A & E visit : Hey all, So not had the best of... - LUPUS UK

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A & E visit

LouLamb profile image
19 Replies

Hey all,

So not had the best of weeks. On Monday night I was really hot like boiling whilst trying to sleep. I had the same on Tuesday and also noticed some lesions on my elbow. I went to gp. She told me it was students elbow and because my temp was 38.8 she gave me some antibiotics. So Tuesday I took 2 antibiotics in the day.

I noticed my left eye started swelling and my lesions got worse and were spreading.

I saw my rheumy nurse on Wednesday anyway and she was very worried and told me I had to be seen by someone that day. So my gp gave me a phone call about 4pm. She asked me to come in at 7pm.

She took my temp and it was 39.8 and she said it clearly wasn’t students elbow. So she told me I had to go to the hospital as my heart rate was very fast as well. So off I went in an ambulance she was worried about sepsis.

When the ambulance arrived my heart rate was 111 inside it. Had a 3 hour wait in a & e. Didn’t get seen till midnight. So now we’re into Thursday. I saw the doc and he took some bloods had a look at the lesions all over my back , elbows and leg.

My temp and heart rate had started going down before I was seen. The doc in a&e said if my bloods were all fine I could go home well that was at half 1ish. He came back at half 2 saying it would be another 30mins to and hour. I didn’t get discharged until half 5! So I slept most of Thursday and the week. I still can’t quite believe I lost a whole day.

So from what I can gather I had an infection which caused the lesions on my elbows and the antibiotics I took I had a reaction to which caused the eye swelling and for the lesions to spread fast. I hadn’t eaten from Wednesday until yesterday. After eating it made feel very sick and today I’ve had a bit of food but am taking it slowly. I am drinking better now than I was in the week. I’ve lost about 7lb.

My lesions have all started going down in the last few days. The ones on my back are hardly visible just ones on my elbows still. My eye swelling has gone right down. Just a little bit red and dry now. I’m pleased my eye is looking normal now it did look nasty.

I also had to get my bloods repeated on Sunday after a&e doing them on Thursday. They were all fine Sunday. I’ve got to go again tomorrow to get bloods repeated again and then I’ll be finish.

Also my rheumy nurse fitted me in the consultant for last Friday after all this had happened as she was worried. My consultant didn’t care about it she just said she didn’t know what it was.

We then spoke about my meds as I’m on nothing again because the leflunomide stopped working. She told she didn’t know what to give me and to come back in 3 months. I rang the rheumy nurse and she was very unhappy with the consultant so she is getting me an appointment with a different consultant at the hospital. I’m back at Guys in June. So maybe they might have something more to say if I’m still not meds by then unlike last time.

Just thought I’d give you all an update. I’ve had a rather interesting week and a bit. I’ve had 3 gp appointments, nurse, rheumy nurse and consultant. All in a week. Oh and a visit to ambulatory care which I’m back at tomorrow 🙂

I will probably return to work next Tuesday or Wednesday now. I’ve got a gp next Tuesday the 7th. I think she just wants to check to make sure everything has gone down. I’m hoping she can fill in what actually happened because at the moment I’ve had to come to my own conclusion as no one has told me anything!

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LouLamb profile image
LouLamb
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19 Replies
PMRpro profile image
PMRpro

Sorry to hear you've been ill Lou - but you seem to have a strange pair of docs there. Bursitis doesn't usually present like that - and I get a lot of bursitis but never a raised temp! Glad your nurse is a bit more on the ball.

Get well soon ;)

LouLamb profile image
LouLamb in reply to PMRpro

The gp thought it was an infected one because of the temp. Obviously when I went back she realised it weren’t that. She was very good though.

She ended up in a&e the same night herself because her friends son was in. She came and visited me and spoke to the a&e doc for me to find out how much longer I would be there because of the bloods.

PMRpro profile image
PMRpro in reply to LouLamb

That was nice of her.

Barnclown profile image
Barnclown

Oh Loulamb: am V sorry! This has been a dreadful ordeal and a very dangerous critical incident health-wise! I think you have shown great initiative + you have been & are being very brave. Thank you for letting us know. Hope you’ll tell us what your GP says about this. Am glad your rheumy nurse is being wise & V helpful + your GP was being attentive at A&E in that special way!

🍀❤️🍀❤️🍀❤️ Coco

LouLamb profile image
LouLamb in reply to Barnclown

Thank you!

I must admit I spent the whole of Friday just trying to process what had happened x

Barnclown profile image
Barnclown in reply to LouLamb

I would’ve needed to do that too! And there will be more to process over the days that follow...Take Care 🍀❤️

LouLamb profile image
LouLamb in reply to Barnclown

Thanks it is taking me some time.

I think the hardest things is that all I had done in a&e was bloods.

Even if I would of had fluids I think that would have made more sense in my head. I only had bloods done.

Barnclown profile image
Barnclown in reply to LouLamb

🤷🏼‍♀️ A&E is such a strange thing...has it’s own weird ways of doing flippin everything...

LouLamb profile image
LouLamb

Thanks

MEW53 profile image
MEW53

Hi LouLamb,

sorry to hear about your health problems, hope you feel better soon. Unbelievable that some medics are not so helpful when dealing with unusual problems.

I had an emergency dental appt yesterday as I was in pain over the weekend, couldn’t see any thing wrong on xrays but said there was a tooth nearby that looked a bit worrying, filling appt booked, thankfully I can try and eat on the other side for a while. Having a difficult time cos I’ve broken my left shoulder as I fell over 9 weeks ago so no driving, having intense physio, very painful and sleeping difficult. Back to hospital in a few weeks to get the ok to drive.

Take care and hope you feel better soon.

LouLamb profile image
LouLamb in reply to MEW53

I think the lack of communication from the a & e doc and me being to tired to ask questions, has made it hard for me to process what happened last week. I’m still trying to process it now.

Hope your better soon too .

in reply to LouLamb

That must have been pretty scary - thank goodness it wasn’t sepsis or a 3 hour wait to be seen might have been a disaster?

I’m not surprised you’re still processing it all - take plenty of time before you go back to work please LouLamb!

LouLamb profile image
LouLamb in reply to

I wasn’t even to bothered until I got to the gp and she told me I was sicker than I thought.

Lupiknits profile image
Lupiknits

Oh dear Lou, I’m glad it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. It sounds like you have a good rheumy nurse and thoughtful GP though. A scary experience and I’m sure it will take some processing. I’m no doctor but I’m a bit surprised they didn’t give you fluids at A&E and kept you hanging around so long.

Hope you’re fully better soon x

LouLamb profile image
LouLamb in reply to Lupiknits

Thanks.

I was surprised I had no fluids seeming as I hadn’t drunk all day hardly.

I’m back at the hospital today to get my bloods re done again. I’ve been here since 9am. The doc doesn’t start working till 10am. So I’ve had my bloods done which take 1-2 hours to come back. So won’t be out any time soon.

Lupiknits profile image
Lupiknits

Haven’t they even offered a cuppa? Last time I was sent in as an emergency because my potassium levels were too low, I got a cuppa, then a sandwich when lunchtime came around.

LouLamb profile image
LouLamb in reply to Lupiknits

I’m in ambulatory care. There is tea and coffee if you want it.

Lupiknits profile image
Lupiknits

Good old NHS. Not quite on its knees. Seriously I hope you are feeling much better soon x

LouLamb profile image
LouLamb in reply to Lupiknits

Got out at 10:45. Bloods were fine again

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