When I was unable to sleep because of the nasty pain in my side, my husband urged me to ring 111 and on my third attempt I was told to go to Cheltenham Hospital. It was 3am by then but my husband said he’d drive me and we got to see the beautiful full pink moon several times on the way. I thought the A&E there had closed but thought as that’s where I was told to go it might have opened -but it hadn’t! So onwards to Gloucester Royal where we are still waiting at 7.22 am!! Apparently, more doctors arrive at 8! My husband has nodded off so I hope he’ll be refreshed enough to get us home eventually! Fortunately, I’d already taken my 100mg of Flecainide so my heart has remained ok! Those of us still waiting have agreed that a good sense of humour is essential!!
Waiting in A&E!: When I was unable to... - Atrial Fibrillati...
Waiting in A&E!
Good luck and hope you get soon very soon.
So do I!
I have finally been seen and now have to wait until the results of my blood test, blood pressure and suchlike have been discussed by the team when they’ll get back to me! I’m concerned about my husband having to drive us home after all this when he hasn’t had any sleep either!
What a nuisance for you Vonne. Hope all goes well. Could it be your gallbladder playing up?
Jean
No, as though I apparently have a large gallstone the pain is on the other side around my ribs and the gallstone hasn’t caused any problems. I’m now waiting for my husband to collect the car from where he parked it and come to take me home.
Actually, it seems the walls of my gallbladder have been affected - something with a weird name I can’t remember. As it isn’t painful, it doesn’t seem to be an issue (yet!)
My sister had to have her gall bladder removed at short notice. She had been having the symptoms of nausea and occasional vomiting for ages but the diagnosis was missed by her GP because her pain was on the left.
Gosh that’s interesting but I have had a couple of ultrasounds which found mine where it should be on the right! Don’t think it could have moved across or could it!?
Her gall bladder was where it should be. But the pain was on the left. Gall bladder can cause referred pain though that is usually felt in the back of right shoulder blade.
How interesting. I’m sure I mentioned the gallstone at the hospital but perhaps not- I’ll have to check with my husband but the pain is under my left breast by my ribs so above where the gallstone must be on the other side.
That was where my sister's was. Her GP thought it was her heart and sent her for checks. By the time she was diagnosed the gallbladder was very infected and the first lot of oral antibiotics didn't work. She had to go into hospital for iv antibiotics to reduce the infection before operating. She was about to be discharged as her op was not considered urgent but there was a major RTA in Huddersfield that night and in the rush to operate on several badly injured people she was overlooked. When the surgeon made his rounds on Monday morning she was still there and he said he had nothing to do that morning so he would operate. Just as well - the gallbladder had not responded to the iv antibiotics either and was on the point of rupturing. If they had sent her home she might have died.
No diagnosis then? Or more tests later? I hope you can get some effective treatment.
Goodness! That's awful wuth the 3.00am business and the directive to closed hospital. I admire your fortitude. I hope that right now you're being attended to and that all will be well.
Hello
I am sorry to read about your recent experiences, I hope you have received the necessary treatment to help control your heart rhythm and are both back at home?
Please do not hesitate to contact the Patient Services Team if we can be of assistance.
Take care
TracyAdmin
If that was intended for me, my heart rhythm has been well controlled with Flecainide for ages. I was sent to A&E after I rang 111 for advice with regard to a pain in my side that was no longer responding to paracetamol! As they took a blood sample at the hospital as well as checking other stuff and results are being sent to my surgery I might not have to go there to have another one taken - am going to ring and enquire about that soon!
111 seem to send everyone to A&E. Good luck the last time I went I was there for 8 hours!!
Wow! Longer than mine! As I might have written here before, we all agreed that a good sense of humour was essential at such times!
or a very good book!!
Or iPad/tablet. Games great for distraction !
I had my iPhone so could keep up with things and might have done my daily Wordle, Waffle, Blossom and Quordle puzzles where I get pretty good results which is very encouraging! And we chatted and compared how long we’d been waiting etc. I shan’t be using 111 again! As they took some blood and said they’d pass on all the results to my surgery, I have cancelled the appointment I had there for them to do a blood test!
My reply seemed to go in the wrong place! Sadly, as we left quite quickly, I forgot the fun book I was reading and remember remarking about that.
How long did you have to wait? I could have read War and Peace during the time I was there!!
Well we left home at 3am and didn’t get there until 4ish as we were told by crazy 111 to go the Cheltenham first where they no longer do A&E then. So guess I was seen sometime after 9am so over 5 hours! Others had been waiting far longer! So much for “emergency” care! And I still haven’t heard about what medication I am going to receive although I was told all the results of the tests would be sent to my surgery so I could receive the right treatment and meds!!
so much for the so called improvements in the NHS !!
Sadly, I realised I hadn’t brought mine after realising it would have been a good idea! It was all a bit of a rush at 3am!!
No idea what is happening with A&E as its the same in Ireland although they do triage you in under an hour and then depending on your priority rating sort of dictates how long you wait. I am lucky as I have private health insurance and can go private and be seen in a flash. Though most private hospitals and clinics close from 8pm ish for the day so not ideal.
Exactly, so you’d have had to go to an NHS one at 3am if you’d been in my position!
Exactly the private lads are there purely for the money, getting to be a nightmare aint it.
But I wouldn’t have my Flecainide if it hadn’t been for the private EP I saw after the NHS couldn’t come up with anything to help me and the reason he left the NHS was incredibly interesting, sad and disappointing
Yes they are great for sorting you out and catching things before they progress to something very serious where as the public health system seem to use a fire brigade system and wait until its too late and then put out the fire.
So sorry to hear about your 3am experience and it reminds me of the days when first diagnosed with PAF and all the trips to A&E and the endless waits. Am so glad I plucked up enough courage to go for Pace & Ablate and that is all behind me now. Hope you continue to improve on your path.
I’ve never been offered anything like that- no doubt as I was well into my 70s when it arrived, it was not considered appropriate (and I’d been warned by a doc I met by accident, that the local bunch aren’t very good at such stuff anyway). As the Flecainide keeps my heart in order and ablations seem rather invasive and are not always successful, I am quite happy to keep taking the Flecainide!
Hi
Best to have a Home Alarm. (St Johns here).
I get support within minutes - 15 minutes and the St John Headquarters is up at the adjacent road.
When I rang 111 before alarm I couldn't speak - stroke, the 2G cell didn't get my address correct but getting to the home phone did.
Nevertheless helicopter took 1/2 hr then 1/2 hr to find tablet mislaid in the ambulance, then a stop en route for fuel refuel. Arriving on top of Whangarei Hospital.
I received a bill but I had joined 2 months prior with an overseas trip delaying the start.
Now the Social Welfare pay for it. I get a Disability Allowance.
So a Home Alarm will cover you both.
cheri JOY. 76 (NZ)
Where do you live? I haven’t heard of anything like that here in England!
Hi
New Zealand.
Haven't you got St John Ambulance in UK. If you ring 111 you get St Johns Ambulance.
You are priority with your Home Alarm.
It is St John Ambulance on 111 to take you to hospital. If necessary you are transferred from Ambulance to Helicopter.
It would save you all the wait at A & E.
Your age should have got you priority. Vonnegut.
cheri JOY
It is nothing like that here in the UK. I did a first aid course with the Red Cross many years ago which was very useful but I don’t think they are involved in the 111 here, which seems fairly useless!
Hi
So WHO IS THE AMBULANCE CREW? Not St Johns?
The alarm can go when power turned off when not working.
Although I have had thealarm for 4.5 years I've only used it once in a fall.
Never with AF and never when I had a H/Rate on BBs of 185 Day and 47 Night.
If I had I would have had a Cardiologist earlier not at 1 year 5 months Hospital when I insisted.
No followup after STROKE - Embolic. With AF Rapid and Persistent - On the ward and after I was under a Endocrinologist. I was anti her too after she was put in my triage team for Thyroid Cancer.
I can see now why a CCB Calcium Channel Blocker wasn't trialled. She is not a H/Specialist but equivalent of a GP with endocrinology attributes.
Shows looking back that my hospital stay and thorough investigation was not done expertly. I had plugs almost ready to have a heart monitoring done, but they were removed for the carotid scan and then driven in ambulance to my local hospital Kaitaia NEVER TO BE ACTIONED again.
cheri JOY
Hi
Reading up on PERSONAL MEDICAL ALARMS.
I read up on it whilst the NHS provides the ambulance service, person alarms are available.
It reads if an elderly person has medical diagnosis she/he may be entitled to a home alarm by YOUR LOCAL COUNCIL.
Do a research?
So what was the pain?
cheri JOY
The pain is in my left side from around the bottom of my ribs and up. I’m hoping that the last lot of paracetamol will help a bit with it and let me get to sleep now.
We have the NHS and their paramedics come in the ambulance. My paroxysmal AF was diagnosed by one of them on the way to the hospital so my heart must have gone back to normal on the way!
11 hour wait in A and E
Am in need of a bit of tlc
Heart rate in afib and when to go to ER or A&E
Waiting time for ablation 
Back in AF one week after Ablation 
