What the fuck is wrong and do I really want to know?

[IamSam]

Me, I'm not too pleased this evening. I have been having a bewildering array of symptoms for a while now - every bone in my body began hurting sometime back, and now they're hurting even more. I give an involuntary yelp of pain if Wyn or one of the cats happens to jump on me. I'm exhausted often. My immune system seems to have gone south for the winter without me, and I've already had 3 bouts of colds/flu so far this winter. My digestive track has gotten in on the fun, too. I either have a case of the runs or else I haven't pooped in a week.

I finally went into my primary care, and he decided we should start with a clonoscopy screen. All that miserable golightly stuff (a gallon!) you have to drink the night before to get cleaned out, then being driven by a friend 50 miles to the nearest digestive health specialist and fifty back. Can't drive myself because they have to knock me out to peek up my butt.

I know something's wrong with me, but I can't get a real sense from my own body if it's major or minor. What if it's cancer? What if the colonoscopy doesn't show anything and I end up having to spend weeks taking a bunch more invasive diagnostic tests to find out - what?

What if it's fibromyalgia and I get to spend the rest of my days on an oxycontin high? I sure could use an oxy tonight, I'll tell you that. Then again, maybe my pancreas is finally doing a payback for all those years when I consumed massive amounts of booze.

I go in on Tuesday and I can't help but feel a tad apprehensive over what I may find out when I come round from the anesthetic.

[Aliantha]

Did they test for glandular fever? That's been pretty rampant around here and your symptoms seem pretty similar.

Don't stress about what you don't know about yet Sam. It could just be an every day viral or bacterial infection and one that's very easy to cure. Just go through the steps until you have a reasonable diagnosis. I'm sure you're going to be fine.

It could be lupus!

[Griff]

Wow sounds rough.

[Spexxvet]

Hope you get things straightened out. In the mean time, watch this.

[Sundae]

Sam it is ALWAYS worth knowing.
I presented a range of minor but debilitating symptoms and found I had liver damage.

I've had various other symptoms since my diagnosis and now have a scan booked.
I get my latest blood test results on Wednesday, although I have already had a call from the surgery to ask me to make a routine appointment (the Doctors have a bizarre idea of how long you have to wait for a routine appointment - I probably wouldn't get one before the end of the month if I was booking now!) so I'm not too worried.

It's always worth knowing. And sometimes you even have have to push to get a Doctor to see the wole picture anyway.
Good luck.

[IamSam]

Thanks, everybody!

I have had a crazy day for various reasons - none health related. However, with all that went on, I didn't have time/forgot to eat. I was supposed to stop all intake of solid foods at 6pm tonight, but as it turns out, I haven't eaten since late yesterday which may be contributing to the latest wierdness. Who knows?

I came home this evening and mixed up that vile concoction some pharmaceutical ad man mis-named "golightly." Drank it at half hour intervals as directed, wretching the entire time. Took the laxative pills they gave me exactly at the time given by the directions. And...

Nothing. The directions said that most people will feel the effects in an hour and rush off to the bathroom to do their duty. I have friends who have had colonoscopies, and they all told me that the runs the night before are awful. Oh, yeah? Four and a half hours and not a thing.

I did go into the bathroom to trim my bangs since I was getting tired of waiting around. I started wondering if my non-response to the gunk they gave me is serious. The directions claimed it is and informed me to alert my doctor in the event of any such non-development.

Anyhow, I got out my scissors and began to trim away. Anyone around the Lost Corners who has a serious medical condition gets treated elsewhere if they know what's good for them. We're lucky to have a rural health clinic and the only pack of specialists around are the members of the local coyote choir.

It occurred to me that a trip to University Hospital in Denver may be in my future. University Hospital offers just about the best treatment anywhere in Colorado and probably a few other states, as well. I wondered where in the hell in Denver I could stay. I can barely afford the gas money for an 800 mile round trip to Denver, never mind paying for lodging for the x number of days it might take to get a diagnosis and a start on whatever treatment.

Which made me think of my old friend, Cicero. Back in the day, I could have just crashed at her place and we'd of had a blast. But she left Colorado years ago, and I have no idea where she is. Last time I checked, none of our mutual friends on FB knew where Cicero had gotten to, either. Poof! Be well, my little tiger - where ever you are.

When I finally came back to the present after thinking about all of the above, I saw that I had mindlessly hacked away alot of other hair besides my bangs. Not good. In fact pretty damn awful - like the time I tried to cut my own hair in the 6th grade. Well, figuring out how to make the best of my bad hair night and probably bad hair morning will at least take my mind off the rest.

Except for being incredibly hungry. I want to eat everything I can find in the kitchen, but I'm limited to broth and apple juice. I bet the test will be called off in the morning when I inform the specialist of my curious non-response to the gunk he prescribed. But I've stuck it out this long. Might as well go to bed and see if anything happens in the morning. If I can sleep for the hunger pangs. Ain't my life a bitch?

Originally Posted by Sundae

Sam it is ALWAYS worth knowing.
I presented a range of minor but debilitating symptoms and found I had liver damage.

That sucks, Sundae. One good thing is that the liver is usually pretty good at repairing itself if the damage hasn't gone too far. I hope that will be the case with you. Wouldn't surprise me a bit if my own liver is contributing to my woes. Dog knows I've put it through just about everything humanly possible and beyond.

@ Spex: Thanks ever so much for the link to the world of incredibly strange diseases. A few hours on that site and I'll be having nightmares for months!

[Chocolatl]

Hope you were able to get some sleep, and good luck today!

[Clodfobble]

Sam, if you still haven't started going as of this morning, use a Dulcolax suppository. Any grocery store or Walgreens or whatever should carry them. Not fun to put in, but things will start moving. They won't do the colonoscopy unless your insides are empty, so you'll need to do something drastic unless you want to go through the nasty golightly experience again at another time.

[IamSam]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Sam, if you still haven't started going as of this morning, use a Dulcolax suppository. Any grocery store or Walgreens or whatever should carry them. Not fun to put in, but things will start moving. They won't do the colonoscopy unless your insides are empty, so you'll need to do something drastic unless you want to go through the nasty golightly experience again at another time.

Wouldn't a suppository only take care of the lower part of the colon? It's a moot point anyhow. Since by time I read your reply, it's time to start getting ready to leave for the hour plus drive to the specialist in Durango. Finally went this morning, but not the clear stuff that indicates an empty colon.

Think I will call specialist before I leave and ask if he still wants me to come. What a drag!

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by IamSam

Wouldn't a suppository only take care of the lower part of the colon?

At the risk of being too graphic... The stuff you drink just liquefies the section of stool that it is a part of. It doesn't really speed up transition time much at all. If you're already constipated, the blockage is likely low in your intestines, and all you've really done in that case is put a lot of liquid pressure behind it. The suppositories, by contrast, contain a medication that stimulates muscle contractions (gently, it doesn't cause severe cramping or anything) so that you are actually pushing out what's already in there, and then the liquid stuff brings up the rear, so to speak.

Hope you were able to get your procedure done after all. From what you've said, I worry about that hour-long drive...

[Sundae]

Clodfobble knows her shit.

[BigV]

Sorry

Wrong thread for lunch. -Ttyl8r

[IamSam]

Originally Posted by BigV

Sorry

Wrong thread for lunch.

No kidding! The good news is that I won't need to post about that tiresome procedure above anymore. Long story short, they got me in and did a thing or two that allowed them to proceed with the test and give me a clean bill of health in that regard. YAY! No more rounds of gagging down eye of newt syrup and no predictions of impending doom just because I didn't respond to that gacky stuff the way I was supposed to.

Bad news is I still don't know what's wrong. I wonder what new diagnostic torture my primary care doc will think up next. I already have appointments for so much blood work that even Dracula would be impressed. I'm due to get radiated, as well, and also have my very bones checked out.

To top things off, the digestive health people got very upset with me today when they learned that I've started taking 6 - 8 aspirin a day to deal with all the pain I've been having, Guess I'm a very bad girl and should go ask my primary care for narcotics instead. Great. If they're gonna turn me into a drug addict, I'll insist on going first class - no wimpy percocet for me! I want oxycodone or dilaudid to be my drug of choice when I show up at the rehab!

Anyhow, thanks to anyone who has read my whiney thread up to this point. I promise I'll post only fun stuff as quick as they get me going on the strong narcotics.

[infinite monkey]

Glad everything came out ok on the procedure.

Really, it isn't fun AT ALL. At least you can rule that out.

When I hurt my back neither vicodin nor percocet really made a difference, unless you can feel MORE like someone is driving a spike into your lower spine. Insist on the best, sam, insist on the best.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by IamSam

To top things off, the digestive health people got very upset with me today when they learned that I've started taking 6 - 8 aspirin a day to deal with all the pain I've been having,