Apologies
to all the nice people I haven't written back to... Going to the
hosp now to get looked at properly.
Edited when I got home:
Thank you thank you honeybee and Deunan. That was a complete waste of time and money. It wasn't A&E, which might have been more interesting, and done a bit more; it was the out-of-hours GP service.
I was stuck to the loo from Thursday morning till Sunday - tedious - but thank goodness that's all stopped now. About 24 hours ago I got rib-ache, which I thought was hunger. I crawled out of bed to eat. Didn't make any difference. It's not hunger. It's a cannonball lodged inside my ribcage.
So today I tried to get an appointment with my GP. I can see him in the morning if I can get out before 10am - not always easy if you've had a rotten night - and all the afternoon appointments had gone.
I rang NHS Direct to see if they had any ideas. NHS Direct was conceived to take some of the burden off A&E departments and GPs. The woman who answered the phone put me straight through to a nurse. Ideas? Not really... but ring us again if it gets worse or anything changes. What changed was Jonathan reading about pancreatitis and becoming a proxy hypochondriac.
So I rang again and was told that, as I'd rung more than six hours earlier, this counted as a fresh call. This time I was promised a call from a nurse "well within" an hour, and I waited an hour and a half. Interesting, that 2.30 to 8pm is more than six hours? The nurse laughed and said she just wanted to ask me a "few" questions. That means my entire medical history, what pills I take, and all the "just for security" questions. As I've spoken to two receptionists and two nurses, this is the fourth time I've answered the same questions today.
In the end, she said she wanted me to see a doctor in the next two hours. Ooh! She would find a doctor in my area and get them to contact me. I got a call asking me to come in and see them in the hospital. Would it be a good idea to pack an overnight bag? "Oh yes, very good idea. Always good to be prepared." The cab is here in five minutes, and the driver forgets he's in the Bedford one-way system, and thinks he a Formula 1 driver, so my cannonball is clanging around inside me like a demolition ball.
I'm called straight in, but it's a nurse, not a doctor, and she Just Needs To Ask Me A Few Questions. Name, rank, number, medical history, meds, address... I lie on a couch while she feels my belly and I wince. After nearly half an hour, she's ready to call a GP in. He feels my belly and I wince some more. He tells me to see my GP tomorrow. They will fax the surgery at 9am to tell them I've been to the out-of-hours service, and that may make them more amenable to giving me a same-day appointment. Cab takes me home. I've been out of the house for an hour and spent about £13 and am no better off than if I'd stayed at home - except Jonathan says it's reassuring.
Sorry this was a load of drivel but that's what it felt like!
Edited Wed lunchtime
Still a bit tender when I was in bed this morning but less so as I was sitting up or standing. I rang the surgery this morning to see my GP before 10.15, and managed to get there with five minutes to spare. Had they had a fax from the hospital about me? "Er... dunno... I'll look."
I hadn't realised how like a beachball I looked yesterday, till today now it's gone down two or three inches. He started feeling it, I said it's OK, it's all fat, and he said no, there's a lot of air in there. He doesn't think it's pancreatitis, it might be something to do with my liver, but it sounds like I might have had a "sub-acute" obstruction which has sorted itself out. I think that just means a temporary obstruction. "I'm going to send you off for more blood tests."
Across the road to the supermarket, mostly fruit and veg and a load of Sacla pasta sauces at a third off - best way to buy them - and off to the hospital. Go to the blood testing dept, tell them they can stick a pin in me and I'll go flying round the room.
Home, reassure son (good), eat (nice), relax. I am getting my money's worth out of the NHS but I'd be just as happy not to.
Edited when I got home:
Thank you thank you honeybee and Deunan. That was a complete waste of time and money. It wasn't A&E, which might have been more interesting, and done a bit more; it was the out-of-hours GP service.
I was stuck to the loo from Thursday morning till Sunday - tedious - but thank goodness that's all stopped now. About 24 hours ago I got rib-ache, which I thought was hunger. I crawled out of bed to eat. Didn't make any difference. It's not hunger. It's a cannonball lodged inside my ribcage.
So today I tried to get an appointment with my GP. I can see him in the morning if I can get out before 10am - not always easy if you've had a rotten night - and all the afternoon appointments had gone.
I rang NHS Direct to see if they had any ideas. NHS Direct was conceived to take some of the burden off A&E departments and GPs. The woman who answered the phone put me straight through to a nurse. Ideas? Not really... but ring us again if it gets worse or anything changes. What changed was Jonathan reading about pancreatitis and becoming a proxy hypochondriac.
So I rang again and was told that, as I'd rung more than six hours earlier, this counted as a fresh call. This time I was promised a call from a nurse "well within" an hour, and I waited an hour and a half. Interesting, that 2.30 to 8pm is more than six hours? The nurse laughed and said she just wanted to ask me a "few" questions. That means my entire medical history, what pills I take, and all the "just for security" questions. As I've spoken to two receptionists and two nurses, this is the fourth time I've answered the same questions today.
In the end, she said she wanted me to see a doctor in the next two hours. Ooh! She would find a doctor in my area and get them to contact me. I got a call asking me to come in and see them in the hospital. Would it be a good idea to pack an overnight bag? "Oh yes, very good idea. Always good to be prepared." The cab is here in five minutes, and the driver forgets he's in the Bedford one-way system, and thinks he a Formula 1 driver, so my cannonball is clanging around inside me like a demolition ball.
I'm called straight in, but it's a nurse, not a doctor, and she Just Needs To Ask Me A Few Questions. Name, rank, number, medical history, meds, address... I lie on a couch while she feels my belly and I wince. After nearly half an hour, she's ready to call a GP in. He feels my belly and I wince some more. He tells me to see my GP tomorrow. They will fax the surgery at 9am to tell them I've been to the out-of-hours service, and that may make them more amenable to giving me a same-day appointment. Cab takes me home. I've been out of the house for an hour and spent about £13 and am no better off than if I'd stayed at home - except Jonathan says it's reassuring.
Sorry this was a load of drivel but that's what it felt like!
Edited Wed lunchtime
Still a bit tender when I was in bed this morning but less so as I was sitting up or standing. I rang the surgery this morning to see my GP before 10.15, and managed to get there with five minutes to spare. Had they had a fax from the hospital about me? "Er... dunno... I'll look."
I hadn't realised how like a beachball I looked yesterday, till today now it's gone down two or three inches. He started feeling it, I said it's OK, it's all fat, and he said no, there's a lot of air in there. He doesn't think it's pancreatitis, it might be something to do with my liver, but it sounds like I might have had a "sub-acute" obstruction which has sorted itself out. I think that just means a temporary obstruction. "I'm going to send you off for more blood tests."
Across the road to the supermarket, mostly fruit and veg and a load of Sacla pasta sauces at a third off - best way to buy them - and off to the hospital. Go to the blood testing dept, tell them they can stick a pin in me and I'll go flying round the room.
Home, reassure son (good), eat (nice), relax. I am getting my money's worth out of the NHS but I'd be just as happy not to.
35 Comments:
Lesley, don't leave us worrying like this. I hope you are all right. Please let us know. Hurry home. judy
By honeybee4, Sep 22 09 4:13 PM
What honeybee said....
By Deunan, Sep 22 09 4:30 PM
Does it hurt where your spleen is "supposed" to be. It sounds like what my husband had in I think it was May. He was in terrible pain, sweating and moaning. We took him to the emergency room and they gave him a shot of morphine and an IV. They tested his heart and took blood for tests. I kept telling them that he had eaten peppers the night before and he had to go to emergency for that two years before. They didn't listen to me. After 5 hours in there,they couldn't find anything wrong with him and said it was probably gastritis caused from the peppers. They gave him some kind of cocktail to coat his stomach lining and he was fine after that.
By honeybee4, Sep 22 09 6:49 PM
When you are better, return to the place you were at and give them all a swift kick in the (insert place Lesley wishes) repeatedly.
I hope you are better soon. Please keep us posted if you are able to do so.
By Deunan, Sep 22 09 6:52 PM
Do you still have your gallbladder? Ask your GP if it could have been acute pancreatitis caused by gallstones... been there, done that, have it out!
Hope you feel better soon. :)
By flopsymopsy, Sep 22 09 8:21 PM
I'm with flopsy, here. It does sound like a gall thing. Could be a hernia, I suppose...Didn't you JUST have a complete 'work-up' with the spleen problem?
It's like a car, really. Things go wrong. Sometimes it takes a few tries, to sort it.
Please keep us posted. I feel like I've missed something. I'll look... :)
By veronikkamarrz, Sep 22 09 9:30 PM
Top of the morning to you all! I do feel like kicking some of them. Like the very young nurse at the hospital who said "Oh, bless you" when I told her it was the fifth time I'd been asked for all this information today, and introduced the GP and me as "this is Lesley" and "this is Dr N~~~." Wrong! Ah well - better things to think about than a nurse who doesn't know how to talk to people.
And the whole system for reverting to the ancient "take two aspirins and call me again in the morning" that they were famous for forty years ago.
Gastritis, gallstones... thank you all for the support and the suggestions. Probably just hunger. I hope.
By lesley153, Sep 23 09 3:27 AM
Lesley hope things are improving am been worried about you, hope they can sort it out
Gary
By Professer, Sep 23 09 6:08 AM
Sorry, Gary - please don't - it just seems to be one damn thing on top of another at the moment, nothing important. Just a nuisance.
(((((())))))
By lesley153, Sep 23 09 7:15 AM
I am sorry to learn you've been unwell and had to endure such a frustrating and wretched time at hospital.
I often wish I could go to the veterinarian, he'd be more help. (He's polite, too.)
I hope the visit to the GP provides some answers.
By tobyone, Sep 23 09 7:24 AM
Lesley i always care for friends wether they are on line friends or friends who live near by. With you not being well i will worry to you are alright again.
{{{}}}
By Professer, Sep 23 09 7:36 AM
Thank you both. I feel ten times better for eating - ooh - and a good night's sleep. I slept for eight hours! O deep joy! I haven't done that since April.
The vet sounds very tempting...
By lesley153, Sep 23 09 8:11 AM
Oh boy, you've also had enough of travelling so they get you doing a whistle stop tour of consulting rooms, oy! I hope it beats them and goes away before they can get busy with the scans etc.
By satguru, Sep 23 09 10:20 AM
Wow I never thought of that! Perhaps that dreadful woman has put a hex on me. If I'm not interested in globetrotting like her, then I am condemned to spending the rest of my life phoning NHS Direct and waiting for appointments. Sigh.
By lesley153, Sep 23 09 11:06 AM
No such things as hex's Lesley, I find when I have a problem health wise i get 3 or 4 at once,My GP practice has a ideal soloution these days if you ring earlier enough you can get a specific doctor to phone you back.
By Professer, Sep 23 09 11:59 AM
*careful hugs*
Oh Lesley - poor you! :(
Nothing worse than being referred onto 'someone else' - you'd think after all the study etc medical staff are supposed to do if they couldn't diagnose the problem that 10 seconds they would at least have some intuitive 'feel' for a solution to relieve the discomfort!
Grrr.....doctors!
I hope you're feeling better today and much more comfortable.
Nice to see you haven't lost your sense of humour....
*visions of Lesley swooshing around like a deflating beach ball with a pin hole*
By MarchHare007, Sep 23 09 7:04 PM
Gary, you're right - one bit of me drops off, you can bet it'll be followed by two or three more! Love the phone system.
Thanks, MH - all hugs welcome. You'd hope so, but all they want to do is "do no harm" and get you off the premises. But yes thank you, today I am almost back to normal and, best of all, I can see my feet again.
The bloods people did say they were worried about getting me back down off the ceiling. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmDZWDHrBPE&feature
By lesley153, Sep 23 09 7:31 PM
Do you have another appointment? Is there a doctor that is just your doctor, what does she think. Lesley you are in our thoughts. Many hugs to you.
By garrysouders, Sep 24 09 6:11 AM
Yes - with my GP at about five on Tuesday afternoon, to see what the blood tests said.
(He said come back in a week but he's out on Wednesday doing some clinic which apparently means things like freezing warts off. Delightful way to spend a few hours.)
I can't wait to find out. :)
(((((()))))) to everyone!
By lesley153, Sep 24 09 7:04 AM
Hope your feeling better today Lesley, I think i am going out in sympathy with terrible stomach ache today as well as hands hurting
heres a big hug from me to show how much i care
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{ }}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
By Professer, Sep 24 09 12:02 PM
Wow - Gary, that's one of the biggest hugs I've ever had! I like it!
((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))
I do hope yours goes away quickly, and I wish there was something you could do about your hands. Doesn't anyone have any ideas how to control the pain?
By lesley153, Sep 24 09 4:44 PM
Stomach cramps already gone thankfully.
The pain in hands is hampered by what medication i can have as a severe asthmatic i am limited to some medications, as it is arthritis i cannot take anti inflammatories Lesley so that hinders things i am atthe moment using voltoral cream and co codammol, yet there has been things in press lately about that so trying to cut back. Pain is not so bad today at this time.
I hope your feeling a lot better yourself and that you have a good weekend.
By Professer, Sep 25 09 5:29 AM
I'm glad yours have gone - mine are fading. My cannonball is the size of an orange - I can cope with that!
That's strong stuff. I think all pain-killers can turn round and bite you. Does cod liver oil do anything for you? that's an anti-inflammatory that shouldn't react with anything, except it's a million calories a spoonful. But delicious!
I'm glad you're having an easier day today, and hope they just get easier. happy weekend to you too! (((((())))))
By lesley153, Sep 25 09 5:58 AM
I have never tried cod liver oil, but will do so, maybe it will help my old stiff fingers.
By garrysouders, Sep 25 09 6:43 AM
Good news:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-543968/Cod-liver-oil-cuts-arthritis-pain-effects-painkillers.html
Caution:
http://www.essortment.com/lifestyle/possiblesideef_slyf.htm
Perhaps the answer is to take fish oil or fish liver oil supplements awarely and judiciously, and step up our intake of oily fish. Sardine sandwich, anyone?
By lesley153, Sep 25 09 8:06 AM
<<<>>
Lesley, I'm so sorry (and angry) that they put you through the wringer like that! When you're in pain, the last thing you want to do is relate the same details over and over again! I'm glad to hear you're able to eat and are getting lots of rest. Please keep us posted!
By bionic4ever, Sep 25 09 9:27 AM
Thanks, Beth, it does get frustrating, specially when you know that you wouldn't have had to do it on two of the first three occasions if people actually spoke to each other, and if they hadn't decided that half-past two till eight was more than six hours. Perhaps they do it to put off the scary moment when they are actually required to start thinking.
I'm doing really well, thank you. The demolition ball is so small now I can easily hold it in one hand, and it's hardly clanging at all. And food's going down a treat!
If I ever think out loud about ringing NHS Direct again, please will somebody have me committed?
By lesley153, Sep 25 09 5:11 PM
Just noticed all this, hope you feel okay until you next see the GP for results.
I wouldn't waste time with NHS direct for complex matters like this, phone your out of hours GP right away or during surgery opening hours another tip (if things are serious) is to try threatening to call out the doctor - they often miraculously spring an appointment out of nowhere for you.
If it makes you feel any better about the system, NHS direct is good at clearing up the simple things that the public were wasting GP, nurses, A&E time with :) It is by no means perfect.
By nasty_liar, Sep 25 09 5:39 PM
Thanks, NL, I hope so too!
I do appreciate its virtues, including basic information and online checklists. The GP system isn't perfect either - it stands or falls by its receptionists, often falls, but some receptionists have always had strange ideas about the importance of their role, and are rarely as clever as you'd hope, or as they like to think they are.
The best one I can recall was the bright young(ish) thing who was on duty when I rang for a house call. She was married to a bank manager and told me that she didn't get any help with her sons' school fees because her husband earnt faaaar to much for them to qualify! How super for her! And she drove her colleagues up the wall with her self-absorbed wittering, because a broken fingernail was a crisis and a broken dishwasher was the end of the world.
I rang her one morning after my husband asked me to take J to school by myself, and get him some Gaviscon on the way back, because he'd been awake with indigestion for the last eight hours. No, I didn't buy that, but I knew if I called an ambulance he would panic. The neighbours took J to school and I called the GP.
"I'd like a house call because he says he's had indigestion all night" - hoping that she would have the intelligence to understand the significance. Nope.
"Oh Lesley! You can't really expect a house call for someone who's got indigestion! Can't he come in?"
"I didn't say he had indigestion. I said that's what he's telling me." No, deaf ears.
Thank goodness there's some rule about telling the GP when someone has asked for a house call and hasn't made it in. He appeared on the doorstep at midday and immediately called an ambulance.
I saw her a few tines after that and she never referred to the incident. She'd probably forgotten all about it - except how demanding and unreasonable I was!
Thanks for the tip but I don't think they do house calls any more. I shall have to check.
By lesley153, Sep 25 09 9:35 PM
Oh they do most definitely. And yes you often have to navigate the guard dog that is the receptionist!
By nasty_liar, Sep 26 09 5:11 AM
I remember the guard dog 40-odd years ago wandering round the waiting room asking people what was wrong with them. They wouldn't do that now - they're all stuck behind bullet-proof glass.
Twenty years ago, a new and frightened guard dog said there were no more appointments for my son with earache; could I bring him back in the morning. She was frightened of the practice manager if she said yes to too many people. She had more cause to be frightened of me. You don't say "wait" to a small child with earache. She found an emergency slot and put him in. Yay miracles.
A couple of years ago. I got a bite on my ankle, which felt after a day as though it had a knife where the bone should be. My GP wasn't in that afternoon and the receptionist said come back tomorrow because the other member of the practice had refused to see me. She got the answer in less than a minute, so I doubted she'd even bothered to ask - more likely held the phone and counted to fifty - but you can't prove a thing if you're not there to watch. Jonathan drove me straight to A&E who said I had cellulitis and sent me home with a shedload of antibiotics. Ouch. Ah well. Win some, lose some.
By lesley153, Sep 26 09 8:23 AM
I so remember the guard dog at our Surgery Joyce was a vicious guard dog but since she has retired i can see clearly what a great job she did. Not only protecting the Doctors but helping the patients. Since she retired things are far worse the incompetance is unbelievable eg please ring at 8.15 for a appt on the day by 8.20 all appts seemingly gone until you say ok i'll go to A & E.
I am hoping Lesley that you are now fully recovered as i do worry for my friends. And do not let the barstewards grind you down,
{{{{{{{{{{{}}}}}}}}}
Gary
By Professer, Sep 27 09 5:41 AM
Do you suppose that that's a comfort to Joyce, knowing that she's appreciated - now she's gone?
It's good to know that threatening call-outs or going to A&E will make these people do their job properly, but how sad that it takes threats.
Thank you, Gary, I think I'm back to normal, which is a great relief - and I am virtually ungrindable.
((((((((()))))))))
By lesley153, Sep 28 09 7:10 AM
No updates in a couple of days. Are you okay, Lesley?
By bionic4ever, Sep 30 09 4:45 PM
Yes thank you, Beth - sorry - I'll do one in a second! :D
(((((())))))
By lesley153, Sep 30 09 4:47 PM