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SIA for long post;
I’ve just spent the week Snowboarding which was ace, however I took a nasty tumble off-piste on some rocks and landed approx. 6-8 foot down and onto my lower back (just below the small of the back, kind of pelvis level). It was the most single painful thing I’ve felt (2 x dislocated shoulders, hairline crack to Pelvis, broken wrist, few finger breakages and some deep cuts didn’t have anything on this), there was lots of screaming and I thought I wasn’t getting back up. However I did after about half an hour and gingerly got myself back onto piste and into resort. Now, I know you’re all thinking, what a prize c0ck, why didn’t I just ask for help, I appreciate this it’s not one of my finest moments, however I was quite far off the piste and the insurance company probably would have had a fit and not paid out for any type of rescue(there is some wooly wording in there that was supposed to cover, but not convinced). I took myself to a pharmacy and asked for the strongest anti-inflammatories and pain killers and they gave me Naproxene (bit like Ibuprofen I believe), so I munched on these for the rest of the week. I took the following day off, had a hot bath and just tried to keep moving by walking around resort, this combination seemed to work, so I got back on it.
However, it’s now almost a fall week after the fall and the swelling hasn’t reduced and if I stop on the Naproxene it hurts like hell (the car heated seats this morning were a god send). I can’t lie on my back and oddly enough it feels as though something is digging into my coccyx. I’ve not told the missus, I’m doing well hiding it so far, but my god the pain is not good so may have to do something about it. So, my question; what’s the worst I could potentially have done and is going to the GP the right thing or is it trip to A&E? Also to add, I’m feeling really lethargic, though I can’t tell if that’s due to the couch I picked up on the plane or not..
Thanks Sui.
Good grief!
A and E ....soon!!
What does A and E stand for?
Really??
Accident and Emergency!!!
I’m feeling really lethargic, though I can’t tell if that’s due to the couch I picked up on the plane or not..
If your back was hurting, lifting a sofa wouldn't help. Were you flying with DFS airways?
😯I’ve not told the missus, I’m doing well hiding it so far, but my god the pain is not good
sorry i meant to say Cough - auto corrected wrong!.
Yeah i appreciate it's not a great situation, but i'm still walking and i did manage to carry on boarding after a day-off.
Ref the missus, she worries, rightly or wrongly sometimes and i did say nothing major happened, just a few little off's, if explained exactly what happened it may cause a meltdown.
unMTFU and go see a medical professional.
I took the following day off, had a hot bath and just tried to keep moving by walking around resort, this combination seemed to work, so I got back on it.
You would imagine if you managed that then you haven't broken your spine! 😉
Sympathy to you, no medical advice. This is how I would handle it, try to ignore it away until forced to deal with it. Blokes eh?
maxray - Member
I took the following day off, had a hot bath and just tried to keep moving by walking around resort, this combination seemed to work, so I got back on it.
You would imagine if you managed that then you haven't broken your spine!
that, although tongue in cheek, is kind of my point, i'm hoping it's just a big old bruise (internal, luckily nothing shows externally, albeit slight swelling which is being hidden by my recent gut expansion)
Really??Accident and Emergency!!!
It was a question, hint, for the OP.
go and see a GP.They will refert you to other medical services if required.
A&E, get an xray if nothing else, esp if you have any tingling in your extremities ?
I'm no doctor but I would say A&E straight away. If there's any chance at all that something broke or splintered then there's presumably also a chance it could move and poke your spinal cord or some major nerve.
I imagine this would be A VERY BAD THING
A&E won't mind you turning up for something that has the potential to be very serious.
My mum fell off a horse, St. John's ambulance scooped her up clumsily and took her to the first aid tent. It turned out that she'd broken her neck and it was sheer luck that nothing moved and paralysed her. Six months in hospital, six in a wheelchair but then thankfully ok. Sorry to be a doom monger but you can't take chances with your back or neck imo.
I am not a doctor but I reckon you've broken your tailbone, which is very painful.
Get theee to a doctor and ask for a referral for an x-ray. A&E will only refer you for an x-ray anyway?
No conjugal action then 😉 get yourself to a doctor, how old are you, now I am an old fart crashing really takes it out of me, used to just jump up and get back on these days it hurts like hell for ages.
go and see a GP.They will refert you to other medical services if required.
Except your GP doesn't have access to Xray or are spinal experts.
A&E.
And yes don't be a c@ck in future, get proper insurance. Plus sounds like you are accident prone 🙂
I'll look into a quick trip to A&E on the way home i think.
Accident prone - not really, that's injuries sustained over my 35 years, yes the majority in my twenties and this the latest, is the worst I've had for a very long time.
Given that it happened over a week ago it's neither an accident or an emergency... go to your GP and get referred
How about a trip to your local, friendly walk in centre this afternoon? They often have x-Ray on site or can refer quickly.
If your GP is anything like mine you will be waiting a week for a non-urgent appointment
Given that it happened over a week ago it's neither an accident or an emergency... go to your GP and get referred
That is the 'correct' answer. However as above GP can not Xray, are not spine experts.
If they refer, referrals take days. Turning up at A&E takes minutes. Unless the OP is having us on about his level of pain, and the type of injury, then he has every justification for going to A&E, although yes he is bloody stupid for not getting medical attention in the resort.
Honestly. Why they hell haven't you already been?!
Some people!
(Re Darc - surely a drop-in centre? Some of which are also A&E?)
A&E! I fell down some steps two weeks ago (wet feet / tiled floors / idiocy) and the pain was quite impressive. Quick trip up A&E after a few days of barely being able to walk and they confirmed that it's "just" bruising and muscle damage. Still hurt like a bastard but I stopped worrying about it.
If you've got a Minor Injuries unit closer than A&E, try that first - they'll likely be able to whisk you away for an x-ray if required but should be less busy. That said it took me five minutes between walking into the A&E and seeing a consultant here...
Maniac!
[quote=DaRC_L ]Given that it happened over a week ago it's neither an accident or an emergency... go to your GP and get referred
I was kind of thinking that - one time I went to Minor Injuries they commented that they shouldn't be treating me without a referral as the injury was a couple of days earlier (though they were prepared to ignore it on that occasion and thought I wasn't being that unreasonable - I went to them on a Monday having injured myself on a Saturday and didn't want to go to A&E when MI were closed on the Sunday given something non life threatening I thought might not need treatment).
It's tricky though with the current waiting times on the NHS - as mentioned a referral might take a while, though I presume it might still be possible to get an instant referral to A&E for x-ray as I got 25 years ago when I went to my GP with a painful wrist a little while after injuring it. As mentioned a non-urgent GP appointment would be a while - I'd argue that in this instance it is urgent, but it seems a waste of GPs urgent appointments. Hence walk in centre if there is one available, though ISTM that despite my comments above it's the sort of thing Minor Injuries should be able to deal with.
Just to go off at a bit of a tangent, given current waiting times for normal appointments (it's almost 2 weeks at my GP - I'm now booking in advance with a plan to cancel for things which might sort themselves out in that time!) I feel a bit awkward when I really need to see a medical professional in less than that timeframe but could wait a couple of days. It appears the only option is to take an "emergency" appointment, as I have a couple of times with a post-op infection. It feels like an intermediate option is needed.
Currently looking at 2 weeks for an appointment at my GP!
and the pain is quite real, too much MTFU you see, that and not wanted to loose out on an expensive holiday.
Sui, get it checked with x-ray at Minors or an A+E, today.
I am definitely qualified to comment here and while I'm hopeful that healing will be under way by now, you need to be certain what has happened and what you now need to do about it..
And don't be such a numpty next time.
Maybe wear back & coccyx protection?
highlandman - Member
Sui, get it checked with x-ray at Minors or an A+E, today.
I am definitely qualified to comment here and while I'm hopeful that healing will be under way by now, you need to be certain what has happened and what you now need to do about it..
And don't be such a numpty next time.Maybe wear back & coccyx protection?
Cheers, i have always had a camel back or back protector when doing thesekind of things, for some reason i decided that i wouldn;t do that anymore.. 😳
As a gp, I'd say go to a&e. I could see you today but if I want an X-ray of anything other than a chest my local hospital requires 2 working days notice to book an appointment and the report comes in the post 7-10 days later. So I'd still be telling you to go to a&e. The difference isn't about getting the X-ray done today tomorrow whenever, it's about it being looked at and correlated with your clinical signs by a dr who is trained to deal with trauma, in an environment where it can be properly managed.
From the mechanism of injury it is quite possible that you have a featured vertebra or worse. This needs seeing to today.
You wouldn't want a phone call in 2 weeks from your gp to tell you you'd got a broken neck (happened once a few years ago in my practice)
😯featured vertebra or worse.
Have just called 3 WIC's/UCC's, all need to be booked and those that don't wont have x-ray availble after 16:00. So Epsom A&E it is on my way home. Not sure how i explain this to the missus, she'll hear A&E + X-Ray = certain death and no more snowboarding, cycling, aggressive walking.....
given current waiting times for normal appointments (it's almost 2 weeks at my GP - I'm now booking in advance with a plan to cancel for things which might sort themselves out in that time!)
My last experience was ok at GP - on-line booking meant I could get an app't in a couple of days & then referral to a 'walk-in X-Ray' dep't at my local hospital. I went the next day was in & out in an hour.
Have just called 3 WIC's/UCC's
You would have been wasting your time too.
They potentially could have done an xray, and then a nurse may have reviewed your Xray, IF they thought something was up they MAY have then called the on Call orthopod at the local hospital to review the x ray, which would have taken more time.
So your banking on a nurse being able to interpret an x ray and possible spinal injury at a MINOR injuries unit, and or wait for a 3rd opinion over the telephone, or you could just save time and effort and go and see the expert in the first place.
on-line booking meant I could get an app't in a couple of days & then referral to a 'walk-in X-Ray' dep't at my local hospital. I went the next day was in & out in an hour.
Again ok for a 'condition that's happened over time, but not Trauma.
referred to local cottage hospital for xray. Xray then gets put bottom of pile for review by hospital doc, hospital doc then contacts GP with results, GP contacts patient with outcome.
Again all time. Just go and see the person who can help 🙂
Theres a time and place for following correct procedures, and a time for knowing when to bypass them...
Theres a time and place for following correct procedures, and a time for knowing when to bypass them...
No need to bypass the correct procedure, the correct procedure is attend a&e. or ED as its now known.
Works well when your walk-in centre is also your big A&E dept. You don't have to worry about the injury severity threshold yourself, and how long ago it happened; also they have whatever kit they need to escalate should it be required.
OP - how did you get on? 4 hrs in you should either be on your way home, or on the way to getting banned from sport for life 😆
Still sitting in a and e, couldn't get out of work until gone 6, then have an hour drive! More painkillers provided by Triage nurse pending the poking of doom.. Will update when they take me to the big boys room..
I hope the wait isn't too long! Post a photo of the X-ray when you get it...
Still sitting in a and e, couldn't get out of work until gone 6, then have an hour drive!
Finally....
It's like being told off by your mum this place...
It's like being told off by your mum this place...
You've been seen then?
I hope you've got clean pants on
No was referring to STW. Still waiting. 4 hours now.
My partner fell while climbing a ladder in a cave in France. She fell about 10 feet onto her back with a hard object in her pack. Similar story to yours. Incredible pain. Got her out of cave, she could walk, etc but took strong painkillers and had to consonantly have hot shower to get any relief. Eventually after a few days I persuaded her to go to A&E after we got back home. The Doc didn't want to Xray and said it would be bruised and she should get some rest. We insisted on an Xray, to which he reluctantly agreed. When he got the Xray he immediately saw a fractured vertebrate ("Only" a fractured process rather than a break through the spinal column) and then said she should stay in the hospital! Anyway, we escaped, she got to wear a bolt-on back brace, and she carried on with her life as normal (including jogging etc) till it was taken off after about 6 weeks. All been OK since (18 years and counting).
Fingers crossed it is nothing too bad. Good luck
Just been told there is a backlog of people, some of whome have been in the department 13 hours today. I'm going home, and will go back tomorrow.. I've got a stash of co-codomol at home which will do for now. 🙁
Now hang on either it's that bad you need it sorting, or its ok and you can wait and go through your GP. I assume you are now back there this morning (6am)
Bit confused now...
Which hospital is that, there 4hr breach scoring must be horrendous !
Minor injuries clinic is a lot faster than a&e, they can do the x-rays and sorted me out pretty quickly when I rode into a tree a while back. You're surrey hills aren't you? Horsham has one and I believe Woking as well but you'd need to check.
Funky, I've got some work bits to do, but will be going back in. Co-codomol is doing its thing. It's Epsom A&E, I didn't want to go, but sitting on rock hard chairs is painful and I was knackered, there was at least another 2 hour wait, going back the day after isn't going to change much..
Which hospital is that, there 4hr breach scoring must be horrendous !
Quite. 13 hours? Just go to a different A&E.
Not sure if it will work, but worth a try since it is obviously now not urgent. Try ringing the hospital switchboard and asking to be transferred to the Fracture clinic. Explain to receptionist in FC that you feel you may have broken a vertebrae and ask for an appointment with a consultant. Tell them how long you waited in A&E. If you did go through A&E they will be referring you there anyway and the hospital knows how busy A&E is so should be able to get you a slot with someone who will actually be able to do something.
Sorry OP you have lost favour with me. Either you are ill and need immediate treatment or you don't. Wasting valuable resource by turning up and then going away because you can't be bothered waiting, and then going back is not on.
Edit - Welshfarmer, I can assure you that won't work, and is just stupidity
Sorry OP you have list favour with me. Either you are ill and need immediate treatment or you don't. Wasting valuable resource by turning up and then going away because you can't be bothered waiting, and then going back is not on.
Apart from presumably a bit of triage, he's not wasted any resource, just entered an overwhelmed/dysfunctional A&E and been told he'll be sat there on a hard chair in pain possibly for the next 12 hours or so. Taking himself away and returning at what is hopefully a less busy time for the department actually helps them.
That little bit of triage does use resources though, that's the point. Ok alone OP hasn't created the 12hr breach, but he has contributed to it.
Obviously that unit is pushed as it is and turning up and then deciding to leave isn't on (even OP has admitted he only had 2 more hrs to wait) he will go in again this morning and the whole process will start again.
If you are ill enough to require A&E then you stay there until you are seen.
For the OP's reference, most ski resorts have a walk-in centre with x-ray equipment. So you could have got yourself sorted out there and then.
Ah, somehow missed the 2hr bit, although I suspect that was a bit optimistic if they have had other folk in the department for more than 12 hours. If I had invested four hours, I guess I would have stuck it out for two hours more.
Presumably the 12-hour waiters have been seen, but there is nowhere to admit them to.
****ing hero! 😯
I'm with FunkyDunc, I think you're either ill or not.
Stop wasting everyones time at both A&E and on here.
Surely a week on from the original injury you must have drawn your own conclusions, as to what the injury may be. As an obvious outdoor person, you must have an idea what is wrong.
Time to MTFU and get it seen to properly, stop procrastinating and asking for sympathy on here.
+1 for minor injuries clinic if the hospital has one, quicker and quieter than waiting in A&E in my experience. I wouldn't bother going via your GP first though in your circumstances, they'll either just refer you to the hospital for an x-ray or send you home saying it's bruising (but that won't give you peace of mind as GPs aren't 100% accurate).
well this turned sour.
Yes another 2 hours is/was optimistic, i also have a young family at home who are all ill, so it's not fair on them either. I took up at most 10 mins of time. I've since phoned them again this morning, potentially up to another 6 hour wait, so no improvement. I'm trying to get a cancellation at the local docs as wasting A&E time is not what i want. Though i do of course appreciate certain peoples ability to understand what pain i must or must not be in! cheers. Not looking for sympathy, it was a request for thoughts.
Pay no mind to the internet tough guys.. Ugly men with small penises and uglier personalities are always gonna bitch and moan 🙂
It's very worrying to have an injury that could be serious..
I borked my knee five years ago, and faffed around before getting it seen to, as a result it's still knackered now and I'm sat in pain today..
Try to get an x-ray asap
You do need to get seen though. Are things any better at St Helier?
[quote=Sui ]I've since phoned them again this morning, potentially up to another 6 hour wait, so no improvement. I'm trying to get a cancellation at the local docs as wasting A&E time is not what i want.
It doesn't sound like A&E wait time is likely to change, GP will just refer you back to A&E (that or be useless). You're just going to have to suck it up, that or MTFU and take your chances. Not trying to be rude about you wasting anybody's time here, but it appears the only way to be seen is to wait - that or find a minor injuries clinic as has been recommended several times.
Sui,
Firstly roger was right "dont follow dave as hes a muppet!" :o)
secondly have you tried guildford A and E? might not be such a long wait?
thirdly hope you aren't to sore, i am getting flashbacks to the pain from falling/swallow diving of that bridge in verbier, morphine does wonders until its run out! So get yourself sorted!
Iain
If you are ill enough to require A&E then you stay there until you are seen.
It's very worrying to have an injury that could be serious..
Get seen and quit putting everyone else and your perception of what they will or wont say in front of being checked out. NOT getting it sorted could be a lot worse than the hours and hours waiting in hospital.
Ref St Helier not so sure, they now act as the "proper A&E" and epsom is more "A".
Something that pushed me to use A&E (other than the welcomed advise above), is that i dislocated a shoulder many years ago (snowboarding for the first time), it was popped back in at the time but like above i wasn't prepared to loose a holiday, so munched my way through painkillers for 4 days. I never got it seen to in the UK and as such it's pretty knackered, and as the years go on it hurts more, I was a lot younger then, so bounced and healed a little better, so as some said there is a real concern.
I've got a phone call at 12:00 today to try and get into an WIC/ACC/MIU as it should be easier as i'm working from home!
i do of course appreciate certain peoples ability to understand what pain i must or must not be in!
tbf their judgement might be informed by your having seen out the rest of your hols without seeking medical attention and then coming back home, going to work and being ok to drive back and forth to a&e etc.
You should probably get it looked though. Sooner or later, when you feel ready.
doris, yes i remember that the rescue people then weren't too happy! And Rog, well.... yeah, he always says kind words..
Are a and e departments really that busy at the moment? Perhaps setting an alarm and going in at 3/4am could be better? Obviously not a friday/Saturday night.
I would bring a sleeping mat to the A&E and lie down on that, with some head phones, and chill out.
Why sit on chairs when you can lie down eh? 🙂
Arg! Sorry to hear about this, Sui!
Must be something in water over there - I'm also back at work with a bad back. Hurts to cough, and I have a tickly, phlegmy cough - I can't really wind up enough pressure to clear it!
Not as bad as yours though - just some tweaked muscles. Couple of days and I should be fine. Not even sure quite when I did it, probably just a slightly awkward fall somewhere in Lech/Zug yesterday, didn't feel it until I got out of the car at the airport.
Good luck with yours!
Cheers Ned, my entire party seems to have come down with a snotty lurgy thing, right pain in the back (pun intended). Did you manage to get over to Warth, brilliant over there!
Yes another 2 hours is/was optimistic, i also have a young family at home who are all ill, so it's not fair on them either
probably more fair than having a useless dad that can barely move after waiting weeks for medical attention
doctor appnt at 4! So the ball is rolling now.
legend, you have a valid point, but as i can move OK for now, i prioritised family. I've also got an absolute shed load of work that quite literally is worth my house to sort.
Off to Radiology at 08:30 tomorrow with my biff chit. Doc's initial impression was more worried about top of pelvis and lower back as opposed to coccyx. Anyway, X-Ray tomorrow morning will tell us more.
X-Rays done, nothing serious, maybe some slight hairlines, some fluid was making it a bit harder to tell, but the x-ray doc is giving them a look over to report back. Oddly enough, my butt crack has now turned purple, a full week after the incident!
They wont as a matter of prcedure X-ray the full coccyx as there is nothing they can do, so whilst there is now some lovely colours appeared (no pics unless you want to see a hairy butt crack), we still don't and wont know if the coccyx has sustained any cracks etc.
Top marks for Epsom Radiology though, in and out of a walk in within 20 mins!!
We told youto see your GP first for assesment.
This raises a point regarding the latest NHS 'crisis'. I read so much in the press about people clogging up A&E that I would be far too guilty to attend if I fell off my bike.
I have a couple of mates with debilitating pain from untreated fractures and bone damage. Both were put off visiting A&E because of the guilt of being self inflicted injuries in otherwise healthy young(ish) people.
I think I'd have to be carried in.
Pictonroad - swings and roundabouts. By not sorting something when it happens, it worsens outcomes = more cost to the NHS.
The OP suggested he was in agony so people suggested A&E. However OP clearly wasn't in agony as it turns out as he couldn't be bothered waiting. If you need A&E you need it.