What's going on with my digestive system

I find this very interesting. I have right sided pain and my stools are pale (light orangy) and were even lighter, sort of a beige color recently. I will be seeing a gastro doctor in about a month. I hope they are as knowledgable as your doctor is.

Hi lilygirl,

Yes, I did too.  I really like this new Doctor, it pays to get a second opinion. My stools have gone from pale grey/yellow, to light orange, brown and then pale yellow again. It's really disturbing because it's like a visual reminder on top of everything else that something is not right. I'm being reassured that it isn't, contrary to what I think, a dirty great big undiagnosed terminal cancer! I've become quite the morbid cynic of late. Maybe it's a bit of the "hope for the best but prepare for the worst" motto, which I sadly tend to live by and I really wish I didn't have that mindset.

 I hope the specialist is as accommodating as my new GP and acts upon it, I'm due in 2-3 weeks but have been put on a cancellation list.

I've the second CT scan in two days, my GP seems to think that it has to be done pretty soon after an attack for it to show on the scan and even though I'm uncomfortable, the worst of it was last week but that was the earliest booking I could get. I probably will ask for a HIDA scan pending those results.

 One thing I've learnt is to advocate for myself and politely, but pointedly, ask for tests. I requested to endscopies from the previous GP because I knew that would rule out continuing to be treated for suspected gastritis or intestinal issues for months on end, which he seemed intent on doing.  I'm so pleased I did,because I now can have investigations directed towards biliary/hepatic.

My father in law died from bowel cancer after being treated by a Doctor (many years ago) for THREE years for haemorrhoids! There's Doctors, then there's real Doctors.  I wished I'd been around early in the picture to tell him to ask to see a specialist or that he had been confident enough to ask early on :-(

lilygirl, prior to the referral to specialist, have you had any pathology or diagnostic tests done?

I only ask because if you have that done, it elminates any delays you may experience with your specialist some tests aren't done.

Please update how you went at specialist and I hope you are well soon.

Hi br

No new updates I'm afraid, I'm waiting for a recent blood retest result as my last one a couple of weeks ago had some borderline results. The nurse couldn't tell me what results were borderline, all she said to me was that she was asked to retest my blood. That left me a bit confused.

I'm due a combined colonoscopy / gastroscopy in a week and a half, but this might have to be cancelled as the recent cough / cold I caught from my beloved youngling, is now a suspected chest infection, and it has really messed me up. I believe, due to the other symptoms that I've been having, that my immune system is constantly fighting these problems, but now having to deal with the chest infection on top, and it feels like my body can't cope as well as it used to. I've always had quite a good immune system, which I believe was due to growing up on farms. When a young male, the last thing you consider doing is washing your hands after letting a calf suck your thumb, climbing into cow poo covered tractors or crawling over rat infested straw bales. Whenever there's been a bug or virus going round the family, I would usually recover at least a day or two faster than everyone else, this used to really annoy my partner. This is the first time I've had any other sort of illness not related to my abdominal probs, and not only have I been ill longer than my partner and son, but they only had colds and cough, whereas I've developed this chest infection. Anyway, there is no way I'm coming off Omeprazole and have to deal with a  rebound effect whilst feeling like this, so I'm contacting the hospital on Tuesday to discuss what to do, but I've got a feeling it will be cancelled, although I'd be willing to have the colonoscopy if I've improved. Of all the times I could have had a virus/bug in past 8 months, I decide to get one now! Typical!!!

What sort of problems are you experiencing? If you feel comfortable talking about them, let us all know. I've made a point of updating this as much as possible, in the hope there maybe some answers out there, but also to try and help others who are suffering like yourself.

Anyway, I do hope your symptoms aren't causing you too much pain and suffering, I know that these sorts of probs can get you down and affect your quality of life. I'm pretty fed up with it all after 8 months, I'd much prefer to have broken my arm or leg, at least you can see why your in so much pain, and you'll be pretty sure that it will eventually repair.

Take care and hope you get better soon.

Hi tanyar

Thank you for your comments and words of encouragement. So sorry to hear that your stomach problems are giving you so much grief still, must be a real strain on you, especially when at one point it seemed like it had cleared up. I really feel for you and I hope you can get some answers and the proper treatment to sort this out.

If you don't mind me asking, how long were you on Naproxen? I was on 1000mg a day for only 2 weeks until it felt like my stomach was being torn to shreds. I was taken off them and given a week to recover, but the pain just kept getting worse, so was put on Omeprazole and thats when it all started to calm down. I've described the fact that I was under a great deal of physical and mental strain with my job earlier in this discussion, and leading up to my popped disc, which I now think was a misdiagnosis, I was feeling quite groggy most days, and my bowel movements were quite random. Some days they would be ok, but a lot of the time they were loose, smelly, dark with a lot of mucus present. I believe the stress being put on me by my employer was the start of my stomach problems, and taking the Naproxen was what finally triggered the issues with my stomach.

I do have an Endoscopy booked in a week on Tuesday, but I've got a feeling I will need to change the date, as I really can't get off the Omeprazole for the 2 weeks they recommend before the scope, due to having an horrendous chest infection. No way I am going through a rebound effect from stopping the PPI, and dealing with this infection at the same time. I find out what the hospital think when I give them a call on Tuesday to explain.

Look after yourself and I really do hope you can get to the bottom of your probs, sooner rather than later. Good luck for the future!

Thanks for that info. It does sound like you go through very similar problems as I am, and I also have a lot of stresses in my life that stops me being able to totally relax. How you've managed to cope on a daily basis with these problems is incredible, I know I would struggle. I will definitely be having the endoscopy, just might be delayed a bit, but if they are happy to do it with only a week off the Omeprazole, then it'll be done sooner rather than later. I've waited long enough to have this done, I can't delay this too much longer, although the suspected misdiagnosis in the beginning hasn't helped.

Anyway, thank you for your info, it is appreciated, and all the best!

Hi again Paul,

Are you still having your colonoscopy/gastroscopy on Tuesday or has you recent bout of flu/virus delayed that?  Fingers crossed for you that you are well enough to have the  procedure, it would be good to have that one crossed of the diagnostic list for you. :-)

As mentioned I'm due for another ct Wednesday and apparently my recent bloodwork has flagged something. I was tested for thyroid;full blood count and vitamin so I won't know until my next appt.

I still have this chronic right sided discomfort burning/pain under my right rib cage area and now have gone back to yellow coloured stools-tops! I don't know whether it's because I've been feeling unwell for some months now, but I have gone to morbidly predicting something terminal, which I know is counterproductive and somewhat stupid, but I just feel quite down atm.

I'm in the silly position of wanting to find out WHAT is causing this but am dreading it the same time and what if the second ct (which is having a particular closer look at liver/pancreas/bile/gall) shows the worse case scenario or nothing at all.  I'm whipping myself into a state of agitation before I know anything! Ridiculous of me.

Anyway, I've had my self obsessed vent, when I really wanted to wish you the best with (hopefully) your upcoming procedure, hopefully you will have answers after it's done.

 

Hi Jay

I don't think its ridiculous at all thinking the worst case scenario, anyone in their right mind would be worried, and I've had the same thoughts as you from time to time, so you are not alone. And personally, I think its pretty much impossible to not get down about the problems you are going through. In the last few weeks I've broken down in tears on quite a few occasions, then I can get angry and frustrated too. This whole episode that I'm going through is starting to affect family life, my partner was in tears yesterday cause she is so worried about what is going on, and by how much our life is dictated by my illness. Its bank holiday weekend and we should be having some fun and doing something as family, but guaranteed I'll be in pain at some point today, and probably won't be able to do much. You are only human, and its part of human nature to worry, especially when we still don't know whats causing our probs. The thing is if we show these feelings to a doctor, all they'll say is that stress and anxiety isn't helping our condition. Its almost like they think we should be able to switch off our feeling just like that, but I know I can't. I keep saying to my doc, of course I'm anxious and stressed, who wouldn't be, and then I get told to do something to take my mind off it all, but I can't do anything because of the illness and the pain I'm in, the pain is a constant reminder that something just isn't right, so the circle of worry and stress can never be broken. It feels like doctors think we should be robots or something!

I'm in the same situation as you, in regards to wanting to know whats causing all these probs, but then there's part of me that just wants to bury my head in the sand. All I can say to that is the sooner we know whats going on, the sooner we can get the treatment we need, and the sooner we can get back to normal, if the illness allows us to that is. And there's the problem we face, its all 'ifs' and 'buts' for us right now, and I know being left in limbo isn't helping me one bit. Try to stay as strong as you can Jay, its tough I know, and will take a lot of strength and will power to try and think differently. I've recently taken up learning to play guitar as I have so much time on my hands, and thought of this as a hobby, its something I've wanted to try for some time now and it does help calm me down, even though I'm pretty poor at it, but just to get a rest from focusing on the problems I have helps a lot, and it leaves me feeling quite relaxed. My partner, who also feels the stress and worry has taken to doing the wellbeing colouring book thing that was advertised on TV a little while ago, and she says that helps her a lot too. Just a idea but is there a hobby you can take up? Unless you have one already then I apologise for the suggestion.

As for my scopes next week, I'm going to see my doctor tomorrow, and get a check up as I've never had anything like this flu type virus before and it seems to be lingering somewhat, I usually get over things like this quite quickly, but there seems to be no let up right now and its been over a week now that I've had it. I'll also speak to my doctor about my options regarding the scopes, and also contact the hospital to see what they have to say but if they are happy to proceed then I will be having the scopes. It might be a case of just having the colonoscopy first as my throat and chest are so sore from the virus and all the coughing I've been doing lately, and then have the gastroscopy at a later date. This seems to me to be logical as when I had my sigmoidoscopy, signs of inflammation and bleeding were found and the consultant said that even though he didn't know what was causing this, it is more than likely the reason why I get quite ill at times. I have to say that all the major pains happen all across my lower abdomen, I hardly get any discomfort around my stomach area now, although it still can flare up from time to time, but now it only causes a nausea type feeling. My stools are like yours, quite pale, sort of a yellow/orange type colour but I'm putting that down to lack of stomach acid with taking the PPIs, and the plain diet that I am having to be on. I could be totally wrong, but I'd rather believe this than anything else. The only way I'd know if I still have probs with my stomach is to come off the PPI, but I'm not going to attempt that just yet.

Make sure you look after yourself Jay, and try not to let your problems get you down too much. I know thats easy to say, and I can totally sympathise with you, you are not alone in your way of thinking, just wish there was something I could say that may help you feel better.

Thanks for your sympathetic words Paul, I know you are going through your own private hell at the same time and can empathise.

I think sporadic and interrupted sleep is also not helping my mindset as well, on top of the pain and physical symptoms.

I'm going to start on the gardens again and catching up with all the maintenance jobs around the property, because at the moment I've almost convinced myself I have something irreversible and horrible! Lying awake during my insominiac periods thinking about my impending death!!! Lordy....

I'm quite nervous about this new ct scan, because of course I've jumped to the 'it's going to reveal something deadly', but worrying about it is not going to change one thing.

Pending the outcome of the scan, the next step is to ask for a HIDA scan to either rule in or out the gallbladder.

I know how you feel being in tears, I think the only thing that has stopped me so far is that I wouldn't be able to stop. Maybe if I catch up on some sleep that will help. The Doctor has prescribed Endone for the pain, which is effective but for me it makes me drowsy but unable to sleep at the same time.

As you can tell, I'm a bit of a sad sack today :-)

Keep in touch, I guess you will know soon-ish whether your scopes will be going ahead or not. It's funny, once I was a bit self conscious of having the colonoscopy, but pain and uncertainty has a way of wiping that emotion away.  Anyway, you truly don't remember anything about the procedure and I figure that the specialists/doctors do them that much that they develop an immunity to seeing backsides! :-)

All the best Paul and thanks for listening.

Hi Jay

Hope you are ok?

Thank you for your words of encouragement and support, it really does mean a lot and I am grateful. And its nice to see that you are keeping a sense of humour going, try to keep that up won't you, a smile and a giggle does help!

Just been to docs and I do have a chest infection, and been prescribed a 5 day course of antibiotics, so hopefully that should clear up my chest in time for my scopes. Contacted the hospital to tell them that due to the chest infection, I haven't been able to give up the Omeprazole for the 2 weeks prior the scopes, and the nurse said that was ok, come in anyway and we'll still do them both. Thats awesome news, so happy that these can still go ahead, although the results may be compromised due to not being able to stop the PPI. But if there was anything that serious going on in my stomach, then that should still be visible, and it also shouldn't affect any biopsies taken.

My recent blood test results had an elevated white blood cell count, but this is more than likely due to the fact that at the time my blood was taken, I had just started having this chest infection. All the other tests on my blood were ok.

I'll update this discussion after I've had my scopes with hopefully some news and answers at last. In the meantime stay strong, and I hope all future news you get is all good. Take care!

Hi Paul. When I had my colonoscopy a couple of months ago, I had to stop eating from 9am day before, then at 4pm take first sachet a litre, drink slowly over 2hrs. Then at 8pm take 2nd sachet slowly over 2 hrs. It didn't start to work until I stared drinking 2nd sachet. I also had to drink 2 litres of water. The colonoscopy is not as bad as you imagine. Try to relax and don't worry about it. I'm sure the stuff will kick in soon. Just follow instructions. Hope you feel better soon x

Hi Jayne

Thanks for getting back to me, and for your warm words of support and encouragement, I do appreciate them, thank you.

No need to worry, the heavens have opened now! 

Its not that bad really, bit of the tummy gripes with it but not as bad as I expected. I'm struggling more with the hunger right now, and won't be able to eat anything until about 5pm tomorrow. I'm quite relaxed about the scopes, for me the main worries have always been the Picolax prep, and the hunger. My stomach doesn't take too kindly to not having food, I get a lot of nausea and tight, sharp feelings. Still needs must, I want these scopes to be as accurate as they can be, so its a small price to pay for the knowledge that they can give.

Thank you again, and I'll update this after my scopes. Take care!