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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Doctors ignoring me for a year and now it's come to this

380 replies

Laurawharton · 05/02/2023 03:46

Aibu to think I should go to a and e tomorrow (really don't want to as I know they are busy) or just face the fact that no one cares
Had a lump appear by my eye last Christmas. I thought it was a spot until it didn't move for 3 months so phoned the doctors who wouldn't see me face to face but told me that it would need to be off in a strict 6 month time scale if it's not gone by then. 6 months later I phoned to say it's still there and now larger. I had a different doctor who basically said 'and why are you telling us that go private it's cosmetic'. Phoned again to get a face to face as everyone was screaming cancer at me, finally got a face to face and told they don't know what it is but yeah go private to have it off or join a over 2 year waiting list.
Anyway about a month ago it grew big again so phoned them as I was concerned as it's so close to my eye and was starting to mess with my vision and give me headache and that side of my face kept going numb. They said they referred me but still heard nothing. Now it's the size of a golf ball red and angry closing up half my eye. Swollen both my eye lid and my under eye. Painful as hell I Carnt sleep don't want to eat, put it this way I was a size 16 now even size ten is a bit big on me. I Carnt sleep properly, people keep staring at me when I go out so I no longer want to leave the house. I saw the doctor again and all he said was he will send fresh pictures along to my referral.
I don't know what to do I'm scared I'm going to blind in one eye due to the pressure and I'm not sure how my face will now look after it's gone if they ever get round to it. How long can they leave me in this much pain.
Is it worth just going down a and e and seeing if they will do anything? my partner has already stopped me twice from taking matters into my own hands aka self removal. My thinking was if I mess up they will have to something, I know it's not the right thing to do but I'm so scared and in so much pain.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
DinkyDaisy · 05/02/2023 12:03

I am kind of hoping op being seen by someone today...

anyolddinosaur · 05/02/2023 12:04

OP has experienced considerable weight loss, pain, visual disturbance and says the lump has grown since that photo was taken. It's probably an infected cyst but that doesnt mean someone shouldnt see it urgently. A lot of a&e departments now have an out of hours gp service at the same location. I'd be checking for that. www.shropshiretelfordandwrekin.nhs.uk/your-health/where-to-get-advice-and-help/gp-services/extended-access-and-out-of-hours/

OP when it finally gets removed expect the stitching to look awful at first. I have a relative who had a cyst removed and it looked a real mess at first but the nurses were saying what a good job it was. You now cant see where it was unless you know it was there.

Godlovesall26 · 05/02/2023 12:04

twitterexile · 05/02/2023 12:02

OP ignore all of the armchair doctors on here. Go to A&E and tell them that things have worsened, you have pain, numbness and that it is now impacting your vision. Do NOT let people make you feel bad for doing this.

Wouldn’t it be necessary to call 111 first ?

Crumpetdisappointment · 05/02/2023 12:04

do you take painkillers @Laurawharton

AIBUYesSometimes · 05/02/2023 12:05

The dr hasn't ignored you for a year. Steps were put in place but you let them slide and didn't chase the referral.

Meanwhile you could have made a face to face appt again and insisted on some disgnosis or treatment.

It's not in your eye, it's on the corner of your outer eye near your cheek.
(I assumed it was your inner eye near your nose.)

It looks like a boil or an inflamed cyst.

It's not an accident (it's been there a long time) and it's not an emergency.

Yes, it's uncomfortable, but not life threatening.

I think you should either find a walk-in centre OR make sure you see a GP tomorrow and say it's important.

If it's been bothering you for so long that you don't want to go out, I can't understand why you've not been proactive and got to see a dr sooner. You can't expect them to run around after you , sadly, you have to take responsibility yourself.

Offdutypead · 05/02/2023 12:08

Pragmatically it sounds logistically difficult for you to get seen today. If your DS goes to school I would pitch up straight from the school run tommorow. Is the an eye hospital nearby? That cuts out the middle man. I know there is one in Brighton and Moorfields...Will google

AIBUYesSometimes · 05/02/2023 12:08

I am actually shocked (or maybe not) at so many posters suggesting A&E.

This is why the waits at A&E are so long. It's because people are using them rather than seeing a GP.

A&E is for REAL emergencies like your arm hanging off, non stop bleeding, heart attacks, and things that are very serious

A boil or a cyst that is uncomfortable and doesn't look nice is not a reason to turn up.

Fladdermus · 05/02/2023 12:09

You need to go to A&E if you're in so much pain you can't eat or sleep and are disorientated and struggling to speak.

DinkyDaisy · 05/02/2023 12:09

Actually, I think bloody hard to get prompt treatment from a GP.
I got fobbed off many a time over Christmas and was really quite unwell when finally kicked up enough fuss to get a face-to-face appointment and consequently antibiotics. It shouldn't be so hard!!
Make a fuss op. If not today, tomorrow. If you work- today...
This has gone on too long and your life is negatively impacted.

AIBUYesSometimes · 05/02/2023 12:09

why are people suggesting an eye hospital?

It's on the outer corner of her face, near her eyebrow.

Kennykenkencat · 05/02/2023 12:09

Nogg · 05/02/2023 08:23

I work in NHS and find this difficult to believe tbh.

And that is what is wrong with the NHS.

How can the NHS become fit for purpose if those that work in it don’t believe there is anything wrong.

From my families experience this is normal treatment.

OhBeAFineGuyKissMe · 05/02/2023 12:09

I know you have an optician appointment coming up but I would phone all nearby and ask for an emergency appointment if you feel it is pushing onto your eye. They will hopefully be able to speed everything along.

Crumpetdisappointment · 05/02/2023 12:10

the picture posted doesnt involve the eye tbh

bellac11 · 05/02/2023 12:10

Its not an A+E issue, its why the services are all clogged up. Various other options have been suggested but people seem unable to consider pharmacists, or 111

Or god forbid waiting until tomorrow and phoning your own GP and insisting on a face to face appointment

bellac11 · 05/02/2023 12:11

AIBUYesSometimes · 05/02/2023 12:09

why are people suggesting an eye hospital?

It's on the outer corner of her face, near her eyebrow.

Yes its not an eye issue.

AIBUYesSometimes · 05/02/2023 12:12

Fladdermus · 05/02/2023 12:09

You need to go to A&E if you're in so much pain you can't eat or sleep and are disorientated and struggling to speak.

Yet another poster who doesn't know what an accident or emergency is.

FGS.

People have become so confused that they don't seem to know that A&E is for life risking injuries or disease.

Being in pain with a boil or cyst is not pleasant but she's not dying. she is struggling to speak because it's swollen.

Take some painkillers. Turn up at the drs tomorrow at the door, show them at reception and say you need an appt.

Crumpetdisappointment · 05/02/2023 12:12

you have an appt on 13th
you could ring dermatology yourself and ask for a sooner appointment?
take painkillers in the meantime.

AIBUYesSometimes · 05/02/2023 12:13

bellac11 · 05/02/2023 12:10

Its not an A+E issue, its why the services are all clogged up. Various other options have been suggested but people seem unable to consider pharmacists, or 111

Or god forbid waiting until tomorrow and phoning your own GP and insisting on a face to face appointment

AGREE 100%.

SoupDragon · 05/02/2023 12:16

Crumpetdisappointment · 05/02/2023 12:12

you have an appt on 13th
you could ring dermatology yourself and ask for a sooner appointment?
take painkillers in the meantime.

thats an appointment with an optician isn't it?

Kennykenkencat · 05/02/2023 12:17

AIBUYesSometimes · 05/02/2023 12:08

I am actually shocked (or maybe not) at so many posters suggesting A&E.

This is why the waits at A&E are so long. It's because people are using them rather than seeing a GP.

A&E is for REAL emergencies like your arm hanging off, non stop bleeding, heart attacks, and things that are very serious

A boil or a cyst that is uncomfortable and doesn't look nice is not a reason to turn up.

But where else is there to go?

I have used A&E to get an allergy test. My GP said that you couldn’t get tested for allergies

When my daughter rang the receptionist at the surgery to book an appointment because she saw how much I had benefitted from actually knowing my allergies she was told you couldn’t get such a thing as an allergy test.
When she pointed out that I had one, she was told I was lying. When she told them she had seen the patch test taped all over my back she was told that some people go to extremes in making things up to get people to believe them.

What would you do in those circumstances.

Alwaysworryingoversomething · 05/02/2023 12:17

@AIBUYesSometimes

"People have become so confused that they don't seem to know that A&E is for life risking injuries or disease."

So not a broken arm then (or other broken bone)?

Crumpetdisappointment · 05/02/2023 12:19

oh yes,
but op could still contact dermatology herself.

SongforWhoever · 05/02/2023 12:21

With an infection so close to your eye, you should go to A&E. At the very leaast you should call 111. Doctors usually say that any infection close to the eye is important to treat.

Kennykenkencat · 05/02/2023 12:21

AIBUYesSometimes · 05/02/2023 12:13

AGREE 100%.

Show quote history

But what is that going to do? She has had a face to face and nothing gets done. It’s just wasting time.

You wait a fortnight in pain only to come out of the appointment no further on than when you made the appointment