What could these symptoms indicate?

I’m really looking for some insight on what could be causing lower abdominal pain combined with blood in the urine. My mom hasn't been doing well at all over the last two weeks; she’s dealing with constant pain, and lately, there's been blood in her urine. She’s had bladder pains before, but she always brushed them off since they were just short bursts, but this is different. It actually got so bad recently that we had to call 911. The paramedics came out and gave her an injection, which seemed to help for about two hours, but then the agony just started right back up again. She’s 66 now, and back when she was 31, she fought through a spinal tumor, which she thankfully beat, but she's been dealing with lingering issues ever since—mostly minor bladder incontinence, some pretty rough digestive issues (constipation is a real struggle for her), and she walks a bit slowly. Honestly, if you saw her walking down the street, you’d never guess her age or everything she’s been through. She’s such a fighter. On top of the physical stuff, our family has always dealt with a lot of stress because my brother struggles with schizophrenia, and she’s had a super strained relationship with my dad, so she’s basically carried all that emotional weight on her shoulders for years. Anyway, getting back to the crisis at hand... as much as she hates being a burden, things are getting really tough. She’s resistant to going to the doctor, and since we don't have a car right now, it’s just making everything harder. So, my main question is: what could these symptoms point to? What are we looking at here? If anyone has any advice on how to handle this or what to watch out for, I would seriously appreciate it. I’m feeling totally torn right now, trying to juggle my own health issues and keeping up with my college coursework while also trying to figure out how to take care of her. There are seven of us living under one roof—me, my brother, my sister, her kids, and my parents—so things are always busy.
Thanks in advance...

Emergency, someone get me a doctor! It’s actually wild to me that nobody can just toss someone into a car and get them to an ER or a clinic immediately, you know? I’m talking about getting those tests done right away.

Scott Davis32 said:we don't have a car ..

I’m sorry, but I’m not sure how that factors into this. 😕

The wife was already quite ill, her health issues just kept getting worse, and now she's in really critical condition.
Is there seriously nobody in the whole family who could drive her to the hospital?
Don't you guys have taxis or Ubers out there?
Just call 911! Instead of asking for an injection, explain the situation clearly—maybe even emphasize how bad it is 😉—so they can get her rushed to the ER.
Or maybe try reaching out to her primary care doctor?

jadesailor14 said:I'm sorry, but what on earth does that even have to do with anything?😕

The woman was seriously ill, she’s still dealing with heavy health issues, and now her condition is critical.
Does nobody in the entire family know anyone who could drive her to the hospital?
Don't you guys have taxis where you live?
Or just call 911? Instead of asking for an injection, maybe just explain everything clearly (and hey, feel free to exaggerate a little 😉 ) so they actually take her to the ER.
How about having a serious talk with her primary care physician?

Honestly, my mom can be so incredibly stubborn sometimes! Do you really think we aren't trying our absolute hardest to convince her to go to the hospital? Blood in her urine at her age is absolutely no joke—we all realize how serious this is, it's just that she doesn't! She just brushes it off like, "Oh, whatever," because she just wants to avoid pain in the moment, pop a pill, lie down, and move on with her day. I swear, I don't know how to make her listen... The thing is, she's been dealing with these issues for years now, and she's developed this mindset that none of it really matters. And get this—she hasn't seen a gynecologist in 15 years! I literally found that out for the first time just yesterday when she mentioned it. I was just sitting there like, 😲 Mom, seriously?
During the most high-risk years, through menopause and everything, how can she just look at it and do nothing? As for her doctor, things got a little messy because her regular doctor retired recently, and now she's seeing this young girl who looks like she just graduated from med school last week. It feels like she's just making stuff up; she's like, "What am I supposed to give her? I don't know anything," blah blah blah. I really hope she gets her act together soon. We need to sit down and have another heart-to-heart with her, because whenever she starts feeling a little something, she just refuses to 😢
Anyway, thanks for the advice!

Scott Davis32 said:My mom has these moments where she just reacts so strangely. You’d think we were trying to convince her to go to the hospital, but blood in the urine at her age isn't some minor thing you play around with—we all know that, except for her. She just brushes it off, thinking if she pops a pill and lies down, everything will be fine and she can just move on. I honestly don't know how to force her hand. The problem is, she's dealt with these issues for years now, and she's developed this mindset that none of it actually matters. I found out yesterday that she hasn't seen a gynecologist in fifteen years. I was just sitting there like, 😲 Mom, seriously? During the most high-risk years, through menopause and everything, how is that even possible? And she just stares blankly...
As for her primary care doctor, things have been a mess lately. Her regular doctor retired recently, and now she's seeing this young girl who basically just graduated from medical school and is making things up as she goes. It’s frustrating because the doc doesn't seem to know anything. We're hoping she gets her act together soon; we need to sit her down for a serious talk, because when things start acting up, my mom refuses to 😢
Anyway, thanks for the advice.

Look, if you don't force her to see a doctor, she’ll probably end up with sepsis and a massive fever, and then you'll be dragging her into the ER unconscious. This sounds like a severe case of cystitis—a bladder infection. Try explaining to her—and yeah, scream and yell if you have to—that if she doesn't get treatment, older people actually die from this.
All she needs to do is provide a small urine sample for testing, get some antibiotics, drink plenty of cranberry juice, and take a urinary antiseptic, and the whole thing will be sorted. She's being incredibly stubborn.🙄

Just because she’s a young doctor doesn't mean she lacks expertise. In fact—if they have enough drive—younger physicians often bring cutting-edge knowledge to the table that more seasoned doctors might have missed. This really seems to be about how your mom is articulating her symptoms, rather than any actual lack of skill on the doctor's part.

Furthermore, if your mother is unable to get around, you should call her physician and request a home visit.
Aside from the blood in her urine and the pain, does she have a fever?
It could be a severe bladder infection. However, she needs to undergo some basic testing and likely start an antibiotic.
Given her medical history, there are quite a few possibilities here.
Since she hasn't seen a gynecologist in 15 years, there is a chance she is experiencing vaginal bleeding and simply misidentifying it as blood in her urine...
You mentioned your mother is a fighter. She’s clearly weathered plenty of storms, but this doesn't look like "fighting" to me—it looks like someone who is just exhausted by life.
Since you care about her, try to persuade her to see a doctor. If a neighbor has a car, maybe ask them for a favor.

I'm concerned that calling 911 won't actually solve anything. Aside from pain meds, the most they might do is transport her to the hospital for observation. And honestly, they might not even do that if they decide her symptoms can be handled through outpatient testing.

No matter how you slice it, regarding that young doctor...

Melissa Garcia51 said:I’m worried calling 911 won't actually solve anything here. Aside from some pain meds, they might suggest a hospital stay, but honestly, if they decide her symptoms can be handled through outpatient testing, she might not even get admitted.

Based on what I've seen before, it could definitely work. If you call an ambulance over the weekend, given how bad these symptoms look, they'll likely rush her straight to the ER. They'd run all the necessary tests on the spot—including a urine culture—and get her started on antibiotics immediately.

Melissa Garcia51 said:I’m worried that calling 911 might not actually solve the core issue. Aside from getting some pain relief, they might eventually suggest she be admitted to the hospital. And honestly, they might not even do that if they decide her symptoms can just be handled through outpatient testing
.
..

And I honestly don't see the downside here! 😕
They'll run all the necessary tests and get her the treatment she needs
.
I actually know a few people who dealt with this recently where it wasn't even an emergency at first
. The local paramedics showed up, sorted things out immediately, and gave clear instructions on what follow-up care was needed—which, of course, didn't happen
. Then they had to call them back once, then again, and eventually, our "doctor-avoider" hero ended up stuck in a hospital bed for a few days after a mountain of tests and a full treatment plan were finally put in place
. So trust me, it's definitely not like the EMTs just show up, give a quick shot, and leave without caring
.

jadesailor14 said:so what's the problem with 😕
running all the necessary tests and getting treatment

I've seen a few cases lately where things weren't even that urgent
an ambulance was called to the house they handled the immediate issue and laid out exactly what needed to happen next—which, of course, didn't happen
so they called them back again, and again, and eventually, our "doctor-avoidance hero" ended up hospitalized for several days after a mountain of tests and a prescribed regimen
it's definitely not like the paramedics just give a quick shot and call it a day

That is precisely the point. That is the crux of it. And it’s a bad thing.
Waiting until a situation spirals out of control just to end up in a hospital bed.
Even then, there's a chance they just get an injection and sent home.
Or, they might just be rushed to the ER, given the most critical tests, and then released for outpatient follow-ups.
In an ER, they never run every single test—only the absolute essentials.

Perhaps it would be better to go to immediately to a doctor.
On top of that, it certainly helps when a professional outlines the necessary steps if the patient is being stubborn.

And generally speaking, regarding emergency calls—some people act like hypochondriacs or even borderline arrogant, while others won't call even when it's a life-or-death situation. Sometimes the ambulance can't make it because the location provided was wrong. Besides, the term "emergency" speaks for itself.

Melissa Garcia51 said:That’s exactly the point. That’s what I mean. And it’s such a shame.
Waiting until things get so bad that they end up in the ER.

Oh, totally, we all know how it is 🙄
but some people just dodge the doctor until things go completely south.

You can't force anyone to visit their primary care physician, or follow up with a specialist, or go for those routine checkups if they aren't interested.
Plus, sometimes it's just a logistical nightmare for them.
But once that person is actually doubled over in pain, someone else finally steps up and calls 911.
Or they'll grab a neighbor to drive them to the hospital in the middle of the night and really put the doctors through the wringer.