"large amount of retained stool"
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"There is a large amount of retained stool in the right and left
hemiabdomen
suggesting findings of constipation but the bowel gas pattern is otherwise
nonspecific and unremarkable with no gross bowel dilatation or obstruction.
Present are lower left pelvic vascular calcifications or phleboliths
without otherwise significant abnormal calcification overlying the kidneys
or the course of urinary tract. Bony structures in the partially imaged
lower spine, lower ribs, bony pelvis, and hips appear unremarkable."
"Large amount of retained stool suggesting findings of constipation
without
otherwise gross bowel obstruction, nor acute intra-abdominal abnormality."
Hello (my name)
The xray you completed
today showed pretty significant constipation. I recommend that you try a
laxative powder to clear things out and keep you regular at least on days when
you are not working, I will send glycolax to the pharmacy for you to try. You
can take 17 g daily on days you don't work. I often recommend that you take it
daily until you are going more regularly and then cut back to 2-3 times per
week or as needed. Let me know if you have questions.
Sincerely
Dr (name)
When I first saw the letter, I overreacted because it sounded drastic. Upon closer examination, however, it seems like "large amount" is only one level above average. The average would be "medium amount". Or am I overanalyzing it? Semantics and pragmatics. I have zero medical background.
In a way, I felt validated, because, for many years, bowel movements have taken a long time, often 15-30 minutes or above, and taken a lot of effort and exhaustion and rapidly getting worse.
Anyone with any medical background, or without medical background, what do you make of the above letters?
39 years old,
150mg testosterone per 2 weeks, been on testosterone for over five years
5'3
120#
autism, clinical depression, anxiety disorder,
Age 37, one time, ate four packs (8 ounce each) of Epicurean Solutions exotic bean salad and one Kit Kat. (fecal incontinence). That was the only time it's happened thus far, but many close calls.
12/25/2022, four packs of ten ounce la Cascada lentil salad.
12/26/2022, 12:30am woke up urgent liquid bowel movement. took two hours. then back to sleep. woke up again and defecated again.
Usual day:
12 servings wheat bread
9 servings vegetables and fruit total (broccoli, spinach, tofu, bananas, mangos, carrots)
2 servings dairy (milk, cheese, greek yogurt)
2 servings meat (chicken, turkey)
one dessert
When the situation gets worse, what are the worst things that could happen? Surgery, colostomy bag?
What if I take Glycolax and it doesn't work, or it makes my symptoms worse?
I am worried that I will need medical treatment that Medi-Cal refuses to pay for and I won't be able to afford it.
Also, my day job is manual labor, and I am paranoid that as I get older, I get physically weaker and slower and will not be able to continue working.
On the way to and from work, there are not enough bathrooms open to the public. The bathrooms at work are often out of order. If I take a prescription medication with the side effect of diarrhea, I am afraid that I will not be able to get to the bathroom on time.
How big of a deal is this?
How do I change my diet (on minimum wage and microwave only)?
no known allergies (or maybe undiagnosed)
Thank you very much.
0 likes, 1 reply
dan73 worthlesscorpe
Edited
Hi. As you may have found out by now, the medical report does not mention anything wrong with your bowels. Pelvic vascular calcifications or phleboliths are incidental findings. Many people your age have small harmless calcifications that show up on a CT scan or X-ray.
The treatment your doctor suggested is a temporary measure meant to help clearing your constipation. From what your are writing, you have a fairly diverse diet that includes fruits and vegetables. The only thing I noted was that large amount of white bread that you are consuming. You could try to get your daily amount of carbohydrates from more diverse sources like: oats, potatoes, pulses, pasta, rice, couscous. Even better if you would choose whole grain pasta or rice or seeded bread.
Pulses can be bought canned and reheated. Oats can be eaten raw for breakfast with milk as muesli with optional fruits and nuts. It is also easy to prepare oat porridge in the microwave. Rice and couscous can be prepared in the microwave.
And it is very easy to prepare baked potatoes in the microwave. Prick the unpeeled potatoes with a knife and place them in a covered container. Microwave for example 2 potatoes for 4 mins or until soft.