The pain returned and for sure it wasn't the kidneys that were causing it.
The bladder has been functioning well with the prostate medication.
But the pain at the kidney area wouldn't let up. The pain then travelled down to the legs. Numbness, weakness and tingling sensations soon became frequent episodes. Bad backaches and abdominal pains became an everyday routine.
I went for an X-ray and MRI yesterday and the results confirmed what the orthopedic suspected. I have a disc prolapse. I also have multiple Tarlov's cysts in the sacral spinal canal. These cysts most likely have been the cause of my bladder problems and severe abdominal pain during the last few months. On top of that, I have extremely weak back muscle.
Click on Tarlov's Cyst to read more about it.
You can also click HERE to read.
Tomorrow will be my first physiotherapy session. They will be teaching me on how to exercise my back to strengthen it. The orthopedic has also given me specific nerve vitamin (Methycobal) to strengthen the nerves.
On a brighter note, the rest of my spinal discs are healthy. Our discs are actually composed of 80% water. In order for the discs to function properly, it must be well hydrated. He said my discs look like a 20-year-old person's discs. That made me very happy. It's only that one particular disc that has prolapsed. Plus, the cysts.
May the pain be gone as physiotherapy and lots of back exercises begin tomorrow!
P.S: I feel like taking this report and slap those doctors in their faces who said that I was imagining the pain, I wanted attention or that I was stressed out (thus the pain)! Haha!!!
Showing posts with label MRI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MRI. Show all posts
Friday, 6 November 2015
Saturday, 5 September 2015
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.
----------------------------------------------------------
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.)
----------------------------------------
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.)
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.
----------------------------------------------------------
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.)
----------------------------------------
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.)
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