To have cried at Dr not to send me home

[Whatsthematterwiththebatinthecave]

For 3 weeks I’ve had left flank pain that’s slowly been getting worse, coupled by loss of appetite and loss of weight for past 2 months (unintended). 3 days ago things really went down hill which ruined my work projects and the pain becoming so bad I started vomiting from the pain and passing out; this prompted me to see the GP who sent me straight to A&E.

29hrs later I’ve finally been told my blood test and urine test suggest something underlying but my CT scan came back clear so I can go come. He said maybe it’s an infection but my temperature isn’t that high.

I just burst into tears at the thought of going home in this pain with no meds to fix anything. He was taken back by my reaction and asked if I felt I needed to stay, I explained what’s been going on and he was surprised as he hadn’t realised how long it had been going on for (I had said on arrival and it was in my GP letter). I then begged to not be sent home and he has agreed but now I feel silly.

Maybe you can dig some ammunition out of this:
“Patients must be able to trust doctors with their lives and health. To justify that trust you must show respect for human life and make sure your practice meets the standards expected of you in four domains”.1st paragraph of this 44page booklet (came into effect Nov. 2020) : https://www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/documents/updated-decision-making-and-consent-guidance_pdf-84160128.pdf
I really hope you start to feel at least a little better soon. Great your DDad can look after you.

This is awful OP.

If you are able to contact your GP tomorrow to explain the outcome after they referred you to A&E or if your surgery does the online appointment form, I'd fill it out tonight ( or your dad if he can) ready for triage in the morning.
You can discuss your concerns re; possible infection/sepsis and how it's made you feel physically and mentally

Something similar happened to me, I broke my leg in 3places, consultant shouted at me because I wanted to stay at home until my operation, I couldn't have it until the swelling was completely down, I was on an emergency ward with patients who were alcoholics and severely distressed elderly patients. It was incredibly distressing for the mental health, I managed to get home to rest in a calm place, phoned my GP the next day due to how upset the consultant was and how he made me feel and they were very, very understanding.

Like PP has said, CTs aren't always the best at picking everything up. I can't believe you weren't even given an ultrasound to check for kidney stones.

I hope you have a comfortable night, able to get some sleep and feel on the up tomorrow. Xx

You are never being silly when advocating for your health. These drs and nurses don't take us seriously, many times and it might shock someone who doesn't see them regularly!

I have an autoimmune disease that also raises my chance of blood clots, and I have been in and out of the hospital multiple times, too many to count.

I remember the first time I was diagnosed with my disease, I told the nurse I do not want to go home until the morning because that was the first night, in MONTHS, that I was pain free thanks to the hardcore pain meds they were pumping into me, and I could finally get some sleep.

If something is not right, your body is doing its job and telling you. No one is going to relay this message to others besides you. So good for you for speaking up!

I hope you feel better soon.

So sorry you've endured such shabby treatment.
Hopefully the Meds you do have will help.
Wishing you all the best 🙏

Sorry you have had such shoddy treatment @Whatsthematterwiththebatinthecave

If you’re no better go back tomorrow. If you get worse go back tonight.

I’m glad you have your dad to look after you. You need further tests. Someone better informed than me might be able to say if Martha’s Rule might help (you can ask for a second opinion on your treatment), it’s so named in honour of a girl who very sadly died when more could have been done by hospital staff.

Don't be embarrassed.

The health system right now is not a safe place.

I've been in your situation and after the third time of going to the A&E and being humiliated by the head (female) Dr for wasting their time, I threatened to jump off the bridge of the hospital and make sure it made the news.

I'm not suicidal but I have worked in marketing and PR and that sort of thing and I was at my wits end, the only thing these hospitals are afraid of is bad publicity.

The really messed up thing though?

It worked.

So sorry this has happened to you ❤️
Well done for advocating for yourself today (especially tough to do when poorly) and please don’t be discouraged from continuing to advocate for yourself - it can feel pushy but PLEASE demand that your concerns are taken seriously and that your treatment plan (whether with GP or A&E) is explained to you properly and that you are happy with it and your concerns are getting addressed

Sending big hugs and hope you are on the mend v soon

It sounds horrendous and you sound very brave, there is nothing worse than being in a lot of pain for a long time with no clear reason for its cause or way forward to sort it out. Hoping you feel much better very soon

Omg I knew you were going to mention the lack of beds! This seems like an ongoing issue with the NHS- they don’t admitted anyone due to lack of beds! Even if the person needs to be admitted - it’s actually terrible. I know
someone who was in labour and was turned away as they didn’t have any beds. They didn’t say this obviously but picked this up from overheard conversations. This person didn’t leave the hospital but waited around in the lobby as she knew the baby was coming because thank God she did, as the baby was born within the hour- in a waiting room. It’s really bad.

Go back tomorrow. If they fob you off again then you need to ask for a review by the Critical Care Outreach Team under Martha’s Rule - means that you have to be given a second opinion

I can’t believe they have sent you home with a fever that high and severe flank pain, with ‘suspected sepsis’ thats outrageous. If you are septic and they send you home they are medically negligent. You absolutely sound like you have an infection. Flank pain, fever and vomiting is a red flag for a kidney infection, I have had many and this sounds so familiar. Do you have any uti symptoms Op? Blood in urine or pain on voiding? I’m glad you are staying with your Dad, keep topped up in otc pain relief, keep up you fluid intake and watch your fever like a hawk. ANY rise in your temp or worsening of pain and go back to A&E and refuse to leave until you are seen properly. I’m so sorry you are unwell, I hope you get the care you need asap

If you feel wlrse, go back
They shouldnt of discharged you with suspected Sepsis

So so sorry you’ve had to go through this and are still having to deal with the aftermath. Your poor Dad. May he rest in eternal peace. I’m sending all my love to you and the other poster who mentioned a friend’s gran who experienced similar. It is not good enough.

• feels very unwell or like there's something seriously wrong
• has not had a pee all day (for adults and older children) or in the last 12 hours (for babies and young children)
• keeps vomiting and cannot keep any food or milk down (for babies and young children)
• has a very high or low temperature, feels hot or cold to the touch, or is shivering
• acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense
• blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
• a rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis
• difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast

@Whatsthematterwiththebatinthecave I'm just putting this list here. You need to show your Dad, and read it yourself. If you get any of these symptoms overnight, or the symptoms you do have get worse, you need to get seen again.

OP I’m glad you’re being looked after by your Dad. Will be thinking of you and hope you are ok.

So sorry OP. I did that once, when they tried to discharge me without my breastfeeding newborn.

You have to be really bloody pushy now- I’ve experienced it too often that things haven’t been picked up on the first visit.

1. example 1: gp send my baby in as red flag sepsis. Paeds sent us home. I wasn’t happy so went back first thing. My little one went blue, had rigours and projectile vomited over the ward. Many staff came running and it was a missed kidney infection.

2. example 2: my other daughter was misdiagnosed in a&e in hospital 1 and was re-admitted a week later and treated for the right thing that has been missed.

3. we had to do a Martha’s law request for a relative as the poor care and lack of a plan would have killed her. It still might but the complaint meant heads were knocked together and something happened.

if you are at your dad’s get him to google nice guidelines for sepsis and check what you have has compared to the guidelines. If you are in any doubt phone 111 or return to a&e with a copy of the guidelines in your hand. Also look at the sepsis trust. If there is any doubt, don’t mess around.

https://www.cosinuss.com/en/2020/03/11/rethinking-early-warning-score-ews-in-the-digital-age/

you can also use parts of this to monitor overnight

Respiratory rate (breaths per minute), pulse, temperature. Oxygen sats if you have an oximeter, BP if you have a monitor

But please, please use the sepsis list that another user posted above

DSis has just come through sepsis and getting her help was bloody hard

I despair of the NHS.

Sounds awful, Op. I really hope that you start to feel better soon.

I really can’t believe they’ve sent you home with suspected sepsis. I think your dad needs to check on you very regularly during the night, as it can go downhill quickly, and hopefully he won’t be shy about calling 999 in these circumstances.

I think it’s hospital dependent. Sometimes even doctor dependent. My 2nd admission and readmission (nearly twice) was a clusterfuck almost from the start. The 2 episodes with sepsis and suspected sepsis were fine.

Have they given you oral antibiotics to take home, OP? And is there someone at home with you?

And in addition to @Lougle list above drink plenty of fluids and make sure you are peeing plenty too.

CT is the gold standard for kidney stones, OP does not need an ultrasound scan “to rule out kidney stones”.

The vast majority of people with “suspected sepsis” do not have sepsis.