For those who pay attention to such things

[ebonlock]

Sorry to be a bit scarce this week but I'm having another bad stomach week and today it's reached a bit of a climax. So I go to see the doctor again in about an hour. I'm kind of hoping she boots me over to a gastroenterologist because I'm really, really sick of having what I feel is an extreme amount of pain and nausea basically shrugged off as no big deal. It's effecting my life, that makes me a big deal. Not to mention the fact that it's been getting steadily worse despite the fact that I've cut out all problem foods, banished caffeine, and been an all around good little girl for the past 5 months. Ok, so I had one slip up after Xmas, but I paid for it, oh lord how I paid. But now there's just no reason for me to feel this ill, I swear I haven't done anything wrong to cause it this time.

I think the most troubling aspect is that I used to go for months without any kind of stomach problems at all, I just felt normal. Now I always have a low level of pain that escalates about every two weeks or so to borderline intolerable. I eat Rolaids like candy, and even yogurt makes my stomach burn like I just drank a shot of vodka.

I dunno', I got nothin'. So we'll see if this is another case of pat the woman on the head and assure her everything's fine, no big deal, or if something actually comes of it this time. I'm thinking I'll just call it a day after that instead of returning to work, go curl up fetal for a few hours and hope I can pull my shit together in time to make it to rehearsals tonight. We shall see.

Update: Ok so the doctor took me very seriously and immediately did two big things, first put me on a much stronger medication which seems to be working well so far, and second she's setting me up for an endoscopy to get to the bottom of this. Not too thrilled by the latter part of this and even the doctor looked at me apologetically when she mentioned it. Her comment was "It won't be pleasant and you'll be out of it for the rest of the day. Not unconscious, but definitely drugged." Fantastic...*sigh*

Anyway, at least I'm on my way to getting some serious answers and that makes me feel much better.

Oh, and on a completely unrelated note, don't forget that SciFi will be playing Dr. Who starting tonight at 9 pm!

Comments

[lil-m-moses.livejournal.com]

yikes. ulcer, maybe? hopefully nothing worse. I'd say just flat out ask for a referral to a gastroenterologist. I'd be surprised if she said no, especially if you've seen her for this sort of thing before.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

I've already been tested for the H. pylori virus that's supposed to be responsible for most ulcers so she kind of ruled that out a while back. But the fact that ppi's have had no effect on it whatsoever makes me think the GERD diagnosis is way off too.

[moonlightnrain.livejournal.com]

Feel better, darling. And if you have a chance sometime this weekend, please drop me a line or give me a quick call and let me know what they say? I worry about you, you know.

[eilonwey.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry that this has been going on for so long. :( I gather that it's not acid reflux, but actually pain in your stomach? I agree that it's time that they referred you to a specialist.

[rexluscus.livejournal.com]

Urgh, I'm so sorry to hear you're feeling crappy! Yes, I too recommend asking for a referral. Don't let 'em brush you off! If yogurt is making your stomach hurt, that does not sound like a routine, just-the-ordinary-aches-and-pains kinda thing.

*hugs* I hope you feel better soon and let us know what the doc says.

[divine-debris.livejournal.com]

Ack! Sorry to hear that your stomach is acting up so harshly...I hope your doctor will refer you to someone who might be able to narrow down the cause of this horrid discomfort! I would have thought by now they would have had you x-ray-ed to high heaven!

[elenderel.livejournal.com]

Take yourself to the gastroenterologist immediately if A)your MD doesn't refer you to one and B)your insurance lets you.

I say this because if Steve had waited for the MD to refer him to a thyroid specialist, we would never have known he had a tumor the size of a large grapefruit on part of his thyroid and that he needed surgery asap before it got so large that it cut off blood flow to the brain and blocked his breathing passages.

Before going to the specialist, he was repeatedly assured that his thyroid levels were normal and "that was that." When Steve announced he was going to see a specialist, the physician's assistant that was dealing with him more or less shrugged his shoulders and said Fine, go right ahead, whatever ...

So that's why I say get thee hence to a specialist!

BTW ... I don't remember that you had this problem when you were back East, how long has this been going on?

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

If you needed somebody to pat you on the head and assure you everything was fine, I would have *done* that and saved you the time and expense of a trip to the doctor's. I don't know if my bedside manner compares, though.
*hugs* Make them give you a reference to a specialist. This has gone on way too long and is way too far from acceptable.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

So suspicion has returned to an ulcer rather than simply acid reflux and I have the joy of an endoscopy to look forward to, but it's progress and I like that. She also switched my meds for short term relief, yay!

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

Yeah at first I thought I was just having really bad luck and getting a lot of stomach bugs, but it's pretty clear now that it was just this whatever it is getting progressively worse. On the plus side if it is an ulcer treating it is pretty straightforward and only takes two weeks to complete so that's good.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

No x-rays, but I'm apparently getting an endoscopy (ick) and possibly an ultrasound as well. I need to talk to mom this weekend and ask her some questions about her meds. The doc commented that what works for her will probably work for me too as there's a large genetic component involved.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

Yikes, I'm so sorry to hear about Steve. Is he doing better now? Did he have to have his thyroid removed? I had a friend out here a couple of years ago who'd had a similar problem but was doing terrifically afterwards. I hope Steven is too :)

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

Done and done, dear, and thanks for the concern. Depending upon how drugged up I am after the endoscopy I might just enjoy some hand patting :)

[moonlightnrain.livejournal.com]

Is the relief that immediate? I hope so. I'm glad they are at least taking the problem seriously. :/

[moonlightnrain.livejournal.com]

And when is the endoscopy scheduled for? I like to light candles and such, you know. :)

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Let me know, okay? I could just walk right over on Sunday. Or Monday. Or late on Saturday. *HUGS*

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

Isn't scheduled yet, I have to call Monday to set up the appointment ASAP.

[moonlightnrain.livejournal.com]

Well, I'll just keep lighting candles 'til you have a date scheduled then :)

[elenderel.livejournal.com]

He's sort-of better now; the tumor wasn't cancerous, he had to have half his thyroid removed and he was prescribed a thyroid replacement, but doctors have yet to find the correct dosage. Every time he goes back to the specialist they increase the dose, to the point where he now takes three times the dose that he was originally prescribed ... and we strongly suspect it needs to be increased yet again. He's felt terrible for (literally) a good five or six years now.

[divine-debris.livejournal.com]

Well I'm glad to hear that they seem to be taking things a bit more serious finally! I checked with Mom (her and Larissa are away this weekend at Beatlemania) she said nothing really helped her until she had her surgery but after the surgery she took Zantac and Tagamat and they seemed to work. Hope that is helpful. When is your next appointment?

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

I've gotta' call Monday about the endoscopy thingie, so I don't know when that'll be. But so far the new meds I'm on are doing *wonders*. I already feel so much better. I was able to make it to rehearsals and everything today.

[divine-debris.livejournal.com]

That's grand news! I'm so glad that the medication is working wonders currently! Keep us posted!

[elo-sf.livejournal.com]

Glad you are being taken seriously and getting this looked at (still in peru, found fast internet for a bit and wanted to act (more) normal (for me) instead of smelly and camping-ish even more)

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh, I'd totally forgotten you'd be living "rough" while there. Is camping everything you'd feared? :)