13th December 2007
[COLOR="Purple"]Hi,
In late 2005, I started having these episodes where I would get severe stabbing pain that came in waves on the upper-right side of my abdomen, just under the ribcage that I can point to with two fingers. The pain would start there and after about 15-30 minutes I'd feel a deep ache in what feels like my spine, and a sensation of extreme pressure around my bottom ribs on the right side, in the back. Lying down or taking deep breaths would make the pain much, much worse, and walking/sitting up or using heat seemed to help. I throw up about half the time with these, and phenergan does not help. The vomit itself is frothy/foamy and very bitter (sorry, TMI. and I know puke isn't supposed to taste wonderful, but this is really bitter). I'm actually thankful for the times when I do throw up, because that brings instantaneous relief from the pain. Sometimes I get chills and cold sweats, but have not noticed any fevers.
These episodes would usually last anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 or 4 hours, and I might have a few in rapid succession (like one episode a day for 3 days), or go for a few weeks without having one. Up until Tuesday, I would just tough it out at home, and I didn't tell anyone about them.
Tuesday morning, at about 10 am, I started having one...after having had one on Saturday (lasting about an hour and a half) and one on Wednesday (lasting about 45 minutes, and I threw up with that one). I thought, "Oh great, here we go again!" and expected to feel better in a while. Fast forward to 3:30 pm and I was still in excruciating pain. I called my mom, who knows I've been having these (they worry her) and she told me to call the doctor. I called the doctor and they told me to go to the ER. I decided to wait and see if it would go away, and at 5 o'clock, I was finally scared enough and in enough pain to call 911.
They took my history, in which I told them about 57 times that I had my appendix removed in early 2005 when I had my hysterectomy because it was calcified. Their doctor came to see me relatively quickly, and she was very concerned about the pain and nausea because not only do I have a connective tissue disorder (Ehlers-Danlos syndrome), but I have a strong history of having life-threatening complications from abdominal surgeries (obstruction, abscesses, internal incisions tearing back open, infections, etc), so she wanted to rule out obstruction or adhesions and related things. She ordered bloodwork, urine tests, and a CT scan with oral and IV contrast.
Just after they gave me the contrast to drink (or as I like to call it, *****'s Milkshake), the doctor popped her head in and said, "You have your appendix, but had your gallbladder removed, right?" and I said, "No, my appendix was removed, but I still have my gallbladder." She said, "Oh." and left.
They get the CT scan and bring me back to my room. I was told that they'd tell me something "in a few minutes". I didn't hold my breath for that, though, because I know what the ER can be like, but I did not expect to be left completely alone in a room for 7 hours, having my IV fluids run dry and the IV site start to throb, and then have a nurse come in and tell me I'm being discharged. She told me, "You don't have appendicitis, you just have a swollen lymph gland. Didn't the doctor tell you?" No, the doctor never came back to see me after the first time. I was given a prescription for Augmentin and sent on my way. I asked about my gallbladder, and the nurse responded with a shrug.
I saw my CT scan "report", if you can even call it that, and what it says disturbs me:
hx (history): r/o (rule out) appendicitis
No evidence of acute appendicitis. Nonspecific pericecal lymph nodes, mesenteric adenitis is a possibility.
How on earth can you have appendicitis WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE AN APPENDIX??? Why do I have this sinking feeling that something was missed? I mean, it's great if that's all it is, but then I feel bad for going to the ER just for THAT, and that's how the nurse treated me. Like I'd done the equivalent of going to the ER for a splinter.
Can mesenteric adenitis go on episodically for about 2 years and appear to get worse over time? I have a history of weird infections, so I wouldn't be surprised if it can. I read someone else's post on this, and it does sound like it can be extremely painful, but the nurse treating me had less then no compassion for the pain I was in.
I have the feeling that they ordered the right tests, but everything after that went down the toilet. My mom and I are still concerned about the gallbladder, and as far as we know, it was not ruled out (and if it was, we were not told, and it was not in the CT scan "report").
I'm seeing my doctor on Friday, and I'm going to tell her about all of this. I feel kind of weird telling her that I've been having these things on and off for almost 2 years without telling anyone, but I'd just tough them out and then they'd be forgotten (erm, ignored) until the next one came around. Now that I've had one land my butt in the ER, it's obvious to me that it should not be ignored, whatever it is, and I need to tell my doc about it.
So, y'all have any thoughts on this? If you've made it this far, you deserve a prize! :D
Thanks in advance for any advice. I'm just feeling really insecure about my health, how the ER visit went, and how the upcoming appt. with my doc is going to go.
In late 2005, I started having these episodes where I would get severe stabbing pain that came in waves on the upper-right side of my abdomen, just under the ribcage that I can point to with two fingers. The pain would start there and after about 15-30 minutes I'd feel a deep ache in what feels like my spine, and a sensation of extreme pressure around my bottom ribs on the right side, in the back. Lying down or taking deep breaths would make the pain much, much worse, and walking/sitting up or using heat seemed to help. I throw up about half the time with these, and phenergan does not help. The vomit itself is frothy/foamy and very bitter (sorry, TMI. and I know puke isn't supposed to taste wonderful, but this is really bitter). I'm actually thankful for the times when I do throw up, because that brings instantaneous relief from the pain. Sometimes I get chills and cold sweats, but have not noticed any fevers.
These episodes would usually last anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 or 4 hours, and I might have a few in rapid succession (like one episode a day for 3 days), or go for a few weeks without having one. Up until Tuesday, I would just tough it out at home, and I didn't tell anyone about them.
Tuesday morning, at about 10 am, I started having one...after having had one on Saturday (lasting about an hour and a half) and one on Wednesday (lasting about 45 minutes, and I threw up with that one). I thought, "Oh great, here we go again!" and expected to feel better in a while. Fast forward to 3:30 pm and I was still in excruciating pain. I called my mom, who knows I've been having these (they worry her) and she told me to call the doctor. I called the doctor and they told me to go to the ER. I decided to wait and see if it would go away, and at 5 o'clock, I was finally scared enough and in enough pain to call 911.
They took my history, in which I told them about 57 times that I had my appendix removed in early 2005 when I had my hysterectomy because it was calcified. Their doctor came to see me relatively quickly, and she was very concerned about the pain and nausea because not only do I have a connective tissue disorder (Ehlers-Danlos syndrome), but I have a strong history of having life-threatening complications from abdominal surgeries (obstruction, abscesses, internal incisions tearing back open, infections, etc), so she wanted to rule out obstruction or adhesions and related things. She ordered bloodwork, urine tests, and a CT scan with oral and IV contrast.
Just after they gave me the contrast to drink (or as I like to call it, *****'s Milkshake), the doctor popped her head in and said, "You have your appendix, but had your gallbladder removed, right?" and I said, "No, my appendix was removed, but I still have my gallbladder." She said, "Oh." and left.
They get the CT scan and bring me back to my room. I was told that they'd tell me something "in a few minutes". I didn't hold my breath for that, though, because I know what the ER can be like, but I did not expect to be left completely alone in a room for 7 hours, having my IV fluids run dry and the IV site start to throb, and then have a nurse come in and tell me I'm being discharged. She told me, "You don't have appendicitis, you just have a swollen lymph gland. Didn't the doctor tell you?" No, the doctor never came back to see me after the first time. I was given a prescription for Augmentin and sent on my way. I asked about my gallbladder, and the nurse responded with a shrug.
I saw my CT scan "report", if you can even call it that, and what it says disturbs me:
hx (history): r/o (rule out) appendicitis
No evidence of acute appendicitis. Nonspecific pericecal lymph nodes, mesenteric adenitis is a possibility.
How on earth can you have appendicitis WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE AN APPENDIX??? Why do I have this sinking feeling that something was missed? I mean, it's great if that's all it is, but then I feel bad for going to the ER just for THAT, and that's how the nurse treated me. Like I'd done the equivalent of going to the ER for a splinter.
Can mesenteric adenitis go on episodically for about 2 years and appear to get worse over time? I have a history of weird infections, so I wouldn't be surprised if it can. I read someone else's post on this, and it does sound like it can be extremely painful, but the nurse treating me had less then no compassion for the pain I was in.
I have the feeling that they ordered the right tests, but everything after that went down the toilet. My mom and I are still concerned about the gallbladder, and as far as we know, it was not ruled out (and if it was, we were not told, and it was not in the CT scan "report").
I'm seeing my doctor on Friday, and I'm going to tell her about all of this. I feel kind of weird telling her that I've been having these things on and off for almost 2 years without telling anyone, but I'd just tough them out and then they'd be forgotten (erm, ignored) until the next one came around. Now that I've had one land my butt in the ER, it's obvious to me that it should not be ignored, whatever it is, and I need to tell my doc about it.
So, y'all have any thoughts on this? If you've made it this far, you deserve a prize! :D
Thanks in advance for any advice. I'm just feeling really insecure about my health, how the ER visit went, and how the upcoming appt. with my doc is going to go.