DS A&E am I being mad

[Cbd333]

My DD aged 3 woke up at 11pm last night screaming in pain because her leg hurt - specifically her
Shin bone. She has had a few infections recently and a persistent low-grade fever for a couple of weeks despite currently being on amoxicillin.

I googled thinking it's probably growing pains and wanted to see what I could do to help her but lots of the results came up with leukaemia. My mum and nana both died from leukaemia so I'm extremely sensitive about it but still I wonder if I'm being mad as I'm currently sitting in A&E as want her to have a blood test. For context, the leukaemia mum and nana had was extremely aggressive so their treatment began each time within an hour of diagnosis.

I don't want to me the mad mum hauling ds in to hospital when she should
Be swimming and enjoying her weekend but I'm terrified. Please help me.

[Patapouf]

Better safe than sorry IMO

[Wondergirl100]

I do think there is a problem here - better safe than sorry is a tricky concept to manage with overcrowded A and E. It is indeed difficult to see Gps, but ideally people would use primary care NOT accident and emergency when they want to check something out that is not in that moment causing pain distress or very concerning symptoms.

111 will lean towards sending people to A and E as they are never going to get in trouble for that but could be if they fail to send someone wrongly.

When I was in A and E people were bringing children in - saying 111 had told them to come in - the kids were sick but alert, running around etc - that is not an emergency and eventually a nurse came out and said please can anyone who can go home as there is a six hour wait and several people left.

We need a massive shift towards better GP funding - it is not in the interests of any child to spend several hours in a queue with lots of sick kids just to see a tired stressed doctor who is meant to be dealing with emergencies.

[Toodlydoo]

Jesus I thought this was what a&e is for, she’s 3!! Any child who’s screaming in pain should be seen.

[MrsPsmalls]

The thing is though if your particular concern is leukaemia, how do you think a doctor is going to diagnose that in a & e anyway? Its never going to happen. The best they can do is order bloods, which is what they have done and exactly the same as your gp would have done if you had made an appointment there. And no quicker either as you will still be going through the normal channels.

[Nousernameforme]

Go and see your gp on Monday, ask for the blood test surely family history with a couple of worrying symptoms should warrant a further look. I wouldn't worry about putting her through a blood test, they aren't nice but she won't be traumatised if you handle it well.

[JayAlfredPrufrock]

Seeing a gp isn’t that simple though.

[64kidsandcounting]

[quote Moutainwoman]@64kidsandcounting your story is very similar to my experience trying to get my 1.5 year old a diagnosis. Stopped walking, pains in legs and eventually wrists, was fobbed off over and over. He was given a blood test which turns out was a blood count, and told it was clear.

Son experienced steady deterioration, despite practically begging for investigation, turns out if they had of looked at his blood under a microscope they could have diagnosed his leukaemia.

Straight to specialist hospital that night with over 95 per cent leukaemia cells. God bless the NHS, glad to say he is thankfully Now also a healthy sixteen year old. Never ignore your instincts. Good luck op you're doing the right thing.[/quote]
Yes my son had the same but they did blood test him and misread his results.we had to drive ourselves to a specialist hospital. I'm sorry you went through that, but so glad your son is well. I agree
..always trust your instincts

[washerdrier]

The number of stories where they get it wrong and this man had the audacity to belittle you over doing exactly what 111 suggested for you to do.

You did the right thing and absolutely do follow up and get those blood tests. It not putting her through something awful because of your anxiety, you're doing the right thing by her.

[OhPatti]

@Fallagain

If your child is well enough to go swimming then she doesn’t need to be at a and e. At the most you need an appointment with the GP.

Do you have health anxiety?

Fuck's sake.

The OP said her child isn't at swimming, presumably because she's in too much pain.

Do you have empathy issues?

[washerdrier]

@MrsPsmalls

The thing is though if your particular concern is leukaemia, how do you think a doctor is going to diagnose that in a & e anyway? Its never going to happen. The best they can do is order bloods, which is what they have done and exactly the same as your gp would have done if you had made an appointment there. And no quicker either as you will still be going through the normal channels.

You can get a blood test whilst at A&E. I demanded one when I went with pains in my arms and they tried to send me home. they don't have to send you back to the GP they do it there and then. In fact, my last Gp surgery didn't take bloods and sent you to the hospital for ot

[SunshineCake1]

Wasn't there a campaign about mums always being listened too. No one knows their child better than a parent. I feel so sad for parents that take a doctor as being right all the time and just accept what they say as don't want to make a fuss. If your child isn't right and a doctor is being dismissive with a shitty attitude ask to see someone else. This is your child. Don't put a doctor before them.

[QueenOfCatan]

I didn't even realise this. My 2yo has been having shin pain at night every so often for months, she's also been low level ill since Easter on and off (every 2/3 weeks), I would never have put the symptoms together. We are waiting on bloods for the low level illness but I will be calling about the shin pain on Monday now!

[theremustonlybeone]

I was at a and e a few months a go with a 6yr old with a large bleeding gash on his foot that i knew needed stitches. He was in a state of distress and we turned up to a and e mobbed with kids with colds. My DS had to wait for 5 hrs to be finally stitched up afer xray which was truly traumatic, I heard a senior nurse say that most of these kids dont need to be here. One parent said he could bring his kid back tomorrow,

As for you- no I wouldnt have take to a & e for a blood test t was not an emergency. If you were concerned about cancer then a & e is completely inappropriate. It can take weeks for a diagnosis. So if worried you should have gone back to your GP

[Eeiliethya]

@theremustonlybeone

I was at a and e a few months a go with a 6yr old with a large bleeding gash on his foot that i knew needed stitches. He was in a state of distress and we turned up to a and e mobbed with kids with colds. My DS had to wait for 5 hrs to be finally stitched up afer xray which was truly traumatic, I heard a senior nurse say that most of these kids dont need to be here. One parent said he could bring his kid back tomorrow,

As for you- no I wouldnt have take to a & e for a blood test t was not an emergency. If you were concerned about cancer then a & e is completely inappropriate. It can take weeks for a diagnosis. So if worried you should have gone back to your GP

I'm really sorry about your experience but I completely disagree that the OPs 3 year-old has less of a right to be there than yours. If there is something amiss then the quicker they get looked at the better the prognosis. And my 4 year old fell over and bashed her head 2 weeks ago, needing her head glued. We also waited 5 hours, but so fucking what? Shit happens and I'd rather be sat there with a superficial injury than the awful prospect of my child having something like leukaemia, so honestly fuck you.

[watchingthedetectives]

I am a hospital Dr. I think the A and E Dr should have taken her bloods - it takes 5 minutes and then he could be properly reassuring. Yes she can go back to the GP and get them done in a week but actually he could have just sorted it there and then. It doesn't matter who does them they just need to be done and if he had got on with it it would save other appointments down the line. This attitude really pisses me off. He may have been busy but endless buck passing helps no one.
The OP didn't do anything wrong

[Eeiliethya]

@watchingthedetectives

I am a hospital Dr. I think the A and E Dr should have taken her bloods - it takes 5 minutes and then he could be properly reassuring. Yes she can go back to the GP and get them done in a week but actually he could have just sorted it there and then. It doesn't matter who does them they just need to be done and if he had got on with it it would save other appointments down the line. This attitude really pisses me off. He may have been busy but endless buck passing helps no one.
The OP didn't do anything wrong

Exactly! Whose to say the OP won't have to wait weeks for the blood test, then even longer for the results.

If that was my toddler my own mental health would be shot to shit. I would end up a nervous wreck! All for the sake of a blood test.

[longtompot]

In my experience some A&E drs think they are helping but aren't. Especially when they say unhelpful things to my yd when her hip dislocated that all she needed to do was to relax and she would be okay. She has arthritis and has joint damage in one hip due to the length of time it took for her dr to diagnose and treat. But apparently this dr knew best, and she was just making a fuss over nothing. I wish he was there when she passed out and vomited due to the extreme pain shortly before the paramedics turned up. I was also angry he wouldn't let me stay in the room with her (he wasn't alone with her) when he told her all this.
I hope you get to the bottom of this @Cbd333

[Sleeplessem]

OP 150% did the right thing even the Dr upthread thinks she did the right thing. I have to say it’s quite negligent of the a and e doc to put it down as maternal anxiety without doing the blood test then and there. Maternal anxiety in this sort of context is a bit of a cop out and comes across a bit misogynistic in my opinion (one about hysteria)

Unfortunately a lot of GPs miss signs of childhood cancer and it’s only when parents are at the end of the tether and go to a children’s hospital they end up with a diagnosis. Case and point look at Azaylia the daughter of Ashley Cain, they were told for weeks it was all normal and she had a very very aggressive form of cancer. Plus I find anything baby/ young child related most GPs either defer to a health visitor (baffling), recommend a and e or refer to a paed. Not a slight on GPs, specialists are there for a reason

[Heartofglass12345]

Something doesn't sound right to me and I can see why you took her. The attitude of that doctor is shocking to be honest.
Was he not in the least bit concerned about the fact that her temperature is consistently higher than normal?

[thaegumathteth]

Dd did this exact thing when she was that age a couple of times and couldn't weight bear at all. She ended up at a&e both times to check for infection in her joint. It turned out to be irritable hip and a viral infection and even now she's 11 sometimes when she's unwell she complains of sore hips.

I wouldn't go to a&e at the drop of a hat but I think in this instance you were right.

Also, are you getting support for everything you've been through? Sorry if you've already said. I hope you have someone to talk to and if not my inbox is open.

[mulberrybag5]

You were totally right to go to a&e. The inability to access medical advice outside 8-6 Monday to Friday is putting pressure on A&e. That isn’t down to mums and babies.

[Staffy1]

@theremustonlybeone

I was at a and e a few months a go with a 6yr old with a large bleeding gash on his foot that i knew needed stitches. He was in a state of distress and we turned up to a and e mobbed with kids with colds. My DS had to wait for 5 hrs to be finally stitched up afer xray which was truly traumatic, I heard a senior nurse say that most of these kids dont need to be here. One parent said he could bring his kid back tomorrow,

As for you- no I wouldnt have take to a & e for a blood test t was not an emergency. If you were concerned about cancer then a & e is completely inappropriate. It can take weeks for a diagnosis. So if worried you should have gone back to your GP

Actually, A&E can do blood tests there and then and blood tests don’t usually take weeks to get results. I have had results updated the same day I had the test once. And how do you know it isn’t an emergency before going when you read the OPs mums experience, have symptoms that could very possibly be the same condition and know it could run in the family? If so many posters want to take that chance with their own children - fine, but the OP did nothing wrong in taking her child to A&E.

[Staffy1]

Also had blood test results within hours in A&E.

[TisTheSeasonToBe]

@whyiscakesodelicious

You are NOT unreasonable. If I was worried about my DC I would take them without hesitation. It's better to be safe than sorry OP. I pay my 12% NI contribution so am fully entitled to take my child if I suspect something not quite right. You did the right thing. You put your child first above all else

What a ridiculous comment!!
So if someone doesn’t pay any national insurance they aren’t entitled to the same level of care

Maybe they should just curl up and suffer i silence because you know they haven’t paid in. I for one am glad it doesn’t work that way.


And that 12% doesn’t touch the sides of healthcare funding and NI is not completely ring-fenced for healthcare.

[LynetteScavo]

He may have been busy but endless buck passing helps no one.

Exactly!

The OP didn't do anything wrong

No she didn't - I took my DC when they were a similar age to the walk in center for something I thought was minor - we were immediately sent to the A&E in the next city for bloods to be taken to see if she had cancer. We left the same day, knowing she didn't and later saw a specialist who explained what she did have, which was nothing major to worry about and and something she just has to live with. Knowing this has saved much worry and many trips to A&E over the years.

Dealing with something properly in the first place saves much time and expense all round.

Hope your DC is feeling better soon OP, and hopefully after they have the blood test you can relax.