If you have been told you could have life threatening problem after surgery, should you speak to GP

happyfella

I was rushed into hospital around six weeks ago with one of the biggest kidney stones the surgeon has seen stuck in my tube. They were hoping the surgey would remove the kidney stone but the surgery did not work so they had to expand the tube and also have a stent put in to save my kidney.

The next operation was supposed to be 3 weeks later but it was yesterday. I had the surgery expecting to wake up to great news. Three hours of surgery later and I woke up to be told the surgery failed.

Instead of the tube expanding it has shrunk and they could not get the stone out. So they remove the old stent and put a new stent in. They said that i need an emergency ct scan again but said it would not be for another three weeks, due to my body needing to recover which makes no sense. But on discharge later it says six weeks.

They said i would need more surgery but they need to have a meeting with other doctors like they do.

The doctor was very blunt with me and told me this could be life threatening. I replied to him am i going to die from this and he said at this moment in time he could not tell me and could go either way. Said he would have more information after the CT scan and meeting.

I have told my wife but i have kept it a secret from my daughter. I am totally confused and my head is all over the place. I am just wondering if there is any point speaking to my GP to try and get my head around what is going on.

I am not sure if i should send him an email and arrange for an appointment to try and understand what is happening and what the next steps will be and why i have to wait so long for a CT scan.

I would like to know what people would do in my place

chiarieds

Hi @happyfella - I'm sorry to read about what you're going through. I think discussing what's happening with your GP sounds like a very good idea. They will have been sent a copy of your discharge letter so are in a position to advise. This letter saying your CT scan will be in 6 weeks (rather than 3) may possibly be a typo, but hopefully your GP may be in a position to find out for you.

happyfella

Thank you. I will put a letter together today and see if my GP and shed any light on this. I feel like I am in a bad dream. I woke up this morning and thought it was all a nightmare and then realised it was not.

happyfella

Thank you. I am putting a letter together and then will drop it off. It will give them time then to get the details from the hospital and maybe contact them for more information. He will then be able to explain everything to me properly

Tori_Scope

That sounds positive @happyfella Please do let us know how you get on!

happyfella

The surgery has come back to me. The doctor i normally see is not back until monday. They are looking at cancer. I need an urgent CT san but there are no staff at the hospital to book me in until next week for a CT scan, as all booking staff are off ill. I phoned a private hospital which would cost £1,000 plus to have one done, but they said it would not be any quicker as i need a referal. So private is not always the best way.

They need the CT scan so they can have a meeting with the experts at the hospital. It is a very worrying time. The tube where the stone is stuck, they tried to make it bigger around six weeks ago after they were worried i would lose a kidney. When i went under the knife again the tube has instead gone smaller and a new stent had to be installed. This is what is worrying them, why the tube is getting smaller instead of bigger.

I am staying strong but my wife is in bits

Tori_Scope

I can only imagine how difficult that must be to deal with @happyfella, but I echo teddybear12's hope that you'll be able to get an urgent scan next week. 

Are you and your wife able to support each other through this incredibly difficult time?

happyfella

I am trying to be strong for my wife. We have not told my daughter yet. We don't want her to stress. My doctors have been great. The doctor i like to deal with is on holiday and will be back on monday so the surgey have been sending me messages and dealing with things for when he gets back.

We need an urgent CT scan but the hospital is waiting for my body to recover which makes no sense. They are trying to get me a CT scan for next week. We did phone up private places and they wanted over £1,000 which we would pay. But they said it would not be done any quicker as we would need a referal.

I just want some answers. What I am annoyed about and will not go too much into this is, when i was first rushed into hospital i spent 28 hours waiting for a bed in A&E. Then they did the procedure, ready for the next procedure, but as mentioned this procedure failed and they are investigating why.

For me going through this and my wife, the whole process seems to be very slow. They need a CT scan to have a meeting about me. I just want all this sorted out now so they can sort it out now.

happyfella

the surgeon said to me that my body needs to recover for me to have the CT scan. Makes no sense to me. Hopefully early next week i will get an appointment. told them that they can call me with cancellations and i can be there within 2 hours.

Lisatho11987777

I have had four ct scans in last two weeks only thing they do is inject a dye as it shows up better on the scanner it doesnt take long  as you have said I don't understand why you have to wait 

happyfella

lisathomas50 said:

I have had four ct scans in last two weeks only thing they do is inject a dye as it shows up better on the scanner it doesnt take long  as you have said I don't understand why you have to wait 

Yes i am puzzled. I have had surgery twice now in the past six weeks. I said to the surgeon the other day why cant we do the ct scan now and he says your body needs to recover. I have had a few CT scans, so i am not sure what he means by the body recovering

L_Volunteer

How frustrating @happyfella. It sounds like you are currently experiencing a really tough time.

I hope you can have your CT scan really soon. If we can do anything to help, even if that is just listening, please don't hesitate to let us know. We are all here for you 

happyfella

Thank you. Yes it is not a great time. If it was not jubilee time then i may have my ct scan appointment by now, but lots of staff and booking staff are off. I phoned up yesterday and they said they have me down as very urgent and should get a call on tuesday.

What i cannot get my head around is them wanting to delay the ct scan for my body to recover from surgery, that is what does not make any sense.

Trying to do everything i can to think positive

happyfella

Well just thought i would share an update. My GP rang on Monday to say that i am in a serious situation,  well tell me something i dont know. He explained that the surgeons are trying to puzzle out what to do and said i am down for an urgent ct scan.

He said one situation could be is where they remove the full tube and then replace it with a man made tube and re reoute it. He said the operation would be nine hours or more. He said that would be the nuclear option. But hoped they could find another option.

On my notes it says that they need to do an operation within six weeks. but when i phoned the CT department today, they have said that I would no t get a CT scan for at least ten weeks. I said i was told i was down for an urgent CT scan and they said they are the urgent appointments.

Now, we have to sit down and work out if to pay for a CT scan ourselves, so i am going to speak to the GP this week and also to the hospital and see if we do this if it will push things along quicker.

Seems crazy how bad the NHS has become due to being underfunded.

Tori_Scope

Thank you for the update @happyfella. I'm sorry to hear they can't get you in for a CT scan any quicker than that  

chiarieds

I'm sorry to read this @happyfella - hopefully you'll find out more after speaking again to your GP & hospital. Do you have a phone number for your consultant's secretary? I've found them very helpful in the past in getting questions run past the consultant.

happyfella

I got a phone call from the CT department who assured me that i am down as urgent, but they said urgent cases are waiting around ten weeks. I said, how long are non urgent people waiting and she said around 20 week plus. What is happening with the NHS, why do each and every single government strip the NHS of what they need. It is heavily underfunded and no matter who is in power, they all abuse the NHS.

I spoke to the Urology department as the CT people said if i speak to them then they could try and move me forward. When i spoke to the Urology secretary she said this is shocking. She explained the consultant keeps checking to see if my CT scans are back. She said ten weeks is far too long as the consultant has it down that my next surgery needs to be within six weeks, and that was when he put it down two weeks ago.

She also said he is waiting to book the meeting to talk about my case and they cannot do that until i receive my ct scan. So, she said she is going to try and get something sorted out.

I spoke to a few private hospitals and they said it would cost around £1,500 for a CT scan and around three weeks.