Worried sick about Dad

[ktldxox]

My Dad (58) has been unwell for a fair few weeks now, at first he was cold and shivery and just felt a bit generally under the weather. About 10-14 days after the initial symptoms started he tested positive for Covid and got a whole boat load of Covid symptoms along side. He tested negative on Tuesday and seemed to be doing a bit better but I’ve went to see him today and he’s lying in bed with a coat on, quilt over him and a hot water bottle. It’s 18 degrees outside today here and super warm. He says he wakes up in the night because he’s too hot but then he ends up cold and shivery and is then sleeping really badly. He’s got a tender lower stomach now too and looks very pale and just not well. I think he’s lost weight but he says he hasn’t and he also says he doesn’t have a fever. I’ve gave him some paracetamol and something to drink but he’s refusing to speak to a doctor. I’ve been begging him for ages to get checked over and I’m worried so much about him it’s making me ill. I’m assuming his symptoms aren’t all Covid related since they started a good few weeks before he tested positive and have gotten worse again since he’s tested negative but he disagrees.

If anyone has any advice as to what his symptoms could be or how to even get him to a doctor it would be greatly appreciated.

I'm not a medic; generally unwell and lower abdo tenderness could be anything and if he wants to recover he needs medical help.

Why won't he see a doctor? What does he worry could happen if he sees one?

What would happen if you called 111 while you were there? Or 999 if he is confused, very feverish, in a lot of pain etc.

I don’t know to be honest, he’s always been very anti doctors! I can’t remember the last time he saw a GP if I’m honest. If he’s worried about going for a particular reason he wouldn’t tell me I don’t think, he tries to brush off his symptoms as it is even though I can clearly see something is wrong. He just rolls his eyes when I suggest.

He’s not confused and he says the pain is manageable, he can still get up and about if needed (he says he popped to the shops earlier) and he doesn’t feel nauseous or anything like that. I did think about 111 but I wasn’t sure if they would talk to me and I don’t think he’d speak if they asked for him. The abdo pain is new to be fair though, he said it only started last night unlike the hot/cold and generally unwell symptoms which have been well over a month now.

I think he avoids telling me the whole story because he knows I worry. He’s the only parent I have so anytime he gets poorly I do tend to get anxious.

I tried calling his GP surgery to see if they would call him in for a “routine check” because I think he would go if someone rang him from the doctors but they say they can’t do this so I’m a bit stuck. When they call him in to see a HCA for annual bloods he does go to this so I figured that would be a good way to get him through the door if they had been on board.

I just worry that given the symptoms have been going on so long that it could be serious and we’re avoiding treatment because he refuses to see anyone. My dad says because he has good and bad days and he still eats and drinks it can’t possibly be anything serious 😔

Is he eating and drinking well and able to get up to the toilet ok. Whilst it is worrying, you won’t get an out of hours appointment, so see how he is after the weekend and tell him if he’s no better he should see a doctor. Both my DH and I took about 3 weeks after getting covid before we felt mildly better. Obviously if you are worried you can ring 111 at any time for advice.