Contact Me

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The Doctor is Wrong

Granted, I went to a specialist, but my problem is not his specialty. This appointment has been scheduled for two months. Maybe I should repeat what he said, "There is no evidence that there is anything wrong with your kidney, liver, pancreas, or gall bladder, according to the test."  According to the test....I was put in one of the doughnut things--CT Scan? Oh, he did say that I had a minor bit of fatty liver infiltration, much less than most people, and should not be causing me a problem. My lymph nodes in the mesentery are hazy. I am not sure what that means? How should they be?

Oh, there is a kidney stone way back in the kidney, not moving in the last 15 years. The report said something about the lymph nodes show up as hazy...???

There must be a reason I feel nauseous within three to fifteen minutes of eating some things. I become so ill, feeling like I am going to throw up. So far, I have been able to make a partial list--cheese, glass of milk, Miracle Whip, butter, olive oil dressing, ice cream, greasy hamburger or not greasy hamburger, and other things. What do they all have in common? Oil, fat, grease--however you want to put it.

Sometimes, I am bent double with pain in my right side under my ribs. My daughter who had her gall bladder removed assured me it was my gall bladder. Lots of people think the same. Eating fruits and vegetables has no affect, does not cause me pain. I do not want it to be something serious. I don't want to go from doctor to doctor and be labeled a hypochondriac! I cannot lie on my right side much at all because of worsening pain.

I went through the same thing with my thyroid. Since I had 30 days of insurance left, I insisted, pressured, quoted my daughter's high concern, quoted a fellow teacher who had a doctor for a cousin, and I prevailed. The tests showed a small lump behind one side of my thyroid. "Let's watch it." No, now I have 27 days of insurance left. I have said, "No, thank" you to major surgery, three times, including a Cesarean. The small lump behind my thyroid turned out to be a 1" sphere, not tiny, a type of growth that eventually becomes cancerous.

This is something I am determined to see through. It is not natural to have an organ hurt. If someone puts an arm around me at a certain place, I experience severe pain. It feels like a rock is in my side as I sit here.

This is all stuff I have said before. I just have to embolden myself to keep up this quest.  Okay, I took a deep breath and caused a sharp pain. I am in pain when I sneeze or cough. This is maddening.

Repeating myself? Absolutely.

Jane of Virginia can repeat what she told me in my last post self-centered post--interesting comment.

Some people think that because my father died of pancreatic cancer at 77, that I am overly frightened and hyper vigilant. Not really. But, I do not eat many processed meats because of the nitrates/nitrites.

The only reason I am revisiting this is because I had the doctor's appointment today. My doctor is a gem, so I don't blame him. To expect him to go outside his specialty would be like asking my gynecologist to operate on my toe or treat me for my sinuses.

It's on my mind and I don't know where to turn. The gastro-enterologist is due a visit. So, my doctor said he would know all about this as a part of his specialty. HUH?

And, I need to go to a dermatologist because a dark place has been on my lip for the last six months, at least.

Getting old is not for sissies!

9 comments:

  1. Irritable bowel syndrome? Crohn's? Colitis? Have you been checked for any of those? My mom went through three years not really eating, hungry, but feeling sick when she tried to eat. It was eventually diagnosed as Crohn's. They removed part of her bowel, and she still has to watch what she eats, but she's been much better for the past 15 years.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crohn%27s_disease

    I hope you get some answers and start feeling better soon!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wendy,
    I have IBS but very rarely have a problem. I know what it feels like. This pain is mostly above my waist up under and just below my ribs on the right. I actually know people who have Crohn's and colitis. There is none of the bowel problem. I don't feel ill except for when I eat anything with fat. The only thing anyone suggests is gall bladder problems. This is maddening. Sometimes, the pain is at my waist or a little below. Just now, I sighed and felt a stabbing, sort of like a stitch when a person runs, under my ribs.

    Thanks for the link. I, too, hope I find some relief. It is not an all-the-time pain, but it is happening more often.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't remember what I said to you, but I had a negative gallbladder scan, and nausea each time I ate when I was 27 following two pregnancies in rapid succession. Because I was young and thin the gastroenterologists thought it couldn't be my gallbladder. Eventually, I passed out at work from epigastric pain (not in the upper right quadrant as would be expected.) I was scheduled for an exploratory laparotomy, and when they got in there, my gallbladder was gangrenous ! I was in the hospital for two weeks when they desperately needed me back in the ICU working !
    It could well be cholecystitis or gallbadder disease. If the stones are made of cholesterol, as they often are in hypothyroidism, then they don't show up on the scans. Keep in close touch with a decent doctor.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've known several people including my first wife and my second wife and my father who've all three had their gallbladder removed. This is how it starts. A meal with fats and then then pain begins.

    On a separate note and not to scare you, I just had a friends mother die of pancreatic cancer. Just a few years ago, this woman's brother also died of the same issue. I'd get it checked as often as your finances will allow. The thing with this form of cancer is that it very often gets to an advanced state before it gets diagnosed, but you probably know that already.

    I hope you feel better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Matt,
      My grandmother died of pancreatic cancer also, my father's mother. Out of five children, I am the only child that takes after that side of the family. I do intend to keep up with it, but thanks for reminding me.

      Delete
  5. Gallbladders don't like grease. It makes them act up. I had a gallbladder infection almost 30 years ago. I knew something was wrong when my right side hurt, kind of under the lower ribs. It hurt a lot. I hope you find out what's wrong and feel better soon.

    Love,
    Janie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Janie,
      That is the only time I have pain, after something greasy or even full fat milk. Yes, there is pain under the ribs. Thanks. I have felt crummy all day today with this pain. The discomfort and pain episodes are getting closer together. Oh, I just sneezed and it felt like I was stabbed in the ribs.

      Delete

Okay, hoping the annoyances have gone away.