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How to deal with family during tests

Posted , 7 users are following.

ugo16585
ugo16585

Hi everyone, I am a 41 man.

2018 is being a year full of happenings.

At the beginning of the year, abdominal discomfort led me to find out I had gallstones and - almost by accident and thanks to a very scrupulous doctor - a 4cm mass in my colon - which fortunately was benign. Very rare for a 41!

But apparently I am going thorough more challenges.

Early in the summer, I started having occasional back pain. Nothing serious, just annoying, and it would come and go. During August, I had a mild pain on my upper-left abdomen, that lasted a couple of days. I dismissed that as not significant.

But then I noticed something strange in my stool.

After the colonoscopy, I took the habit to check my stool, and saw that at times they were very greasy, and that there was like an oily film on the toilet water.

4 weeks ago the pain in my back started to become more frequent, and intense, eventually waking me up at night. A nasty burning feeling between my shoulder blades.

My doctors said it could be something related to my pancreas and ordered blood tests; according to the results, he will evaluate if an endo-scan is going to be necessary.

I am now waiting for the blood test result.

I do not know how to deal with this, and I feel alone. My wife is very worried - as I am - that I might have PC.

I struggle to keep focus at work, mainly because in the recent days my back pain affects me during the day too and reminds me that there is something wrong.

My sleep is becoming poor as I wake up regularly at 3am with that burning pain between my shoulder blades, that seems to move around my spine according to the position I take in bed.

I have not said anything to my parents because I don’t want them to worry for (maybe) nothing, but I am not sure that this is fair.

What do you suggest? Should I talk to them now?

I'm also asking myself if I should speed up the process and ask my doctor to sign me for an endo-scan or CT straight away.

Thank you

0 likes, 25 replies

25 Replies

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  • south1074
    south1074 ugo16585

    Posted

    Hello i have a very similar story to you, pain for years on and off but not bad, but the last year esp. since april things have gotten progressively worse. severe back pain and right side pain, initially thought gallbladder but now seems pancreas may be an issue. i have had 2 ultrasounds, 2 ct's , mrcp, 2 hida's, all normal, except HIDA was 37% and 87% relaitively low and high.

    i have had digestive issues for years, smelly stools, diarreah, greasy floating stools.

    I am curious, did you check your amylase and lipase levels prior to the elastase test? i will try this elastase test.

    • ugo16585
      ugo16585 south1074

      Posted

      Hi South, thanks for your message.

      Yes I had the amylase and lipase and they are in the right range.

      What is the HIDA?

    • ugo16585
      ugo16585 south1074

      Posted

      PS

      the elastase test is quite useful for determining EPI.

      Elastase is an enzyme produced in the pancreas that is used in the digestion process and that is not broken down by your bowels.

      So, on normal conditions, you should have a certain amount of it in your stools.

      So if your pancreas is not producing enough of it, you won't have the right quantity in your stool.

    • south1074
      south1074 ugo16585

      Posted

      The HIDA is a gallbladder function test, it looks at the amount of bile that is excreted from the gallbladder when you eat.

  • south1074
    south1074 ugo16585

    Posted

    And to add, i am 44 and have the same horrible pains between shoulders, mostly during the day.You are a bit young for PC, but are in the age range for CP. Anyway, best of luck, the feeling horrible and not knowing is a real drag.

  • John-1
    John-1 ugo16585

    Posted

    How are things going with you?

    • ugo16585
      ugo16585 John-1

      Posted

      I John, things are OK with me, thank you.

      My symptoms were likely due to small gallstones. My feeling unwell created stress on me that made my symptoms worse.

      Last autumn I have started to take ursodesossicolic acid for the gallstones. My understanding is that it is supposed to make your bile less dens, plus giving other benefits to people suffering of gallstones.

      To make things shorts, I have started feeling better after a couple of weeks.

      I have also made a MR scan on the upper abdomen that was clear.

      I have to keep my gallbladder checked (there is a small polyp there) as well as my colon of course which is not related to the symptoms I had.

    • John-1
      John-1 ugo16585

      Posted

      Did they see the gallstones on scans? What gave them the clue about gallstones?

    • ugo16585
      ugo16585 John-1

      Posted

      They had seen the gallstones on the very first scan. It was just a normal ultrasound scan. Clue was the pain in my right abdomen.

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