To call OOH or not?

[TitsalinaBumSquash]

DS has this cyst, he's had it since he was a tiny baby, it was like sand, then rice, then a marble, last year it became grape sized and infected several times, once or twice he was sent to the day unit at the hospital for one large dose of iv antibiotics, every time it went down for a month or 2.
Then it can back up so I went to go to ask for a longer term solution, she referred to a specialist and that appointment is in 3 weeks time.

However, DS was sent home from school Monday as he was in a lot of pain and the cyst had visibly swollen up to double its size, it is angry and red and DS is in pain.
GP yesterday was incredibly dismissive, she said it's just fatty tissue and it was normal for it to suddenly grow and it wasn't infected at all and I should put a plaster on it.
DS today is in a huge amount of pain, he can't turn his head and his clothing is causing problems with rubbing.
I can't get to see a GP today, I tried. I'm certain it's infected, I'm not sure if I should call ooh and get him started on some antibiotics or to leave it until tomorrow and have him off school again for it. Last course of flucloxacillin finished about 3 weeks ago.

I'd call OOH if that was my child, make sure you tell them how it has deteriorated markedly overnight and is extremely painful and is restricting normal movement.

Poor lad, that looks really painful and yes I'm sure needs treatment to be started asap.

I've have one on my bqck like that. It grows over a couple of years, then gets really painful, bursts, disappears then starts to grow bqck after 2-3 years. My doctor was dismissive too, when it was clearly infected so I got under a really hot shower and the heat burst it. This was 3 years ago and it's growing again🙁

I made another plea to the Gp surgery and our lovely dr we normally see stayed back to see DS and he said it's severely infected so we can get stronger antibiotics but if it's not started going by Friday he'll admit him for emergency draining and removal. I'm fuming with the dr yesterday.

That's terrible OP. I would not be happy with the other GP at all, especially considering his history. I would be writing a letter of complaint.
I hope your DS recovers well on the ABs and is feeling better soon.

Hi OP,

When all the current infection has resolved; is it an option for your DS to have the underlying cyst surgically removed-to prevent this reoccurring?

What type of cyst is it? It looks a bit low to be a thyroglossal cyst.

Hope your DS feels better soon.

He's seeing a specialist in a few weeks to discuss the long term management of it which I assume means removing it.
They've just said it's a cyst that may or may not be attached to the bone because it's in a difficult position? No names given for it. When it's not infected it's grape sized and hard but moves freely under the skin, no redness or pain.

No change here unfortunately, hopefully the morning will see it beginning to subside, however I went to check just now and about 2 cm under the cyst he has another one! Not visible but a hard pea sized lump under the skin, it seems to follow a very visible vein from the first one to this new lump, I'm not sure how concerned I should be.

I just had one go using castor oil packs. Did 10 days really easy. It was on my head and big...now completely gone. I told my doc and she was ever so interested...worth a try. Get organic castor oil...pukka do one.

Just to update you all because I hate when people don't update!
DS had emergency surgery early hours of this morning to drain the infection and they were going to remove the actual cyst but it actually 3x bigger than first thought and was very, very infected. They're going to wait for it to heal and settle this time and then go in and remove it at a later date.
He was so scared but feeling so awful that he ended up being incredibly brave. He's so much better now.
I shall be making a complaint to the surgery about the original dr that saw him on Tuesday but apart from that I'm just glad it's over with for a while and we can all get some rest!

Aah Titsalina poor lad.
I'm glad that he is feeling better for now. And at least you know he will have it removed so he doesn't get it again.
Definitely complain about the other GP. They should have known better given his history.