Yet another update/3 month appt.

I had my 3 mon. appt. yesterday. I was really hoping to see my surgeon - who my appt. was scheduled with. However, he was running an hour and half behind and they were starting to reschedule his afternoon appts. it was so bad. So when I showed up an hour early - because my Diatitian appt. was rescheduled because she was sick -- and I was already in town....*have you kept up w/this? LOL* They took me back and told me that I would see Debbie the PA. I saw her awhile ago and she was the one who told me I was eating something I shouldn't be to be sick all the time. Anyway - I bit my tongue and said sure send her in. But I expressed that I "REALLY" wanted to see Dr. Sunby. I told her what was going on. She went out in the hall and talked to Sunby. Then came back in and said "he was just in there your liver is just fine. there were no cysts on your liver and even if there were people live w/them all the time. No need to have the Contrast CT scan." I said "good don't want to anyway" We talked about my weightloss. She feels it is very good and what I am doing is fine. My B-1 is rather low and so she rx thiammine for that. I mentioned a few other things and then was on my way. I talked to the Coordinator for a while which was a good morale booster that I needed. On my way home my PCP - Mary called. I told her what Dr. S and Debbie said about the CT scan and she said that the cyst on my liver wasn't the only reason why radiologist reccom. more testing. She was very vague and said that there was also an abnormal soft tissue mass on my bladder. She encouraged me to keep the CT scan and was going to discuss it w/2 of the other drs in her office. Then today I made the appt. w/urologist. I got the run around to begin with and then just said "I've had it. If you can't/won't make the appt w/o seeing the CT scan then forget it. I will call my pcp and she can make the __ appt. I am more than frustrated if you can't tell and ready to throw in the towel". The nurse was very nice and said she was sorry. I had tried to explain to her what has been going on and she didn't listen. just kept saying she needed the ct report. after i lost my cool she was more willing to listen. So she made the appt. w/Dr. Hahnfeld for next Friday. She asked me to bring the films with me and so forth. Then later in the day she calls back when I was on my bus route. I return her call -- My appt. was changed to earlier in the day. Because she called the hospital and talked w/the radiologist and got the report and films of the CT from Monday. The appt. is now for a cystoscopy. Because there is concern of "mass" on my bladder. She also didn't go into detail just said the test on monday is crucial. Then Mary (pcp) calls back last this afternoon. Told me what was going on and why it is so important. Apparently there is what is called -- I am not spelling this right I know because I can't find any info on the internet about it..... "Uracho Remanent" If anyone knows what this is or how to spell it please let me know. Mary told me that it is when the umbilicus and bladder don't separate after birth like they are supposed to. In return causing a cyst that will get infected and cause problems later on in life. I said "Well, gee I'm 30 yrs old don't you think it would have caused more problems before this" She said she didn't know. Just knew this is what it was and that if this "thing" doens't go away on its own like it should have it generally requires surgery. Okay - see I know now why she didn't say anything. So that is my rambling update. If you got this far bless your heart!! Gala 305/242/???? 5"4'

Hi Gala Dear Sister my heart goes out to you. It is bad enough not to feel good but to have to deal with so many that don't seem to care is awful. I hope this new test will reveal what this mass is and it will be something easily taken care of. You hang in there. I keep you in my prayers. Have a better day today!!! Alfie

I wish I could say more but all I've got is a 'hang in there.' I'm glad you're keeping us up to date and it sounds like you're starting to feel better (a little bit anyways). Love, Hydi

Hi Gala, you got me curious with your post so I did some research. I first I thought you might have meant "umbilico remenant" so I did a search on that. One of the results mentioned "urachal Remant". I think that's what you want. I briefly browsed the article and it mentioned bladder problems. So I really think this is what you want. urachal remnant Good luck. Keep us posted. Melody

Thanks Melody. I have a friend who works at a medical research company and she asked her boss who is the main dr. there. They sent me some info too on it. He told her that 99% of the time regardless of age that you have to have it surgically removed. Generally it is infants/toddlers who are dx with it. This might sound kind of stupid on my part but I have decided that if that is the case and I have to have it removed I am also having a tubal ligation done. I don't have the physical or mental ability to have any more children. My dh will not have a vasectomy - had the date and everything and then didn't go threw with it. It is a long story. Anyway, the only thing that would keep me back from doing it is that this other surgery would be in Madison and my OB is in the town where I live. And so I would have to go back to my old OB who didn't want to do the tubal to begin w/when I had my last baby. So anyway such is life. Thanks again, Gala

Gala I would think a surgeon is a surgeon and it shouldn't matter who did your tubal. Ask the surgeon who will be taking care of your problem to do the tubal at the same time. They're going to charge you anyway for the two different surgeries so I wouldn't think they would mind doing it at the same time. Ask. All they can say is "no". Just a curiosity here - were you having bladder problems prior to your WLS and just didn't recognize it for the seriousness that it was? Melody

I will find out this stuff this week and see. Like you said it doesn't hurt to ask. No, I haven't always had problems with my bladder. I have had problems with "peeing" on demand or lack of having to go. However, since my WLS it has been MUCH worse. And I have had constant infections. I never had a UTI infection till Abi was born and then again when Bryant was born. When I was pregnant my OB made a comment both with both pregnancies - when I had the 24 hr urine test that it wasn't very much. When I had my last baby I had UTI infections for a a month afterward but then was fine. Hard to say. I have had MANY CAT Scans before and this has never shown up. Which makes me think it could/is something else. My last CT was when I was in the hosptial few days after my WLS because I was having pain where my gall bladder was and my surgeon wanted to rule out some things. So who knows. Time will tell. Gala