The Crippling Pain, The ER Visits & THE Scope (Part 1)

The pain started last Sunday. I had thought that it was my usual (GERD) reflux problem which was acting up again. So I took my usual GERD meds - Nexium, Motilium and some milk of magnesia. There was no relief at all. This time, it became a full-blown attack which had me doubling over in pain. I increased the meds and took a double dose. The pain did not abate. And I was extremely-super-gassy.

By Tuesday I was a slow-moving-hunched-over-shuffling Evelyn. I added Ganaton to the list of meds.

I went to the ER at the hospital which is a stone's throw away from my place on Wednesday. Hubby had to take an emergency leave. When I told the doctor the list of meds I've been ingesting, he said that I was already on the highest range of medication for reflux. The only option left was to IV the medicine into my system. Since I am allergic to painkillers, this was what they could do for me.  He asked me whether I would want to be admitted! They could IV the meds round the clock.

NO WAY!

I went home after they IV-ed the meds. It gave some slight relief.

By nightfall, I could feel the medicines wearing out.

By Thursday, I could not eat more than 2 spoonful of anything. The pain came back with vengeance. And I developed a mild fever. And my stools became loose stools.

What could it be? I don't have an appendix anymore as I had an appendicitis 8 years ago. I just had an MRI done last month which covered my stomach, gallbladder, liver, pancreas, spleen, ovaries, and bladder. All my blood tests were normal.

What was this pain?

Hubby rushed back and brought me to the ER again. This time we went to the hospital where my gastroenterologist works. I actually had an appointment later with my gastroenterologist but the pain was awful and I couldn't wait for the appointment time.

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The doctor at the ER was a ........... (I'll let you fill in the blanks yourself to whatever names you can think of.)

Below is the conversation between ER doctor and me.

ER Doctor: So what pain is this you're having?

Me: It's my stomach. I have reflux and this pain which started on Sunday will not let up. (I then proceeded to tell him the list of meds that I have taking and the visit to the ER on Wednesday which I had more meds IV-ed into me.) I actually have an appointment later with Dr. Rockstar but I couldn't wait for it as the pain is horrible and I'm having a mild grade fever. Maybe you could page him to come down to see me instead?

ER Doctor: (Chooses to ignore me and looks bored to death and gives me the impression that I am either on a trip to the hospital for fun or I am making all this up just to make this trip to the hospital so that I can contribute to his September salary. He then proceeds to ask me to lie down and started to press my abdomen to pinpoint to where the pain was.)

ER Doctor: (After pressing my abdomen for awhile...) I think it's your kidneys. I think you might have stones. Let's do an urine test. Also, I would like to give you Tramadol for the pain. (Tramadol is a painkiller).

Me: WHAT?! It's my stomach that's hurting. My kidneys are FINE! F.I.N.E!!!!!! I don't want that Tramadol. Anyway, I have an appointment with my gastroenterologist, Mr. Rockstar later. I'll go see him.

ER Doctor: Ok then. (He had such a look of disdain and an air of boredom about him.)

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Hubby then wheeled me over to Dr. Rockstar's clinic.

When we arrived at his clinic, Dr. Rockstar's assistant asked to why did the ER not page him to go see me? I told them about ER Doctor's wonderful behaviour and superb diagnosis. They just shook their heads.

Dr. Rockstar was actually quite frustrated with me as I have been seeing him for the few months with this same pain in the same area (though the intensity of the pain wasn't this terrible). (That was why he had sent me to have the MRI done last month.) At that time he was worried that it was my pancreas. My grandfather had died of stomach cancer and my dad's cousin died of some stomach ailment screaming in pain in the hospital until he died. Maybe it is some kind of stomach ailment genes in our family. Imagine MY level of frustration when even my doctor is frustrated and perplexed.

Since everything came back fine, we just left it at that last month.

This round, since there was no answer, and the pain was so debilitating and crippling, an endoscopy and colonoscopy was recommended. And I was to have it on Friday morning, (which was yesterday).

The last meal was to be at 6pm and I was not to have any vegetables, fruits, red meat, bread, oats, cereal and etc. And I was to drink this (picture below) horrible-diesel-tasting-diarrhoea-inducing-drink to prepare for the colonoscopy.

(...to be continued.)