Health Update · 7:47am Jul 17th, 2012
As many of you know, I've been very sick lately. So, exactly what the hell is wrong with me?
Good question, I honestly don't know. Neither do a half-dozen doctors.
It all started mid-May while I was in Canada. The symptoms were mild and intermittent at first, but in late may they hit hard enough to send me to the ER. I had bad nausea, acid reflux, and zero appetite, plus considerable stomach pain. Eventually I made it back to the US in mid-June, and went to two ERs there.
All the blood work and even an ultrasound of my gallbladder have been negative. An endoscopy showed that everything from the esophagus through the duodenum (the start of the small intestine) is enflamed.
It's been weeks going from doctor to test to doctor. For a short time in early July, it seemed as if it was easing up, but the last few days have been worse than ever. I just had a HIDA scan, but based on what I know of the procedure, I would place money that it will come out "normal".
I'm about to switch gastroenterologists at this point. This one spends zero time with me, doesn't listen to all I have to say, and wants to treat the symptoms rather than look for a cause. I'd say that if a month of proton pump inhibitors isn't doing anything then it's not just reflux, sir, and more proton pump inhibitors won't have any further effect.
Something is very wrong with me, but I have no idea what, and it's slowly wasting me away. I've lost 25 lbs since the start of this. I'm tired all the time, and I always feel like I'm on the verge of throwing up. I can't walk more than 150m or so without severe pain in my stomach. All I can stomach to eat are egg whites, crackers, and SOMETIMES soup. I can feel my pulse in my stomach. About all I can do is distract myself from the pain with reading or games. I can't search for a job like this and it's bankrupting me quickly. Thank GOD for my supportive wife.
I should have the HIDA scan results tomorrow. I'm praying they found something so I can fix this, but all my instincts are saying that it'll be normal, like all the other tests, and I'll be stuck with this for months at least.
-Cv
I'll pray for you