111 or can I wait for gp?

[foreverfrustrated09]

So I stubbed my toe a couple days ago and got a small cut on it. Went to work. Over the last day it's gone red, hot, swollen and very painful. I know it's infected and think there's some pus there. I'm prone to infection having had an abscess and sepsis this year oral anti biotics I am almost completly resistant to. I am also 18 weeks pregnant. So I know I need to be careful. I feel fine in myself. If I didn't I think I'd go to a&e. My problem I have autism and struggle with doctors. I also have struggled with self harm, so most of the doctors especially ones at the hospital are horrible to me, see me as a pathetic mental helath case and never take me seriously which often causes me to melt down. My gp knows me well and believe could get me the best route to help. I'm also not jumping at it cause it's a toe so a small area. I just don't know what to do and I'm pretty stressed.

Well done OP. You are advocating for your baby as well as yourself. Good luck.

Yes draw around the redness so you can track if it’s getting worse.

Be brave; you’ve got this. You don’t have to engage with others in hospital, just show them your foot.

Op your past experiences at hospital are awful. Well done on doing the best thing for you and your baby. Good luck.

@Alternista

Relevant points to tell them: You’ve had a cut The redness is tracking up your foot You have had sepsis in the last 12 mos You are pregnant

You’re doing the right thing. Well done.

This is good.

My ds has autism.

When he has to have conversations he knows he'll find difficult he gets very anxious which makes it harder for him.

So I wrote him a list based on what he tells me to act as a prompt.

I tell him to take a breath and say each word in a second to stop him panic speed speaking! I tell him just to give facts as the person will know what to do. He doesn't have to try and work out what they'll do or say.

I don't know if any of that will help you? It's horrid when you e had bad experiences and his Camhs support worker said that's the biggest cause of his anxiety. Because he judges by experience and not by reading the body language of the person he's interacting with.

hope it goes well.

Yes it could help to reduce your anxiety if you were to write down everything you need to tell the Dr so you don't have to worry about forgetting anything. Hope it goes well, you've done the right thing.

@Alternista

Relevant points to tell them: You’ve had a cut The redness is tracking up your foot You have had sepsis in the last 12 mos You are pregnant

You’re doing the right thing. Well done.

OP - write these down as bullet points ready for your call so you definitely mention them. Repeat them if you're unsure they've heard or understood. We can be your remote advocates if you need support - there are loads of us and we are gobby as anything!

I hope they phone you soon and you get sorted.

Mentioned all of them. She didn't really care about the amount of infections. Kept repeating things like I can only prescribe certain anti biotics cause of pregnancy fair enough but I said I'm intolerant to them. She just said to take the ones I've already got and keep an eye.

You sound very sensible- you will recognise any worsening symptoms, I'm sure.
Don't be afraid to try A&E again, if you feel you need to. Use the useful list.

Hi OP

Was that a phone consultation? Have you been monitoring the redness?

If it’s still spreading I would still head to A&E. I wouldn’t be happy with a phone consult and diagnosis for that, if I was pregnant with your medical history

Hope you’re okay

It's spread a bit today. I do have an urgent care near by but can't get there. The one person who I had to give me a lift is doing something else today. Taci onto of question as it's 1/2 hour away. Think I'm going to have it looked at today just trying to think of best way.

That foot needs to be seen today
I'd advise drawing round the edge so you can track the spread

I think you need to be seen today too, especially as oral abx aren’t an option. It looks worse than last night. It must really hurt!

You have cellulitis and you need intravenous antibiotics now or you are risking sepsis and osteomyelitis-get to A&E now

A gp is ringing me back within the hour

I would go to a&e now; can you get a taxi?

You need to be seen now, like immediately. Whatever it takes to get there you need to get there - it's an emergency and it's tracking. Poor you, I know it's stressful but you need to be seen ASAP today. Ask the GP what you can do if you can't get to hospital in a taxi - please keep reiterating you've had sepsis and concerned as you're pregnant

111 said a&e and I had a feeling. So there now apparently a 5 hour wait

Came on here to check up and was going to suggest drawing with a biro to monitor spread, but pleased to see you are in A&E.

Well done for acting on it. You definitely need to be there. Sepsis is sepsis, no matter where it starts, so there's no such thing as 'it's only a toe'.

Relieved you are there. Hope you don’t have to wait five hours but reckon it’s worth it even if you do.

Just checking you have been seen/triaged? Do they know why you are there, and that you are pregnant? Don't be afraid to check.

Been triaged they know evreything so hopefully won't be Tom long

@foreverfrustrated09

Been triaged they know evreything so hopefully won't be Tom long

Oh well done OP I'm so relieved for you that they are taking it seriously. Thinking of you

You're in the best place, good luck.