Another A&E thread

[MyOtherCarIsAPorsche]

AIBU to take granddaughter to hospital this evening or will it wait?

She's been having headaches regularly this year. She describes pounding and pain in eye. GP said eye test - optician immediately said that she could see a large prescription. DG had glasses then three months later had another checkup and a stronger pair prescribed. She's due back in December. So I'm assuming that they're increasing the strength of the glasses in increments.

Her headaches have persisted. This current one she's had since last Friday. I picked her up from school on Monday and could tell that each footstep was making her wince with pain. She couldn't sleep Monday night because of pain and feeling sick. We've been alternating paracetamol and ibuprofen for pain relief. Saw GP on Tuesday who said it was nothing sinister but was referring her to paediatrician. This evening she was complaining of eye and nose pain and appeared to be light sensitive. She's woken in pain a couple of hours after she went to bed and her eyelid is drooping.

Is this worth a trip to A&E?

We're very worried.

@Wishitsnows I'm glad things are moving along but please don't let them reassure you that it's nothing sinister. They simply cannot tell that without a scan.

I agree.

I've been told by someone involved with the brain tumour charity that an MRI only costs £400. I don't know why the NHS has such a high threshold for them. I know we need more MRI capacity in hospitals though. ☹️

I am in agreement with your sentiment, not disagreeing with it.

Unless you’ve tagged me by mistake?

I hope your granddaughter is ok. I think cluster headaches are referred to as “suicide headaches” as they are so painful so could well be that x

I don’t think the GP can fully reassure anyone, unless there is a scan done then nobody’s really knows what’s going on.

Wishing you and your granddaughter all the very best.

This sounds like migraines to me which absolutely need to be confirmed.

I have just clocked your username and I was a (silent) supporter on your threads about your husband, OP. Your family has had enough medical worries to last several lifetimes and I'm sorry to hear that your granddaughter is feeling so unwell now.

I know from experience that chronic pain investigation can drag on and on; I really hope the hospital gets to the bottom of it and that she feels better soon ❤

Mum and GD got home at 5am.

I drove to get them.

I had to get H out of bed and drive to DD's to sit with DGS who was awake from 1am (which his good going for him), t'other DGS slept until 5am.

So we've been up all night.

The drooped eyelid 'self resolved' at about 1am. Her blood pressure stayed at 120/80.

They said it's a symptom of migraine and that her requiring glasses coincided with onset of them.

She's sat with a sick bowl drawing pictures. She's had dry cereal for breakfast. This is day 8 of headache. I have migraines - longest one possibly went on into the fourth day. And I do get ones where I feel like I'm having a stroke - paralysis down left hand side/pin point pulsating pain on right side of head/think a blood vessel is about to pop.

She's got an appointment at the optician tomorrow. Pain still in right eye. They said that they are going to use yellow eye drops to have a close look. (Her next appointment wasn't due until December.)

So, we should get a letter confirming a paediatric appointment for three months time (at a distant hospital).

They've said it's definitely nothing sinister.

In June her glasses prescription (worst eye) was +2.25, in September it was +3.5 - which is double my current prescription. How on earth we/school didn't realise she couldn't see - I've no idea. She still misses words out when reading and also reads words such as 'left' as 'felt' - she jumbles the letters automatically. That is another story - her mum has autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, hEDS (but 20/20 vision and dry eye).

So we'll muddle along today and if DGS decides to nap I'll try and grab 40 winks.

Mum (DD) has gone to work. One DGS in nursery and one on my knee.

We're supposed to be driving up to our static for the weekend, late this afternoon (just H and I) but I don't want to go now.

Anyone wondering why it's not 'DH' (just H) - I seriously went off him after his major op last year. His personality changed and has certainly not resolved.

Our family were robbed off by a GP, with regards to our 4 year old niece.

Please push for a scan. As a migraine sufferer myself it does sound very much the likely outcome but a scan will cover every thing and put all your minds at ease.
I hope all goes well.

I'm sorry you are all going through it. I just wanted to ask if they did bloods etc overnight. A medical opinion that 'it is nothing sinister' is just that without tests - an opinion. I would just take her back again and refuse to leave without a scan. Go to a different hospital if necessary.

Glad it’s nothing sinister.

You must be shattered. Do what you need to do to recover. You sound like a fab grandmother x

ETA am surprised at no scan though?

I hope your granddaughter is feeling better soon. Just wanted to say you sound like an amazing mum and gran to your family.

A young child with that prescription can usually see pretty well - their eye muscles just work extra hard to focus, which is what can cause headaches. It’s not at all unusual for the family not to notice that a child has that type of prescription, so don’t feel bad!

I must have missed the post where posters suggested that scans are used to pick up meningitis 🤔

Glad you find a thread where people are showing genuine concern for a child who is experiencing symptoms that their child (or me in my case) have showed which turned out to be a life threatening brain tumour, funny. That's seriously strange behaviour.

Ps, just as scans don't show meningitis, blood tests don't show brain tumours. Yet they kill more under 40's and children then any other cancer. Facts are facts and in this case, not funny.

When a drug is produced, all side effects have to be noted, even if it's not definitely attributed to the drug. You will not find any drug used for headaches that doesn't have 'headache' as a side effect. Similarly, most blood pressure medications will have 'dizziness or light headedness' as a side effect because some people will have been slightly over medicated, or the medicine was more effective than they anticipated, or the diagnosis of hypertension prompted lifestyle changes that means less of that medication was needed.

A side effect listed on a medication doesn't make the medicine inherently bad. Context is everything.

@MyOtherCarIsAPorsche I'm sorry the personality changes haven't resolved. That's so hard to cope with. It doesn't sound like you're getting any more of a rest, either?

No blood test - wasn't mentioned.

I'm going to upset H if I say I really don't want to go anywhere this weekend.

I want to be here in case I'm needed.

I've been promising to go to the static (haven't managed to go since April) but was sat with mum most of the summer until she passed away at the end of August.

In the meantime I've just had my own doctor appointment and been prescribed aspirin and GTN spray. I've been referred for another test (possibly angiogram - my head is a shed) and I have to go for an echocardiogram next Friday.

All go here! Never a dull moment!

Must have had a charmed life before because it's all gone to buggery now. This past two years have been truly rough.

I have a mammogram booked for 3.30pm - it can't get any worse can it?

And in response to your patronising comment "You are reassuring your ego by demanding for a scan from an A&E doctor already under strain."
If more people were given MRI's earlier they would survive a hell of a lot longer when being diagnosed with a brain tumour. Early diagnosis is vital.

You do realise that the NHS is here for exactly this purpose. Yes it's under strain but that doesn't mean corners should be cut when someone shows glaring symptoms of something so dangerous.

Just noticed it's Friday 13th - not that I'm superstitious.

So glad it's nothing sinister - though migraines aren't exactly fun, I know.

I started wearing glasses when I was 7 and my vision deteriorated every 6 months until I was well into my teens. I'm now 33 and my prescription has only been stable (at -7.0 🤓) for a decade or so. I was only moved from annual to two-yearly eye tests a few years ago.

Re your granddaughter's reading: like your daughter, I'm autistic (and I have ADHD), dyspraxic and have hEDS. I was diagnosed with dyslexia a couple of years ago through my university, which was a massive surprise to everyone - including me. Then at the start of this year, I was diagnosed with Irlen Syndrome, which is very common in autistic people and mimics dyslexia but it's a problem with visual perception, not language processing.

Some people deny that Irlen Syndrome even exists but all I can say is: my blue tinted glasses have changed my life. It may be something to consider if she doesn't quite fit the dyslexic profile.

I’m sorry to hear this and I hope she feels better and you get some answers soon.

But can I say how nice it is to hear what a loving, supportive parent/grandparent you are.
Unfortunately, not everyone is like that and it’s lovely to hear.

Sending you (and your DD and your dear little granddaughter) lots of love, @MyOtherCarIsAPorsche. You sound a really lovely and caring mum / GP. I hope your DGD is feeling much better soon x

@Lougle

Hello! 🥰

I'm better off time wise - nursery and school are better coordinated. I do school runs some days which leaves me with the middle of the day to get stuff done.

I get one whole day off one week, (completely to myself) and two the following week, on a two week cycle!

School hols - we get through them.

The twins are one yr old - and go to nursery so I have them once a week, their older sister is at nursery. (They are easier to look after than their older sister was. 😬) They are a joy - a comedy double act. (For now.) We have six grandchildren aged from 1 yr to 7 yrs - 3 of them born in 2020 and 2 born last year. I feel privileged to be able to be close to them.

My health has gone to pot - having tests and stuff, menopause, arthritis, there isn't a part of my body that doesn't hurt. I'm possibly furring up on the inside - as my father did. (Never smoked - don't drink.)

I've just informed H that he's now not the only one with 'official' chest pain as I pick up a GTN spray later today. (We have competitive blood pressure contests - his is low mine is high and we sit trying to achieve optimum results by doing repeated tests. That's old age for you. We used to sit throwing rolled up kitkat wrappers at each other to see who could catch it in their mouth. But that seems a long time ago now. We're not ancient, just noticing a general decline.) I'll definitely need the GTN if we go to the static. We'll be doing some walking. H intends going to Sycamore Gap - we've passed there often. Its slightly hilly around there - not as severe as the planned walks/climbs we did when younger, but it brings chest pains on nowadays (along with stairs, hoovering, sweeping, cleaning floors and being late for school).

There's lots of jokes/laughter/hysterics going on but it's interspersed with some serious shite this last couple of years. I know that's life - just seems more down than up.

@amusedbush

My DD, who is at work again on no sleep, has really dark red lenses (no prescription) for this reason.

She didn't wear them often at high school because she was bullied/called names - mainly 'Captain Sensible' which came from the parent of one of the worst bullies. (Wasn't just name calling.)

But she needs them now as her job involves at of screen and paperwork. She's tried various colours over the years.

She also sees words and people as colours - I've tried to catch her out many times but she's always remembered her responses or genuinely sees colours/thinks in colours. Which I think would be jolly hard work - interpreting all the time.

That's horrible, I'm sorry she went through that. I do feel self-conscious in my tinted lenses and I make jokes about being a cyborg, but they make a world of difference. I can even see properly at night with them on, so night driving is no longer terrifying. I also had to test every possible colour, mixtures of colours, then light/mid/dark but mid-blue is the one for me. My friend has orange lenses so we look a right pair on Zoom calls!

The thinking in colour thing is synesthesia and I have that too. DH asks me if I like his new aftershave and I tell him what colour it smells like. In my brain, Thursdays, November and the number 47 are all the same, and they're dark purple