Thanks again, Trysha.
During all of this, I have found that I can be quite impatient awaiting results. I am clearly one of those "instant gratification" individuals.
I am hopeful of the pill cam. Perhaps it may see things that the other tests may have missed. I don't consider myself particularly plagued by symptoms, but they hang around nonetheless.
I have found a couple of threads with eerily similar stories, but am doubting whether or not I really fall into the IBD category. I should state that I am also scheduled for a hydrogen breath test sometime in February or March, I believe. I suppose if all else fails, perhaps that one won't. I know that anyone who has gone or is currently undergoing these tests feels my pain and that is somewhat of a comfort.
In September I went into the ER after about 5 hours of intense abdominal cramps, several loose bm's, and intermittent nausea. I initially believed that I had bad gas cramps, as it is not unusual for me to have gut-wrenching ones from time to time that eventually pass with the gas. These, however, were nearly unrelenting; relapsing into only slightly less painful cramping for a few minutes only to once again wrack me with intense pain that had me in the fetal position and a cold sweat coating my face. The doctor in the ER gave me an anti-spasmodic, anti-nausea meds, and fluids and told me she thought it was just "something viral". The only test they ran was a blood panel which indicated a high wbc and not much else. I distinctly recall her telling me that to run any other tests seemed unnecessary and would be expensive (which, to be honest, I was somewhat grateful for when my bill finally came through.)
However, for the following couple of months, I struggled with very frequent, very urgent diarrhea and/or loose stools. I actually felt like my life revolved around my bathroom. It became the norm to frequent the toilet between 8 and 10 times a day and the cramping, though mild by comparison to the night I went to the ER, was persistent. I had several appointments with my GP in those months, where I was given a pelvic exam first, then referred for more blood labs (wbc had returned to nearly normal count) and an abdominal ultrasound, suspecting it may have been my gallbladder acting up.
After clearing all of those, I was finally able to convince her to give a referral to a family G.I. who had me scheduled for a colonoscopy and upper EGD within an hour.
Thinking back on it now, I was never given any stool tests and question that a little, but at least it brings you up to date with where I'm at now.
I should state that this is not my first rodeo with abdominal issues. I have had at least one other abdominal ultrasound in the last 5 years for suspected gallstones that came back negative, and have had a fecal occult test in the past for an unrelenting bout of diarrhea that lasted about a month or so, although I cannot recall the results of it now.
Anyway, long post I know, and am sorry to burden you with it. It is nice for me to finally be able to share with people who know the tune to this and other stories, though.