hope she gets some answers soon

Poor thing. She must be so exhausted with it all. Hope the procedure can be done tomorrow.

You must be exhausted OP
Being in limbo really is an awful time
I hope they are able to go ahead with the Colonoscopy tomorrow

Sending your Mum love and hope they can do the procedure tomorrow 🤞🏻

Good luck for tomorrow and hope that they get this sorted quickly for your poor mum.

I have read the full thread, thank you.
Sounds like they had a management plan which should have included a “if this doesn’t work or gets worse, do X”. Sometimes this isn’t communicated well or heard well.
It happens a lot that people go home and are fine but obviously this lady really did need to go back, and that things were a lot more serious than initially assessed as being.
Also this: www.gmc-uk.org/news/news-archive/winter-pressures---letter-to-the-profession
Please support healthcare workers when they strike, they may be worthy of clapping etc but definitely not super human and even the GMC realise that clinicians forced into situations where they cannot possibly give the level of care they want.
NHS GP records or mostly online now so is worth looking at & please always listen to the safety netting, it’s really important x

replying to the person talking about getting ambulance chasers involved.
It’s worth checking GP notes online to see safety netting advice given ie “this should work but if it doesn’t do X”.
Was trying to highlight important safety information & point out where to find it x I hope it’s helped someone.
I really feel for this lady and her Mum as recurrently stated and think completely right all along to go back to A&E.
Just saying it’s often in medical plans to come back if worsening but not always taken in for various reasons.

All the very best to you and your Mum for today. I hope the procedure goes ahead and you finally get some answers.

Your poor Mum (and you!), you must both be done in. I hope very much you get some answers today.

Oh how exhausting OP. Hope they can get it sorted today.

Hope you get some answers today.

Hope they're able to manage the procedure today op and you get some answers. Sending love and strength to you and your mum.

Fingers crossed you get some answers

OP I've been reading along from the beginning hoping for some good news. If you feel up to it please do let us know how your mum got on. Hope she's doing a bit better today

I'm thinking about you and your mum and I hope you managed to get some answers yesterday.

Thinking of both you and your DM

I was hoping to be able to update you all but we seem no further to answers! Although the colonoscopy went ahead, they couldn't do a complete one as there is still a blockage, so she needs to have another. The Dr mentioned a "mass" when Dsis was there yesterday at ward rounds but didn't clarify if we're talking about a tumour type mass or mass of poo. On the positive side, Mum seemed much better in herself today and said although not gone, the pain is more bearable. After being so worried about how poorly she was the other day, it was a relief to see her seem more like herself. Hopefully we will have some answers before the week is over.
Thank you all for being with me on this rollercoaster of a journey, it's really helping me keep centred

Based on what was said I'd assume mass of poo @Fearsheisdying . If it were a tumour I'm not sure repeating it would be worthwhile as, well, it'd stil be there.

(Disclaimer: I'm no doctor, had plenty of colonoscopies though)

Based on personal experience from colonoscopies a mass is normally poo especially if she has a blockage. They can be horrifically painful. Hopefully that’s all it is.

How incredibly stressful it must be that you still don’t know what the problem is. I am glad that your Mum is feeling a bit better though. I hope that you do have a proper answer soon, as it must also be really rough for your Mum to keep doing the preparation for the colonoscopies.

I really hope it's poo OP. Hopefully her being more comfortable today is a good sign

I had a hysterectomy and in the days afterwards the oncology team identified what they thought was a lump of some kind - by the time I was sent to x ray and went to the toilet , yup you have guessed it, it was gone. It was a poo. It was a bit unnerving oncologists being unable to identify a poo though!

Op I really hope she is OK but she is in the best place being looked after.

One thing to remember the body is a complicated bit of kit, and while x-rays and scans are good they are never brilliant.

What is their next step?

Hi OP, I commented earlier on in the thread about my mum. She also presented with a huge mass and they couldn't do a successful colonoscopy as they couldn't get past the mass. They couldn't tell what it was until they operated. It was only afterwards when it was clear that my mum would make a good recovery that they told us it was classic textbook symptoms of bowel cancer. I really hope that's not the case for your mum, but even if it is, it is one of the cancers that are easier to treat. My mum has been cancer free for 15 years.