She's dying isn't she?

[McSteamyorMcdreamy]

Mum discharged herself from hospital today.

Hiatus hernia. She can't eat or drink anything. Literally throws it straight back up.

Can't walk because her lower back is buggered.

UTI in blood. Been given antibiotics but nothing seems to be giving her a boost.

Sat in a sodding chair for 36 hours at A&E. Not slept for at least 48. Said she just wanted to go home.

I'm really scared 😭

MNHQ EDIT to gently suggest that MNers new to this thread take the time to read through all of the OP's posts before answering

I'm sorry op - so worrying for you and horrible for your mum. i hope she gets help and gets on the mend. my elderly mum has suffered 2 years of near constant UTIs - and i'm not exaggerating with this - and has been hospitalised on a couple of occasions. no real help, fobbed off by her GP constantly with antibiotics that temporarily treat the current infection but not an underlying cause. her enjoyment of life has been severely affected - why is it that women's health problems are dismissed with in this manner.

Just make sure she takes antibiotics properly so the UTI does not develop into sepsis. My dad died age 63 due to UTI turning into sepsis. Unfortunately, we were not aware he had a UTI due to dementia. It only became apparent when it was too late and he developed a fever. I might have caught it if I was home (live in a different country). But my mother who was caring for him missed it.

I’ve known someone who’s had a hiatus hernia for 2/3 years! It’s debilitating but won’t kill her unless she doesn’t address it

agree

my grandmother had a UTI and she was hallucinating, thought she was in the workhouse and her son had died.

can you take her to another A&E where possibly the hospital will have beds?

this is such a wretched time for you and hope things are better today

I hope she is taking the antibiotics as prescribed. They do take a few days to work sometimes.
Bur in the meantime call 111 and answer their questions and get her an actual appointment to see the a&E doctor who can get her the help she needs

She probably needs an intravenous antibiotic to be seeing some more immediate results

Mum is at home in community. What is being demanded or commanded? Why cultures are required?you don’t need them hourly. They already know the diagnosis. This needs to be managed via GP

She needs to be in hospital.

bear in mind that a spreading infection can cause cognition issues.

Bluntly, she could die from all of the issues she has. You need to fight her to get her to hospital and then fight the hospital to help her. Access to medical care is now 3rd world in the UK. We need to admit this.

Your poor mum OP

I have just about got rid of the UTI from hell, it ended up lasting 4 weeks and 3 sets of antibiotics. I'm also being investigated for random vomiting so I think I know some of what she is feeling.

I take tramadol for an unrelated condition and I was literally on the phone crying at the receptionist who was a complete bitch.

Can you get a sample from her?

Check your local Dr's cover, I couldn't get a GP appointment with my own GP (long story but they have changed the system) but I got a Saturday appointment with a GP at a different practice.

We also have an urgent care centre, 111 told me to go to A and E but that they might send me to urgent care, which they did.

Phoning 111 is a good call, they can refer you to the hospital, or to a GP.

How has she been.

And how are you, OP @McSteamyorMcdreamy

Go get her and take her to another a&e right now, and get off mumsnet, give us an update tomorrow. This is in theory a treatable condition

@McSteamyorMcdreamy how is she this morning, op? xx

My mum recently had an out of hours visit from 111 doctor. I was very surprised but she was poorly, on a Sunday, and called them. I had to take a sample in via her GP but he was helpful.

Take her back to a&e, the best time for a&e is morning when all the drunks & people from nights out have gone home. Go now.

She wont die if you take her back to a&e. Take a cushion, take incontinence pads so she is less uncomfortable. Take a flask of cold liquid as cold things may cause less nausea. If you can get gaviscon see if she can keep that down. If you have any ginger biscuits she could try to nibble one but the vital things are fluids and antibiotics. Take a book if she can manage to read to keep her mind off feeling ill.

Even if she has to sit in a chair they can rig up IV antibiotics.

Phone 111 on the way there.

I hope your mum feels better soon. Try to get her to drink something at least

I was on iv in hospital for five days with a uti so yes they can be quite serious and dangerous if untreated. Phone 111 today if still concerned.

I’m sorry Op. It really does sound serious. My grandfather died from a hernia but he was much older than your mother. She will need to see a doctor though. I hope everything turns out ok.

According to our stats, we don’t live in a “good” area for A&E or gps, but our experience is always totally at odds to those reported on threads like these.

I often have to step in and assist my elderly parents advocating when they need something, and I genuinely never have any problems. GP receptionists listen, 111 are brilliant - for instance they’ve arranged out of hours appointments on several occasions and arranged an ambulance within minutes another time. My mum used the online system last week and had an appointment the following morning. When we go to A&E, which is rare frankly because I get ahead of dramas by making sure they have help before it escalates, we are comfortable, seated, seen and heard. 111 have arranged appointments which has helped, and ensures we only go if it’s a genuine emergency.

This year they’ve had an emergency X-ray referral on a bank holiday, weekly visits to a specialist clinic which have identified a potential problem quickly, eye operations and aftercare, many gp visits, monthly deliveries from their pharmacy and they’re using the APP now with my help, consultant appointments (which I attend, to the point I’m even mentioned in the letters issued afterwards which are very thorough).

Talking to elderly friends in the US who every year stress about their Medicare insurance policy changes, cost increases and cover, I’d take our nhs any day.

Situations like the OP, I’d be phoning 111 and following on from there.

Has she been prescribed topical oestrogen? It can help with recurring utis in women.

I'm so sorry to read this OP.

A hiatus hernia is a 1 hour surgery, often leaving the same day without overnight hospital stay. A surgery that shouldn't take more a 3 months waiting period in a public hospital

An UTI is easily dealt with the right antibiotic after the GP takes a swab, sending the urine sample to pathology. Not all pathogens respond the same to antibiotics. Doctors need to get the pathology report before giving the right antibiotic.

Your mom is not dying but her health is being compromised by the shit going on with the NHS.

I'd advice calling 111 and ask about hospital at home treatment. Some areas are able to treat IV antibotics at home, or they may be able to send her to treatment centre which isn't A&E.

Good luck, UTIs are painful but are treatable.

She will need rehydration, have you got any sachets? Has she been able to keep down the anti biotics?

So first things first, do some practical things.
Get her some incontinence underwear and get her into bed, keep her on bed rest, keep her fluids up.

Give the antibiotics a couple of days to work if she has just started them. The pain of uti is horrendous.

Can she tolerate ibuprofen? As that may help, co codamol 8/500 can be brought over the counter
Tomorrow morning a and e may be a bit calmer or Monday morning if the antibiotics start to work

For fluids literally no more than a sip every 20 mins of rehydration solution. She may be able to keep tiny sips frequently down

UTIs are the worst. She needs antibiotics for that asap and I don’t understand why they weren’t given. I’m pretty sure pharmacists can prescribe for UTIs these days so that should be easy to sort.

I know someone who’s currently having a dreadful time with a sliding hiatus hernia. She recently had a UTI as well, and the hernia is causing her severe pain when eating. She’s been vomiting and has developed aspiration pneumonia from food entering her lungs, along with ongoing problems with her oesophagus. Thankfully, the doctors have ruled out anything more serious, and she’s now waiting for surgery to repair the hernia. I just hope she doesn’t have to wait too long — she looks and feels absolutely awful.

So please don’t assume the worst! Her situation sounds very similar to my friend’s, but she needs treatment ASAP.