A&e, doctors or wait it out?

[autienotnoughty]

Off and on back pain for past 15 years. More on in past two years. Symptoms include lower back pain, painful spasms , shooting pains in thighs. Being managed with physio, Pilates, walking and yoga.

Last six weeks pain has got significantly worse. I keep experiencing weakness in my legs, periods of not being able to stand/needing support to walk and get up.

Today my back has locked three times leaving me unable to walk, getting worse each time. I am now laid flat on my back, I can't sit up. Dh had to drag/walk me to the toilet. I can't walk. I can't turn over. I'm applying heat and cold.
I'm also feverish . I have shooting pains/tingling in my legs plus the back pain and spasms.

Do I go a&e?
Ring doctor Monday?
Ride it out?

Just shocked at her attitude when she’s sat at home worrying for so long.
she will be unfortunately one of manny emergencies in A&E, many of them life threatening. not uncommon to wait a few hours for an MRI.
I agree with you that the NHS is struggling and it means waiting times in a&e are awful. It’s terrible, sadly not the staff’s fault though (which OP seems to be implying).

Oh OP poor you, I hope you get the MRI soon. It will get better, hang on in there. Hope something works soon for the pain

I hope you get seen to soon

When my neighbours husband had a stroke, she knew exactly what to do. Ambulance too busy so two big strapping neighbours got him in the car. She drove to the hospital as advised by 999. Got him unloaded into the unit by staff. 32 hours later he was finally seen by someone who agreed to admit him. Two days later a consultant said it was too late he should have brought him in sooner. Well she bloody did within an hour.

Agree, you can't complain that they weren't treating it as an emergency when you weren't treating it as an emergency either. Literally everyone telling you to go to A&E at 8pm last night, you leave it another 16 hours before going, you can only blame yourself.

My SIL a solicitor dealing in commercial personal injuries. Advocated for her husband. Bugging them in A&E, photographing all the notes, when he was admitted noting everything that the nurses and consultants said. She was an absolute rottweiler.

I suggest @autienotnoughty husband does the same.

A fair point.

The Save the NHS mantra of COVID still haunts us.

Glad you're at hospital. Hopefully they can get to the bottom of it.

So, they’ve already done a test for the potential emergency cause.

And they’re working to manage your pain.

I’m struggling to see the issue.

I had suspected caudia equina. Fortunately after quite a lot of tests and two MRI spinal scans it seemed that it wasn’t QE and I was sent home. Over the next few weeks the symptoms gradually reduced and I recovered.

I'm sure you don't.

There isn't one test that rules out cauda equina. I've had multiple CT scans, nerve conduction tests and MRI's and they never did find out what caused the symptoms. Its been a year and there's some improvement but I still can't walk normally.

Thanks for keeping us updated op. Fingers, toes, arms and legs all crossed that it’s a severe muscle spasm (time will heal this, I get these a couple of times a year-blinding agony!) and a bit of sciatica-but if it’s not then at least you’re on the road to diagnosis and treatment.
Im also glad to see that the majority of whatsernames awful posts have been deleted 🤣

Despite caudia equina being a medical emergency they are in no rush

Neither were you to be fair, despite other posters warning you about the potential urgency.

I hope it isn't, I hope you make a full recovery with no lasting effects. But if you don't, I don't think you can blame the NHS for this one.

Hope you get sorted soon, you're in the right place, paramedics would have given you pain relief and laid you on a stretcher if an ambulance came last night, hindsight is a wonderful thing but it's not a&e fault,

Why didn't you call an ambulance? Wouldn't that have avoided the car journey and also the wait at a&e?

Judging the OP won't change anything. Let's be supportive.

OP can't complain about the NHS then. For once it's actually not the NHS' fault.

Hmm, still judgy. Does it make you feel better? Leave her alone while she's in pain.

Agree, despite starting a thread to ask wbag to do; overwhelming advice from not only medical services but everyone on here too, she inexplicably ignored it all...but now complains they're 'in no hurry'. Fucking ridiculous.

We don't yet know the diagnosis, it may not be as serious as we think. I hope not. It is very difficult to decide whether or not to go to A&E, I'm sure we would all procrastinate about that unless we were run over by a bus or similar.

Despite clear medical advice?

I was told to call 999 if I loose sensation or use of my legs. But I have a MRI showing my spinal cord is mm from a bone protrusion. I guess the difference is that no one knows what's going on here fir sure.

Had MRI just waiting for results. Laid on a proper bed so feeling less discomfort

What a shitty thing to do to overworked staff. you’re unbelievable and you think that’s a righteous act.