BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Micca
Date: 22 Mar 07 - 06:32 PM

I saw Gizmo this afternoon and she is mobile but Very slow , she seemed cheerful and mending but recognizes that it is a slow and painful process, and sends thanks to all for their support, and especially to the person whose gift was the reason for my visit.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Leadfingers
Date: 17 Mar 07 - 08:19 AM

Glad you've got sorted Nicci ! Take it easy for as long as it takes !

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Bobert
Date: 17 Mar 07 - 07:25 AM

Didn't I tell you it was yer apendix, Gizzie???

Awww, jus' funnin'... But now that yer un-apendixed next time it will by IBS...

Glad yer on the mend an' sorry yer outta the dance club fir now...

BTW, did they let ya' keep the apendix, you know, like in a jar or somethin' to show yer kids???

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: jacqui.c
Date: 17 Mar 07 - 06:24 AM

So glad to see you posting again Gizmo. Take care of yourself.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Wordsmith
Date: 17 Mar 07 - 12:15 AM

I've been absent a while, but am glad to hear the resolution of this situation. What an ordeal. So happy to learn that you survived it with flying colors despite the obstacles you faced. You did stand up to the disbelieving doctors. It's often said that these days a patient must be his/her own advocate. What a shame. Personally, I miss the Marcus Welby, M.D. days. (For those of you outside of the U.S., it was a medical drama in which the doctors went out of their way to deliver premium patient care.)
When I was younger, doctors got to know their patients and their families. Because you usually had the same physician for most of your or their life, changes were noticed...notes were better kept...things were more caringly done. Now, you barely know the person who's treating you or vice versa. Progress, indeed?
On a brighter note, in my area, there is now a young doctor who is making house calls. He's done so well, that he's expanding his territory and even considering franchising his business. He seems like a nice guy on paper...there was a news article on him. I hope it catches on.

At any rate, Gizmo, make sure you write all of this down, for future reference, and in case you decide to litigate. Really, when you're better enough to come back to Mudcat, all you'd have to do is copy and paste? And then stick on a floppy or whatever. I almost forgot to mention that in one sense, you're lucky that they spelled out the adverse possibilities of surgery...many gloss them over, however, in your case, it almost sounds as if they were trying to discourage you from proceeding. I applaud you for standing up to them despite your decided disadvantage and debilitation. You shouldn't have had to do that...imagine, as I'm sure you have, what would have happened if you'd have taken that one doctor's advice to come back in 8 weeks? (And, thankfully, you had that one anesthesiologist to calm your fears somewhat.)
Still, you are better. Thank heavens! Best wishes for a speedy recovery! ;D

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: SINSULL
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 09:19 PM

Rest. The worst is over.

Bert - go stand in the corner.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Bert
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 09:17 PM

...but can not do any Morris dancing for at least 3 months...

At least there is a positive side to this.. *HEE HEE*

When you get back on your feet, don't be afraid to go back in there and give them some (a lot of) shit.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 09:07 PM

wot an epic.

rest, get well & dance again when it is time

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Tootler
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 06:51 PM

I am glad they have finally identified your problem and dealt with it. Get well soon, but be careful not to overdo things for a while. You don't want to scupper your recovery by causing damage to the healing tissue.

The next day, the same doctor put the wind up me by saying everything bad that could happen during the surgery, and do I still want to go ahead with it?

They have to do that. I recently found my consent form for my operation and it listed the possible consequences as you described, including potentially fatal ones.

All surgery carries risks. However, for most people everything works out fine.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: bobad
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 04:17 PM

The practice of medicine is not always black and white, there are often grey areas and this appears to have been one of them.

The diagnosis of many conditions, appendicitis being one, is made by an evaluation of symptoms which USUALLY but not always follow classic patterns; distribution of pain, elevated white blood cell count, elevated temperature etc. When someone presents with atypical symptoms all other possible diagnoses must be ruled out before proceeding, a surgeon will not open someone up just to have a look around to see if he can find something abnormal.

To me it appears that proper procedure was followed in this case. Sometimes it is detrimental to be too healthy in a situation such as this where a vigorous constitution and measurable parameters which lie outside of the normal ranges can mask symptoms and make a diagnosis difficult.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 03:58 PM

Get a lawyer.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: ranger1
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 03:25 PM

Glad to hear you're home and better, Gizmo. Still sending good thoughts your way for quick healing.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Gizmo
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 03:22 PM

Thanks all for your kind thoughts and well wishes. I came home yesterday, 9 days from admission in hospital, and 13 from the first A&E doctor I saw.

My appendix came out after the doctors and my consultant, very reluctantly decided to do a laproscopy. On the Monday, bearing in mind I could not keep anything down and was in so much pain even the strongest painkillers wore off after an hour, the Doc wanted me to go home and come back to his clinic in 8 weeks. I said that I couldn't cope with the pain, and that how am I supposed to look after my kids. He asked if I was with a partner, in a relationship have a husband etc who could help - I replied no to all of the questions.He sent me down to have an internal trans vaginal scan, and was not even hopeful himself that it was a cyst on the ovary. The scan showed up clear, and at least I know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with my ovaries, womb or IUD at this point in time, everything is as it should be.
   The next day, the same doctor put the wind up me by saying everything bad that could happen during the surgery, and do I still want to go ahead with it? I replied - as long as you find out what is causing the pain,yes! to which he said, we might not find out what is casusing the pain. He then said, if it turns out that your appendix is fine I will tell you off - to which I replied, if it's not that causing the pain and the sickness, you will have to find out what is. He said the sickness was caused by the painkillers. NOTE, the sickness disappeared after the operation, and I am still on the same painkillers.
   When I was wheeled into the anaesthetic room, I was in tears, because of the fear of the operation risks the doctors had mentioned earlier, and exhaution and the pain was getting to me. When the kind anaesthetic doctors asked what was wrong and tried to put me at ease, all I could do was reply that I was scared of going through this operation (laproscopy) and they still do not know what is causing the pain. I then felt scared of dying despite doing a protection circle in my mind with the candles and hailing the quaters etc - I have a knack for visualisation, but unfortuantely a wild imagination hence the fear of the operation.
   My mum popped into the ward when I had been wheeled back up, and she went to the nurse to ask what had happened during the operation. They informed her that they removed my appendix because it was not good and slightly inflamed.

The consultant and his team of doctors were shamed and didn't stay near me very long when they came to check up on me the next morning. One even tried to cover it up by saying, that my appendix wasn't that bad and was negligable whether it was swollen - so why did they take it out if it wasn't that bad? They said they wouldn't.The notes contradict what she says.

The problem occured, because, although typically I was not keeping anything down, and was in gripping pain despite pain killers, my temperature did not rise too high and neither did my white cell count. I'm surprised they didn't bite the bullet to find out why this was - but there you go. My body has always reacted differently to how it should. My normal temperature is 36, so at 37.5 which should be normal, is high for me, same as blood pressure, my average is 99/66-68 the lower number at 78 is high for me personally, but normal for most.In hospital my rates were at the higher end of normal, which they didn't accept was high for me.
I also always have red cheeks - I do not pale. I will be very ill, and have a rosy face which belies the truth. My mum and daughter are the same, we look well even when we are ill.

One of the junior doctors on the team, who often disagreed but had no say with his seniors, informed me that if I was left another week, the appendix most likely would have burst! - Scary thought.

I'm glad it's all over now, but can not do any Morris dancing for at least 3 months, as they pierced my abdomen in 3 places and doing nothing in hospital for so long has wasted my muscles abit, which will now take more time to rebuild than had I been scanned and sorted within a few days of being admitted.

I'm still tired and worn out, but glad to be home again!

Once again for all your thoughts, but I may not be on here for a while, until sitting up on a chair is more comfy than what it is now.

Nicci.

ps - I wish I laid a bet with Bobert now!Maybe he could donate it to mudcat instead? hehe

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Scrump
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 09:54 AM

Get well soon, and...

...100! :-)

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Flash Company
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 04:07 AM

Praise be that everything appears to be over for you, Gizmo! Speedy recovery is what is needed now.
It may be painful to laugh still, but I went down to our local Garden Centre yesterday and saw an appeal notice 'Has anyone seen this dog?' Jack Russell! Answers to Gizmo! Go to it Giz, bite their ankles!

Brian Q

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: alison
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 05:52 PM

I'm glad they have finally done what they should have done at the beginning.

best wishes for a speedy recovery

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: danensis
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 04:30 PM

So if they'd whipped out the appendix on the first day, just in case, and it had been an ectopic pregnancy, many patients would be sueing for the unnecessary operation, disfiguring scar, trauma, distress, etc, etc.
Already too much of the bureacracy about which the tabloids whinge is record keeping 'just in case' someone decides to sue, and every decision has to be justified.

Granted there has to be some form of control, and no-one wants a return to the "good old days" when doctors closed ranks every time an error was made (I myself have suffered for 50 years because a surgeon wanted to make a name for himself my operating when all the advice was to leave things alone) but I think the american model of ambulance chasing lawyers is not the way to go.

John

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Schantieman
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 05:38 PM

I've been lurking on this thread since it began and I'm glad to see that Gizmo is on the mend.

Not all that many years ago (20 maybe?) if someone turned up at hospital in that state they'd've whipped out the appendix the same day. No scans, no laparoscopy, no delay and far less expense. That's progress, I s'pose.

I do hope there are no complications and Gizmo has a rapid and complete recovery.   But don't let them get away with it.   And maybe the compensation should be spent on another doctor?

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Hollowfox
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 01:04 PM

Whew, finally! Get well soon, now that the cause of the problem is taken care of. I'm just glad that the adventure didn't kill you!

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: billybob
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 12:16 PM

Get well soon, what a dreadful experience!Get complaining as soon as poss!

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 07:29 AM

how many days? how much pain?

certainly a reason to give her opinion/make a complaint to authorities.

wishing you a speedy & comfortable recovery

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 05:10 AM

Gizmo has just texted me to let us all know that after all the tests for cysts on her ovaries the doctors finally and reluctantly operated yesterday to remove her inflamed appendix. She is comfortable and in good spirits. I hope Gizmo can now rest and heal well and be home with her children soon.

I also hope that she is going to file a complaint about the way she ahs been treated. The appendix could have been removed last week when she was first admitted to hospital.

Get well soon Nicci and rest well

See you soon

Love Khatt, Paul and bump xxx

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 01:44 PM

A couple in our parish moved here from the UK, in part I believe for the "better" health care. They're moving back, later this month, for "better" health care.

In either country, one has to learn how the system works and how to work the system. In either country, those efforts usually go better with some helpful support from friends and family. In either country, who you have as your primary care doc (and how they work the system) makes a world of difference.

But the whole health systems in the US and the UK are different. Each one has strengths and weaknesses. In the US I was, for a time, on a gummint medical card; so I know first-hand how bad any subsidized medical care can be. But to judge either system by the standards and learnings from one's own country's system is likely to be as off-base as the misunderstandings US and UK Mudcatters tend to keep running into over music (and so much else).

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Bill D
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 12:50 PM

Giok is 'mostly' right about US hospitals, though there are plenty of under-staffed, barely competent ones here too. The fact is, it is WAY too easy to cut corners and use 'busy' as an excuse for negligence.
The whole POINT of tests and triage is to determine which problems are real emergencies, and it should not require such waiting to learn the minimal.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 11:50 AM

Well my vet's never misses the chance to inflate a bill.

But here in North Kent the choice of hospitals is Darenth Valley (know as "Death Valley") and Medway Maritime (known as "Medway Murdertime" where the admin staff wear badges sayng "in case of emergency, DO NOT ADMIT TO MEDWAY MARITIME HOSPITAL).

Medway Murdertime has just done its level best to give my mother (who is 96) gangrene.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 04:49 AM

The one good thing about US medicine is that the constant fear of litigation, sharpens up the speed and accuracy of diagnosis.
It sounds like Nicci is receiving worse service than my dog Mattie gets at our vets. Still I suppose we're back to the 'You get what you pay for' scenario.
Hope you're better soon Nicci.
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 03:21 AM

It certainly makes you think about which hospital you go to if you have a choice in the matter. I've been admitted to hospital twice in the past week and have had a completely different experience.

I'll try and give Gizmo a call later today and see how's she's doing although I might not get chance to post until tomorrow.

The doctors must have ruled out a ruptured appendix, but it might be a grumbling appendix or a rotten appendix. There is a family history of a rotten appendix and from what Gizmo has said when I spoke to her it does sound pretty similar. I just hope they find out what the problem is and how to fix it soon so she can start to feel better.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Tootler
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 06:31 PM

I agree with Becca. After I was diagnosed with bowel cancer last year, they sent me for an ultrasound scan, among other things. After the ultrasound scan was complete, the doctor conducting the scan said that he could not see anything there. I knew it was there, however, having seen the tumour on the screen when they did the endoscopy that picked it up in the first place.

At the time I took it that the tumour had not spread through the bowel wall which in the end proved to be the case. Before my operation to remove the tumour, although the surgeon seemed fairly convinced that he would be able to remove the tumour completely, he was still cagey as there was no knowing for certain what he would find until I had been opened up. As it happened, the result was a good one and they were able to completely remove the tumour, so I felt I had been relatively lucky.

Nevertheless, diagnosis is, has been said earlier, often a matter of trial and error and has to proceed by a process of elimination. I have known people who have been in and out of hospital over quite lengthy periods because the medics were have difficulty pinning down exactly what was wrong. I think we have to trust that they are doing their best and hope that they eventually track down the problem and are able to deal with it.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Becca72
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 06:01 PM

"A CAT Scan or MRI plus ultrasound would definitely be definitive in a case like this"

Sadly, this is not an accurate statement. There are many times when these tests are not definitive. Each patient can present with varying degrees of symptoms and there are some people whose symptoms are completely atypical for the diagnosis...But 2 weeks wait is outrageous in any case.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 04:45 PM

Rabbi - that's the sickening thing... it is one of the largest hospitals in south-east London/Woolwich. To hear that there is a 2 week wait for a surgery is beyond being funny, add to that the initial response of an ER doctor to go away and get a GP to request a scan and the whole thing starts to look like more than just cautious diagnosics.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 12:52 PM

A CAT Scan or MRI plus ultrasound would definitely be definitive in a case like this. Does this rural hospital even have any of this modern day equipment or are they still in the 19th century? Based upon the symptoms as described above by both, the patient herself and others on this thread we could be possibly dealing with a critical life threatening situation. The more time that elapses due to bureaucratic bungling and inaction the poorer the prognosis will be for the patient.
                                             SOL

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Bee
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 10:05 AM

Those of you laying blame on the medical personnel and the health care system might consider that doing exploratory surgeries without knowing at least what you might be looking for is dangerous, and not done lightly. I'm sure blood tests have indicated the degree of infection, if there is any, and although she is unfortunately in pain, it would do her no good to also have to go through an un-needed surgical procedure. MRIs and CAT scans and X-rays are all good for different kinds of diagnoses, but perhaps none are useful in this case. Second guessing doctors is a popular passtime, especially before diagnoses are made, but isn't very helpful. Sometimes it just really does take time to figure out what a person's internal distress stems from.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 09:26 AM

Giz is in the hospital which, many years ago, my troglodyte sister did her training in... I can't say it sounds like it's improved much.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: alison
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 05:18 AM

2 weeks wait is ridiculous - in the mean time ruptured appendix, peritonitis etc.......

I assume if they had diagnosed acute appendicitis the first day it would have been operated on, or do they have to wait for emergency surgery too?

I thought the NHS was supposed to be improving .........

good thoughts, hugs and prayers from here to, no one should have to put up with this sort of incompetence.

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 04:25 AM

Yes, experience has taught me that the waiting in a state of uninformed anticipation is the worst. Once a disease or an illness has a name, then you can work out how to treat it... it's the waiting that rips people apart.

Good thoughts and prayers going up here.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 03:05 AM

Apparently there is a 2 weeks waiting list for the keyhole surgery. I just can't belive the way she is being treated in this hospital. She did say the nursing staff were absolutely wonderful and she couldn't fault them, but it doesn't excuse the doctors themselves. I hope she gets a positive outcome today and she will finally know what the problem is. I think the worse bit is not knowing.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Wordsmith
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 01:29 AM

This thread is incredible. What a sad state of medicine, and it could happen anywhere these days. Blood work, u/a, ultrasounds...all could've been done on the very first day. I'll admit I'm not familiar with NHS, but really. Abdominal scan next. Laparoscopy, or laparotomy, as suggested. Upper and lower GI series with and without contrast. Why make this poor woman, or anyone for that matter, continue to suffer? As was said by someone earlier, medicine is really a guessing game...simply and nonjudmentally, it is a process of elimination as well as trial-and-error. This mainly sounds like error. There have been many good suggestions, especially the ones about bringing someone with you, and also writing down one's symptoms and degrees/classification of pain. I really liked the one about throwing up on the doctor! I did worry about dehydration when I realized how many days went by. I'm still worried. My thoughts and hopes are for a good outcome.

Some people, btw, don't register pain the same as others, which makes doctors not believe them when they say their pain is excruciating, because it doesn't appear on their faces.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: alison
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 12:16 AM

I can't help thinking, why has it taken so long to do an ultrasound?
She has been a week in hospital why don't they do an exploratory laparoscopy (keyhole) - see whats going on in there?

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: mg
Date: 11 Mar 07 - 04:46 PM

I am thinking this is the medicine of the future...where communities go back to practicing medicine on each other..with mostly good results and some bad mistakes...especially with medical resources in short supply in some places. I remember when the internet was first really public..and a woman from China had a mysterious ailment they couldn't diagnose there..and people from all over the world were chiming in..and I think they saved her. mg

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 11 Mar 07 - 01:23 PM

Its not the IUD, I did ask when I spoke to her.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: mg
Date: 11 Mar 07 - 01:16 PM

I hope they take that IUD out just as a precaution. It might be part of the problem, might not...but it sounds suspicious. mg

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 11 Mar 07 - 01:02 PM

Nicci phoned me for a chat and a catch up today. She's in good spirits but in a terrible amount of pain. She is having an internal ultrasound tomorrow to check ovarian cysts. If that shows nothing then they will be thinking of something else. There's various chains of thought going on but no-one really knows and they are all contradicting themselves.

She still can't keep food down and is on a drip for fluids and pain relief. Tomorrow she will have been in a week and understandably is worried and missing her children. She did say to say thank you to everyone for all the good wishes and energy, she very much appreciates them.

Liz.....she has her mobile on her and it is now charged up!!.....

I'll post more when I hear from her again.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Mar 07 - 04:00 AM

I'm doing nothing, I'm just sitting here typing in the messages I get via a third party... I don't have her surname so I can't even phone the hospital to ask!!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Sorcha
Date: 10 Mar 07 - 06:57 PM

Thanks, Liz, for helping her out! She needed somebody!!

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 10 Mar 07 - 06:43 PM

I understand that they wanted to check out another diagnosis but I've not heard from her today, so I don't know how it went.

Thanks everyone, I'll make sure she sees this thread when she gets home.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Flash Company
Date: 10 Mar 07 - 11:40 AM

This does not sound good! Was surgery cancelled because they want to look at another diagnosis or because they discovered a hole in their budget?
Hope I'm wrong, the NHS does still produce a few good results, but I get more cynical as I get older.
(((((((Gizmo)))))))
(((((((Liz))))))) cos you've got troubles of your own.

Brian

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Desdemona
Date: 10 Mar 07 - 10:52 AM

As soon as I read the initial post I thought "appendicitis", and the only medical "expertise" I can claim comes from having 3 kids! What kind of imbecile must that initial examining MD have been? Any 12 year old knows that extreme pain on the lower right abdomen (esp with nausea, etc.) can be a sig of acute appendicitis; thank God it didn't rupture! My heart goes out to her for what she's suffered already; thankfully she's got help with the children, since she'll need to be taking things easy for awhile.

GRRRRR. Infuriating.

~D

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 10 Mar 07 - 03:58 AM

I wondered about her IUD having come adrift, and lodging somewhere critical.
G.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 10 Mar 07 - 03:56 AM

Latest report is that yesterdays surgery was cancelled and they're looking at another diagnosis.

She's in pain and not liking it, but hopefully she'll be sorted today (Saturday).

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 06:32 PM

I'm sure I remember posting ...

Gizmo, it was horrifying reading about your attempts to get medical help, this thread is a wonderful example of the Mudcat community in action. I'm so pleased you finally have a diagnosis & are getting the help you so obviously needed.

Years ago a friend went to the hospital with severe lower back pain. Altho she kept saying it was at the base of her spine, the Doctor would not check that far down & sent her home, telling her to take some common painkiller (asprin? paracetamol? I can't remember)

Next day her local doctor checked her properly & started treatment, includng physio. When she complained to the hospital all they could say (legally) was that the Doctor was abrupt & they therefore apologised for his manner. However they did give her free physio!

Liz, thanks for keeping us up to date.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 04:09 PM

Here in the USA the appendix is removed routinely with any symptoms at all. Doctors do not want to take any chances of Peritonitis developing, especially with the lawyers looking over their shoulder.
When caught early it is a relatively simple procedure which can be done under spinal or epidural without having to put the patient out.

                                                    SOL

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Tootler
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 03:56 PM

I'm glad to hear she is now being treated and I wish her a swift recovery.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 11:55 AM

Hope you've got her parents covere by that candle too... those kids are lovely but they can be a handful!


Incidentally, any chance you've been burning an @$$ reducing candle there? My trousers keep fallng down.


LTS

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Hollowfox
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 09:49 AM

Whew! Thanks for the update. The $#@-reduction candle series continues apace.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 08:22 AM

Apparently she's waiting for surgery this afternoon. Hopefully they'll whip the little sucker out and she'll be right as rain in a few weeks.

Will keep you posted.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 08:06 AM

blimey,

I was reading through this lot and had come to the point where I thought, there's seriously something wrong and sounded like appendicitis, or pancreatitis... Stomach pain is awful, and shouldn't be ignored.

I've had a grumbling appendix at 3 different times now and the pain nearly drove me insane. I didn't need the op, but they kept an eye on me. It went away eventually. But the pain was so bad I would have done anything to stop it. Got an attack halfway through Les miserables, had to leave my seat to be sick in the loos and slump on the floor and groan in agony - though would have been better suited to doing that in the auditorium as the performance of Les Mis was torture too. Got rushed to casualty by the p's to find that the pain had gone when I got there and they were not willing to do anything. Terrible.

I'm glad that she's finally being seen, and taken seriously, I hope they do all the tests they can to find out what's up. Poor thing, send her my best wishes.

Keep us up to date if you can Liz.

Regards

EWIS

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 02:23 AM

Check your insurance for that litigation cover....

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: alison
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 12:36 AM

you can have a "grumbling appendix" for a long time.

but surely acute appendicitis is page one of the chapter on "lower right sided abdo pain"

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: mg
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 09:25 PM

could a person have a subclinical appendicitis for years though? mg

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: SINSULL
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 07:40 PM

AAARGHHHH!
Appendicitis? Was that idiot waiting for a rupture before he decided her pain was a serious symptom???? This is one of those times when litigious is valid. Hope all goes well.
SINS

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Sorcha
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 07:27 PM

Yes, thanks. Curious to see what they come up with!

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: ranger1
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 06:35 PM

Thanks for the update, Liz.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: alison
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 06:17 PM

good grief you'd have thought that appendicitis would be the first thing they'd have ruled out.

glad she has been admitted - don't come home 'til they sort you out.

I'm glad to hear the NHS is trying to improve - it needs to. there were over 2 year waiting lists for surgery when I worked in it.

thankfully Oz is a lot better.

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Jeri
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 06:06 PM

I'm glad to hear she's getting proper attention, and hopefully proper pain control until the cause can be found and treated. Thanks for passing on the news, Liz.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 06:01 PM

Just don't move anywhere near Medway Murdertime Hospital. They killed my late wife, and this week they are trying to ensure my 96 year old mother gets gangrene. Staff who work there wear badges saying "In case of emergency - DO NOT ADMIT TO MEDWAY MARITIME HOSPITAL".

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Hawker
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 05:49 PM

Glad to hear they are taking her seriously, hope all goes well, give her my love
Cheers, Lucy

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Bee
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 05:33 PM

Thanks for the update, Liz. I was beginning to fear Gizmo was one of those people who believes themselves to be indespensible to the family until they drop in the street or their insides fall out. (That last actually happened to an aunt of mine, before MSI - she ignored a prolapsed uterus and was manually adjusting it and wearing tight underwear instead of seeing a doctor - too busy and thought it might be costly to fix. Tough old thing).

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Scoville
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 05:14 PM

Hey, it still sounds better than all those people over here who don't go to a doctor at all because they cannot afford it (they go to the ER instead, which causes a whole other set of problems). I'm still catching up on my various doctor appointments after several years with no insurance, then a lot of years with really expensive-but-crappy private insurance, under which I still could not afford a lot of preventive care. Ridiculous. I have to wait four months for a routine GYN appointment, anyway, even with private care.

* * * * *

Thank goodness she was admitted. That sounded really bad.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 04:45 PM

Update on Gizmo ~ She rang me a few minutes ago (9.45pm UK time) to let everyone know she's in hospital, undergoing tests and scans for appendicitis. The kids are being cared for, she's being cared for - a darn sight better than last week by the sound of it - and is expecting an ultrasound tomorrow, unless the machine goes kerbluey again.

She wanted everyone to know she's being looked after, and to say thanks for all the advice, suggestions and affection shown in this thread.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 03:35 PM

Sounds like what the US is in for soon (and I am for health care for everyone but this would be the standard I am afraid).

This sounds like not a problem for a GP. Also, I think you should say where you live and another woman might be on Mudcat who can take you. What could you possibly have to shop for that you do with a ruptured spleen or kidneystones or various female complaints? Tell your relatives that you are about to go to the hospital and they need to take the kids. That is what relatives are for.

Do you have a church you belong to? They could maybe takethe kids in the meantime or get you to the hospital. I sometimes see a doctor I do transcription for and he is supposed to be a medical genius diagnostician...if I see him I'll see what he says tonight. mg

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: danensis
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 03:09 PM

To Blindmonsteve, I suspect you've been away for a while. The NHS is being dragged screaing and kicking into the 21st century. Staff are being paid something closer to what they're worth, hospitals are being paid for the procedures they carry out, and as a result have reduced waiting times and the time people spend in hospital, and nearly bankrupted the fovernment by fitting in more procedures than the government bargained for, with the result that the government have had to reduce the amount they pay for each procedure. Hospitals are getting more user-oriented, and both staff and adminstrators are listening to patients and carers. The ancer services users group on which I sit have made some sweeping changes to practices and procedures in our cancer network, and our members sit on site-specific groups, and are treated as equals with other members of those groups.

I found a lump on my back last week, I went to my GP, and was seen by a consultant at the hospital ten days later. If a cancer is suspected you have to be seen by a specialist within two weeks, have a treatment plan within 31 days, and have started treatment within 62 days. Last quarter our hospital had only one case that missed the target, due to the complexities of having treatment split over local hospital and regional cancer centre.

THere are still improvements to be made, but the NHS has improved considerably even over the last five years.

John

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 03:26 PM

Thanks for reporting in, Gizmo! We're pulling for you.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Blindlemonsteve
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 03:24 PM

I know its a drastic step, but leave Britain and live in a country where you can get proper healthcare. the N.H.S is a farce. costs billions and spends nothing on the frontline. Come to Spain, you wont believe the difference, a friend of ours was in England, she had womens troubles, she was outraged when told she would have to wait 3 weeks to see a gyneacologist. she came home and went to a doctor, saw a gyneacologist that afternoon, didnt cost her a penny. got her problem sorted. And her whole prescription only cost 3 euros, The N.H.S is one of the reasons i left the U.K, that and an incompetent government that wants to Tax every penny from me. Now i wouldnt live there if it was the last place on earth.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: alison
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 11:37 PM

if you are in that much pain get back to A&E (even in a different hospital) and do not move until they see you, and yes take someone who "won't be fobbed off" with you.

you need at the very least an ultrasound, (possibly even an internal one), blood tests & urinalysis.

I know you have an IUD in - but sometimes it happens - have they ruled out an ectopic pregnancy?

I have worked in hospitals in the UK, (I'm a nurse), and was horrified a few years ago when my sister contacted me in excrucitaing pain, passing blood and with a huge weight loss.... she had been told her GP couldn't see her for 3 weeks..... (she would have been dead from a perforated bowel and septicaemia in 3 weeks)

I made her husband drag her to A&E ("the doctor must think I'm Ok - I don't want to waste the hospital's time.") - she was too sick to examine and was admitted immediately.

there is an attitude that the doctor always knows best - I've been a nurse for 30 years - if you're in pain and he didn't help - get another opinion

slainte

alison (registered nurse)

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Bill D
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 07:04 PM

I have had kidney stones, and that doesn't sound right for them. I'm glad you're going to see someone tomorrow...do NOT let them send you away with just pain killers.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Bobert
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 06:33 PM

My money is still on IBS...

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: curmudgeon
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 05:18 PM

It sounds very much like a kidney stone. I'v had a couple dozen. Demand to see a urologist. They are the only specialist who can quickly recognise the buggers. Linn suffered for four days before a urologist was called in and made the correct diagnosis in minutes. Hang on, and keep taking the pain pills - Tom

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: SharonA
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 04:46 PM

Hmmm, with that hand-on-the-hip description, I would have thought that you might have a swollen (or even ruptured) spleen... but your initial post said that the pain was on your right side. So unless you are one of those rare people whose internal organs are reversed (spleen on the right instead of the usual place on the left), I'm back to being stumped.

But if the pain is in the waist area, that's a bit high for an ovary problem, isn't it?

Gallstone, perhaps??? Kidney stone??? Just guessing here.

Best of luck to you tomorrow. Glad to hear that your mother is going along as an advocate. Don't let that male doctor send you home answerless like the last one did. Sounds for all the world as if you should be in a hospital bed right now, but at the VERY least the doctor should be scheduling you for IMMEDIATE tests (not 6 weeks hence).

(((((hug)))))

Sharon

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Gizmo
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 03:27 PM

Hi all thanx for your lkind words and sdvice.

Yes my disappeareance from here was to do with pain, I couldn't go back to A&E coz had the kids to look after and no-one else could do it (parents went to my grandads for the night - knowing I was/am in pain) and even had to go shopping on saturday - which made pain worse and I felt as lose to fainting as I ever have been in my life.

I tried to get GP appointment toay, but no such luck until tomorrow - it has to be a male GP or I will be waiting until Wednesday.

I'm noew feeling really fed up and whoozy on the painkillers - which aren't taking all the pain away.

I have a mirena IUD (plastic one which doesn't get imbedded, and is in the right place at moment, and excretes hormones to stop heavy bleeding etc) so - whether that would affect cysts on ovaries I don't know.

Secondly the pain more or less is in the same area, but covers the area of my hand. The area I speak of, is if you place your hand on your hip/around the waist, but the pain is inside my body, not near the outside, it also affects my back abit.

I have not stopped feeling light headed and sick and nauseous since Friday, and have almost thrown up a couple of times, but my body doesn't want to let go of it's contents. (Everytime I'm sick, I will hold it in until I can do so no longer!).

I had no-one to help me or get me to the hospital over the weekend.
And now I'm too tired and in too much pain to care.

Now the pain is not as extreme with the pain killers - I decided to put slight pressure on the painful area, hten take my hand away quickly- as this seems to be an important test for the doctors and nurses. It hurts more when I put on the pressure, then disappears when I let go quickly, for it to return about 5 seconds later with avengance.

I also seem to have a constant pain, like someone poking me with the end of a pencil. Occasionally a pain spark comes off of the main area and shoots through my side, or my back or to the left side of my body, then it is gone. The mother pain remains though.

Once again, thank you for your thoughts. Quite right a pain like this is a sign that something is wrong.

Anyway, I'm off to the GP tomorrow, my mum has offered to come, I think it will be best. And then I'll keep you all updated as and when I can.

Once again thanks all.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Sorcha
Date: 04 Mar 07 - 09:41 PM

I KNEW we should have made Jacqui go with her.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Stringsinger
Date: 04 Mar 07 - 05:26 PM

Remember if your tummy hurts and the doctor says no, it's not his tummy.

I would recommend a female physician because some male doctors are such arrogant people particularly when it comes to feminie physiology.

Frank

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: danensis
Date: 04 Mar 07 - 04:16 PM

Before anyone starts medical negligence claims (after all this is te civilised side of the pond) its worth ringing up PALS, the Patient and Public Liaison Service at the hospital. They employ people who ahve the ability to go round and kick arses - even those of consultants - and they get things done.

John

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: SharonA
Date: 04 Mar 07 - 02:30 PM

Eek, no word from Gizmo for a couple of days...

Hey, girl, how are you doing out there???

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Hollowfox
Date: 03 Mar 07 - 11:42 AM

I can't add any more to the good advice you've gotten, but I'll start up the traditiona purebred midwestern $#@!-reduction candle series for you when I get home. Don't wait for that, though - time is of the essence, and I'd rather read a post that you're recovered and you've had a word with that idiot's supervisor.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Scoville
Date: 03 Mar 07 - 11:31 AM

Yes--be a pain in the butt. Take reinforcements. Nothing harmless hurts that much.

My mother, who had a history of polycystic kidney disease, went to the ER seven years ago in full kidney failure (a friend of ours came to pick her up for lunch out and drove her to the hospital, which was extremely lucky since the rest of the family was out of town and otherwise, nobody would have found her for several days. She would have died). The MD was short with her and told her to make an appointment with her regular doc that Monday and not waste his time. Mom and our friend raised a stink until they finally agreed to draw blood. As it turns out, her kidney values were the highest the hospital had ever seen.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Becca72
Date: 03 Mar 07 - 10:52 AM

My best friend's (then) 14 year old daughter had an ovarian cyst that ruptured and her symptoms were almost exactly what you've described. Apparently they will continue to come back so the ER doc suggested putting her on birth control pills as for whatever reason the hormones in them help to control the formation of ovarian cysts. But I would most certainly keep going back, with someone you trust, and be a real "bitch" if you have to until you get an answer that makes sense to you. Doctors are only human, after all and they can make mistakes, too.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: ranger1
Date: 03 Mar 07 - 09:50 AM

I second taking Jacqui. I've seen her in action, no better person to have on your side when you're in need.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: SINSULL
Date: 03 Mar 07 - 08:40 AM

Actually Jacqui is over your side of the Pond and is the ideal person to tag along. She'll have you in a private room with a private nurse before they know what hit them.


Ovarian cysts can be treated., if that is the problem. You should not be expected to live in pain. And I agree - play up the pain. Faint if you can manage it. Get their attention.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: jacqui.c
Date: 03 Mar 07 - 05:30 AM

There's a lot of good advice ther Gizmo, particularly about taking someone with you who will make sure that you're not fobbed off again.

I would also suggest that you get a bit NOISY about it - squeaky wheels and all that. When the doctor pushes where it hurts YELL!!!! That might just concentrate their minds a bit!

Best of luck to you. I hope that it's nothing too serious.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 03 Mar 07 - 04:25 AM

Giz - go back to the A&E. Those people at NHS Direct are good but they're not miracle workers, they can't see through the phone. Go back to A&E, take someone with you and make sure that if you're going to throw up, do it over the doctor! You are entitled to ask for a female physician although remember that it might take a while to get one.

Go back today... don't wait, especially don't wait until Sunday when West Ham are at home!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 10:46 PM

It may be time to bite the cost bullet and contact your nearest private hospital - urgently.

Before you do that, however, I suggest you contact your local out of hours medical service - the number is usually on the telephone message when your GP's surgery is shut - urgently.

Get a friend to sit with you while you are waiting for the out of hours service to arrive.

Also, check your contents and buidings insurance - you may find you are insured (if you follow the correct procedure) to bring medical negligence proceedings. Alternatively you may qualify for legal aid or be able to find a contingency lawyer. Start keeping a written record of events. When the life-threatening bit is over, you maybe able to sue the insouciant arsehole who left you in this pain.

If you go private, try to get a woman doctor. A male idiot who attended my daughter when she was 13 and in considerable abdominal pain simply said "She is female and she is young". It seemed to be all he could do not to invoke the suggestion that it was the will of his favoured deity.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Bonecruncher
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 08:33 PM

As an Osteopath I can verify that medicine is a "best guess" principle, taking into account case history, signs and symptoms.
GET BACK TO ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPT.
Before you go write down what it feels like, type of pain and location. I.e. is it constant or intermittent, sharp or dull, any radiations (does the pain travel anywhere), aggravating or relieving factors (what makes it worse or better).
If pain is as bad as you say it could be a medical emergency and needd immediate action.
once again, GET BACK TO A AND E.

Colyn.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Jeri
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 07:18 PM

Talk to your GP as soon as possible.

If you can't get your GP to intercede, or if it would take too long, bring someone who will act as your advocate and doesn't mind being persistant, or a complete pain in the arse if that's required, and if the pain doesn't diminish or if it gets worse, go back. You should not have been sent home with that much pain.

I once drove my mom to an emergency room with the same type of pain. The doctor there sent her home and told her the pain was likely related to menopause. Well, it got worse and she called her GP who ordered her back. It turned out she had diverticulitis and wound up having a chunk of intestine removed. I believe her GP had a few words with the idiot who sent her home. Even if your pain isn't caused by anything life-threatening, you shouldn't have been dismissed as you were.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Tootler
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 07:04 PM

Sounds to me like you have been fobbed off by the A&E Medic.

You need to get back to A&E fast and I agree with the advice given by others - take someone with you. Someone you can trust and who will stand no crap from the Medics. When you get there, lay it on with a trowel; good and thick. I am sure you know the form - you're not in pain, you're in agony; if it hurts when the Dr presses your tummy, wince very obviously and so on. Don't play the fortitude game, you need to get them to start looking seriously.

For those on the West side of the Pond A&E = Accident & Emergency.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: catspaw49
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 06:54 PM

Ditto what Tink said.......There IS something wrong and you need a different Doc....NOW. This could be real easy to diagnose or very difficult as it could be relatively minor or very serious. You need to start finding the answers asap......As stated before, pain means something!

Best thoughts to you

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Tinker
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 06:43 PM

(((Gizmo))) remember that medicine is more of a guessing game than an absolute science. My daughter went through something simliar nearly 2 years before we finally got a diagnosis. Eash specialist would rule out their particular possibilities and then pass her on to the next specialist. In the end it was an antiimmune response to wheat and dairy that was inflaming her reproductive organs. ( Multiple times we heard "apparent inflamation with no apparent cause") It is real and it will take persistence. Keep checking.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: wysiwyg
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 05:18 PM

Ultrasound of GI, bladder, and female parts would be in order with internists here-- so, second opinion.

IBS also can hurt like that.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: bfdk
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 05:13 PM

Nicci, I hope you get better really soon!!

Apart from that I can only second what several have said, especially Sharon; go back there for a second opinion and TAKE SOMEONE WITH YOU. Someone who can ask questions and press for further action on your behalf, so you're not fobbed off with a similar statement of "go home and wait for it to pass" again.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery,

Bente

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Bobert
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 05:04 PM

Well, I had similar pains fir a couple months before going to see a doctor and ended up having CT scans and ultra sounds and was incorrectly diagnosed with panchetitis... Wrong...

Google up "I.B.S." 'er "Irritable Bowel Syndrome" and see if your symptoms sound familiar to the ones for it... I gotta hunch that is what you have...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: JudyB
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 05:01 PM

I'd advise against biting the doctor's hand (who knows where it has been!) but I'd say screaming is appropriate in this situation. Really.

Good luck, and good thoughts heading in your direction.

JudyB

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Bee
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 04:58 PM

'Nother opinion, for sure. And what is A&E? Admitting and Emergency? I must say, here (Nova Scotia), with that kind and degree of pain you'd not have been sent home without an Xray or scan or at least some blood tests. Also, had you brought this recurring pain up with your GP? Surely if it's gone on for years s/he's had some investigation done.

Hope you feel better very soon.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 04:52 PM

Go down to the nearest hospital immediately and INSIST on a CT scan.
It can be any one of 3 things all of which require IMMEDIATE attention. A CT scan is definitive and will pinpoint the problem immediately. Here in the USA you would have been admitted into the hospital ASAP with out any delay. Any hospital that sent you home with these sypmtoms would be liable big time for mal-practice.

                                             SOL ZELLER

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: SINSULL
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 04:34 PM

It is not your appendix so go home and suffer???? Get another opinion and fast. Pain is a sign that something is wrong.
Good luck,
SINS

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: GUEST,lox
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 03:57 PM

I agree - get a second opinion

I don't know where you are, but in Leicester if you can't get an appointment soon enough with your own GP, you can go down to the infirmary to see one of the duty GP's down there.

If I ever needed a second opinion that would be where I would go.

And if I wanted a third I'd do it again on a different day at a different time.

3 is definitely enough if they all say the same thing.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: SharonA
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 03:50 PM

I'm on the wrong side of the Pond to know what an A&E is, but...

Definitely call for an emergency appointment with your GP or gynecologist, go to a hospital, or whatever you have to do to get the problem looked at NOW by someone who will actually LOOK at it. I can't imagine why you would be expected to wait 4-6 weeks for a scan when you're in such pain that you can't walk.

Wherever you go next, TAKE A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER WITH YOU and make sure that that person is in the room listening to what the next doctor tells you. You really need a clear head to make decisions about your health, especially in an urgent or emergency situation, and when the clear head isn't yours it has to be someone else's.

So don't be embarrassed to call up someone you trust and ask him or her for help. In fact, he or she should be driving you to the next doctor's appointment, if not to the hospital emergency room.

If that's not an option for you, then I think it's time to call for an ambulance. You shouldn't be driving around in the condition you describe, especially since you're now taking painkillers that will further impair your judgment.

Good luck, and I'll be keeping you in thought.
Sharon

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Hawker
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 03:34 PM

Gizmo! poor you!
If I were you, I'd call out an emergency doctor and tell them that the pain is so bad, dont leave it! I you still have pain and have been feeling nauseous go back to A & E and tell them that you were told to return if you felt sick, Tell them that you have been feel;ing sick, and almost were. Dont be brave, tell them exactly how painful it is and dont take no for an answer!
Good luick, I'll be thinking of you!
Cheers, Lucy

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Gizmo
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 03:32 PM

It was A&E where I went, but the Dr there was adamant it was gynaecological. HE asked lots of questions about whether I had kids and how old - he was a bit taken aback when I informed him that my kids were 10 and 7.

He was also very patronizing in his manner and because I was in so much pain it was difficult to think straight and ask all the questions I wanted to.

I've gone through childbirth - drug and painkiller free, I can take pain, and listen to it when it is unbearable, this doctor made me feel like some weak little woman.

Like I stated before, when he wouldn't stop pressing into my stomach, my first reaction was to scream and bite his hand.

What could I have done differently?

I am tempted to get a second opinion, but unless I become very, very ill, I can't go back to A&E and I don't want to feel this ill over the weekend until the GP opens again.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Bill D
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 03:30 PM

I knew someone once who had pains like that, and it turned out to be an impacted & infected IUD. Required surgery...fortunately, not 'quite' bad enough to need a hysterectomy.

It does sound like you need to see someone who will **FIND OUT**...and soon.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Scoville
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 03:29 PM

Second opinion from somebody who is not so lazy! Good Lord--my veterinarian makes more considerations than that when my dog gets a tummy ache.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Gizmo
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 03:27 PM

Beardedbruce
The A&E doctor didn't want any other checks done apart from cysts on the ovary.

My mum had gall stones and the gall bladder removed, and she reckoned the pain I have is too far down, yet my dad who has a grumbling appendix says the position and symptoms are exactly the same as what he had all those years ago, and which still bother him occasionally every few years now.

I am not sure of the DR's diagnosis though and unsure what to do.

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 03:23 PM

I'd be tempted to go to A&E if it gets really bad. Apart from that I'm afraid it's out of my league knowledge wise. I would have said a grumbling appendix, had the doctor not said what he did.
Hope you feel better soon though.
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: beardedbruce
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 03:22 PM

Any checks for gallstones or kidney stones?

Subject: BS: My tummy hurts - doctor says no....
From: Gizmo
Date: 02 Mar 07 - 03:03 PM

Actually not quite my tummy, but my abdomen. I have been having recurring pain in my lower right side of my abdomen for many years now, on and off, but recently it has been getting more frequent and persistent.

It culminated today and this morning,I couldn't even walk for the pain (usually the pain is sharp, but eventually goes after a short time). Unusually for me I had pain killers and couldn't take my daughter to school.

The painkillers took the edge off the pain, but it was still hurting, so I rang up NHS direct (UK) and sought advice. After many questions I was advised to get an emergency appointment with my GP within 2 hours, failing that go straight to A&E. GP was full, emergencies only after 5.30 pm, therefore I went along to the A&E.

By the time I was seen by the dr I was in excrutiating pain from sitting on a chair which wasn't helping my pain. After many questions concerning gyneocology my periods and children I have etc, he then went to check my lungs and heart (it hurt in my lower abdomen each inhalation) and then prodded the top of my abdomen and then the lower part. I felt like screaming and wanted to bite his hand when he pressed down on the lower right hand side. Although it hurt where he pressed, it also hurt mainly a little further up. After more prodding (despite my pleads for him to stop because it felt so bad) he finally stopped and claimed that there was nothing he could do because it appears to him to be too low down for the appendix and because I have had this pain on and off for years, it must be cysts on the ovary. I have to take strong painkillers until I can get a scan requested by the GP which will take 4-6 weeks and take pain relief for the pain. If it's cysts on the ovaries there is nothing I can do about it. BUT if I can't walk from the pain ( I couldn't this morning) or feel sick (I felt nauseous at the time), then if you are sick and have temperature come back.

What I failed to ask is that 2 yrs ago I had an ultrasound scan of my womb and ovaries when I had a miscarriage - would the cyst/s have shown up then? Especially as the pains started years before that.

Also he claimed the pain was too far down, the pain is further up from where he pointed twice.The pain can be felt inbetween my back and front of my body, but I can feel the pain in my back more prominently after he prodded.

The pain was so bad it made me feel sick when I got home, and only just managed to prevent myself throwing up on the front door.
Unable to go to the GP till Monday - am unsure what to do now, as pain relief not working very well, I don't feel at all well.

Any good suggestions welcome.