pain... ohhh the pain

Well on New years eve I began not feeling well, just kinda tired and "not good". New years day I woke up really not feeling well. I was chilled and freezing. I would cover up and then start getting clammy throw the blankets off and freeze. But no fever. All the while my stomach would cramp and twist up. I was not eating anything bad. About 3 pm my husband said we should go to the ER. So we went and sat there for ever. Finally was seen, they ran a basic CT to see if I had Kidney stones. I do, but they are not in the tubes. They said they had no idea why I was in so much pain but gave me 2 doses of diladed and waited. several hours later and still in pain, I asked them to call my surgeon to see if he had any thoughts about what could be wrong. 

 

My surgeon called back and told the ER Dr. he thought it could be an ulcer, scar tissue or a stricture. So the ER Dr gave me some vicodine, diagnosed me with general stomach upset and sent me home.  I was told to call my surgeon the next day. So, I called the next day and was told he would review my ER records and get back to me.... well I waited all week and through the weekend and three phone calls later, still had no idea what they wanted me to do! 

I finally called back this morning and demanded to speak to him personally. The gal who does triage said, Well let me go look on his desk to see what the orders were.. she gets back on the line and tells me... OH MY GOD, he Did review this and had put a note that you needed to be seen in office-That was last Thursday!!! ugh, Of course she has no idea why she didn't see the note. 

I was scheduled for a check up this Wed, so she said just keep that apt and keep taking the vicodine until he sees you.

Let me get to the pain- it comes in waves. sometimes there will be no days at all and I feel okay, other days the pain is just waves most of the day. Sometimes the waves are small and feel like my stomach is just  a little twisty, but the real ones, the bad ones.. are almost a gallbladder attack kind of pain-except I don't have a gallbladder! It feels like someone is reaching in and twisting my whole insides around-a stabbing and throbbing all at once pain that goes around my whole middle-to my back. I can't sit still and nothing makes it better. 

Then tonight, a new symptom. I feel full.. like bloated, over full, way up high. it's uncomfortable to take a deep breath and there are little twinges of pain. Except, I have not eaten anything except a cracker since about 12 cause I'm not feeling well. 

I don't know what is wrong with me, but I do know it's something and it sucks! 

I'm so sorry you're having such a hard time. It's been a rough few days for me, too, so I understand the frustration with the docs and my own body. If the pain is that bad, maybe you should go back in to the ER? It may force the surgeon to get his butt moving a bit faster. Or you could wait until after hours and speak directly to your surgeon's on-call. Sometimes it's easier to get a hold of the covering docs and get an immediate answer than it is to get in touch for the surgeon directly.

My husband wants me to go back to the ER. I just hate to be one of those people who say there is something wrong with me, but  no one knows what it is so they  look at you like you are crazy. I am an EMT, so I guess maybe I over think too much about what the ER/DR staff will think of me. 

 

My Dr is the only one in his practice, there is no on-call Dr. if you call the after hours, you get a nurse who tries to help you and if she can't she pages the surgeon. In his defense I don't think it's him. I think the gal was supposed to call me back and just never did. I think even if the notes were in his office or in hers, she's the one I talked to and she should have followed up with me. He's always been pretty good about getting back to me-until now. If this pain tonight gets much worse, I will have no choice but to go back to the ER I think. 

You didn't ask for my opinion, but I think you should go in and I don't think you should wait. I'm a nurse and I totally understand the reluctance of going to the ER for something that doesn't involve frank bleeding/uncontrollable vomiting/head injury, but I really think that this is a case where you should go. Particularly as it sounds like the pain meds aren't touching the pain.

Call the nurse and TELL her to page the doc. When you get to the ER, ask them to do an MRI or a barium swallow (or both). CTs are useful, but you don't get much detail with them, as compared to an MRI.

Have you been able to keep down clear fluids? If not, you may need IV fluids, which is reason enough to go to the ER.

I'd head back to the ER some of those symptoms you have are the ones I've had with my internal infections especially the cold/clammy and the way you have described the pain- I would have them make sure there's no collections of fluid forming anywhere via a ct, my first "collection" was forming over quite a few days before the pain really amped up, I was vague, uncomfortable, feeling bloated and having trouble regulating my temperature.theres obviously something not right you need to be an advocate for yourself and go down to the ER and insist they look into properly for you- I don't want to see anyone deal with the crap I've been through and I have my fingers crossed its not that.

good luck Hun,I hope it gets figured out and sorted ASAP 

Maybe your appendix! Idk but that is how I felt when mine were infected.