Hi all, my name's Craig and I'm from the UK.
Firstly, I'll apologise for the possible length of this, I do tend to talk, A LOT!
I've only recently found this community and this is my first post, but I've been reading other's stories for the last week. I have already found it a great help so thank you to all those who don't even realise they've already helped me!
My problems first began in July 10, I was at work (a maintenance engineer at an engine plant, so very physical!) and out of nowhere felt a sharp stabbing pain in my lower right abdomen. At the time I was stood still doing some paperwork, and it was painful but bearable. Within 5 minutes I was reduced to virtually being on the floor as I had crouched so low to try and reduce the pain. After 45 minutes laying down in our emergency room I felt better and went back to work.
The reason I went back to work is I had an identical episode of pain at 13 (I'm now 27) went to hospital and it cleared after a few hours!
When I finally had an x-ray as my doc suspected gallstones, all she told me was "you have a significant amount of stool in your bowel, you're blocked!" 4 months later I went back to see her as was still having pain daily and alternate constipation/diarhea. She told me "you're still not eating enough", as I told her I have one big dinner a day, with light bits when at work as I work shifts and am a supervisor. It's hard to eat 5 small meals as she suggested when I'm at work!
I went back to the docs a week after christmas as I hadn't had a bm for a week, luckily I requested a different GP and he said "there's something else going on here and made a referal for a colonoscopy.
A month later whilst still on the waiting list I had another episode of the crippling pain. When I told the GP about the previous pain at work, he said if it lasts more than half hr to go to hospital. After half hr my girlfriend said "shall we go to A & E" but I thought no it'll pass, it usually does! After another half hr of writhing in agony, and her contstantly asking I agreed!
Got to hospital and had all vitals checked, and bloods done to check for appendicitus, which came back clear. The pain eased after an hour to a bearable state (by now the pain was a daily dull ache and wasn't always isolated to the lower right, and I'd had it for a month), I was discharged to wait for colonoscopy.
A week later the same happened, this time I waited 1.5 hrs in the worst pain I've ever known before going to A&E. 3 doses of morphine did nothing for the pain and I was admitted again. Luckily about 3 hours later it eased up to the pain I was now used to, I was kept in and had more x-rays, CT, and a 'water sol contrast meal & follow through' which they said showed "a possible narrowing of the small intestine". 6 days later after being told I was seeing the gastro specialist I was instead discharged and told by the consultant "colonoscopies are not done by many people so its difficult"!
It's now 2 months later, I've had normal colonoscopy and am waiting on the follow up this Tuesday. Although the colonoscopy was normal I know I'm not! I now have daily diarhea, anything from 1-7 times, still have the daily achy dull pain, have noticed undigested food in my stool (somedays looks like I've emptied my dinner plate into the toilet!), have lost more than 2 stone in weight in the last year, have sharp stabbing pains randomly that can be anywhere in my gut, general discomfort after eating, and wake up everday regardless of what I eat in severe pain, pretty much always on my lower right side, which tends to ease up as long as a can have a bm in the morning!
Thats my story so far, I've left out some detail and info as it's already long enough me thinks but thank you to anybody who made it through and to all the others that have already helped without knowing it!
Craig
Firstly, I'll apologise for the possible length of this, I do tend to talk, A LOT!
I've only recently found this community and this is my first post, but I've been reading other's stories for the last week. I have already found it a great help so thank you to all those who don't even realise they've already helped me!
My problems first began in July 10, I was at work (a maintenance engineer at an engine plant, so very physical!) and out of nowhere felt a sharp stabbing pain in my lower right abdomen. At the time I was stood still doing some paperwork, and it was painful but bearable. Within 5 minutes I was reduced to virtually being on the floor as I had crouched so low to try and reduce the pain. After 45 minutes laying down in our emergency room I felt better and went back to work.
The reason I went back to work is I had an identical episode of pain at 13 (I'm now 27) went to hospital and it cleared after a few hours!
When I finally had an x-ray as my doc suspected gallstones, all she told me was "you have a significant amount of stool in your bowel, you're blocked!" 4 months later I went back to see her as was still having pain daily and alternate constipation/diarhea. She told me "you're still not eating enough", as I told her I have one big dinner a day, with light bits when at work as I work shifts and am a supervisor. It's hard to eat 5 small meals as she suggested when I'm at work!
I went back to the docs a week after christmas as I hadn't had a bm for a week, luckily I requested a different GP and he said "there's something else going on here and made a referal for a colonoscopy.
A month later whilst still on the waiting list I had another episode of the crippling pain. When I told the GP about the previous pain at work, he said if it lasts more than half hr to go to hospital. After half hr my girlfriend said "shall we go to A & E" but I thought no it'll pass, it usually does! After another half hr of writhing in agony, and her contstantly asking I agreed!
Got to hospital and had all vitals checked, and bloods done to check for appendicitus, which came back clear. The pain eased after an hour to a bearable state (by now the pain was a daily dull ache and wasn't always isolated to the lower right, and I'd had it for a month), I was discharged to wait for colonoscopy.
A week later the same happened, this time I waited 1.5 hrs in the worst pain I've ever known before going to A&E. 3 doses of morphine did nothing for the pain and I was admitted again. Luckily about 3 hours later it eased up to the pain I was now used to, I was kept in and had more x-rays, CT, and a 'water sol contrast meal & follow through' which they said showed "a possible narrowing of the small intestine". 6 days later after being told I was seeing the gastro specialist I was instead discharged and told by the consultant "colonoscopies are not done by many people so its difficult"!
It's now 2 months later, I've had normal colonoscopy and am waiting on the follow up this Tuesday. Although the colonoscopy was normal I know I'm not! I now have daily diarhea, anything from 1-7 times, still have the daily achy dull pain, have noticed undigested food in my stool (somedays looks like I've emptied my dinner plate into the toilet!), have lost more than 2 stone in weight in the last year, have sharp stabbing pains randomly that can be anywhere in my gut, general discomfort after eating, and wake up everday regardless of what I eat in severe pain, pretty much always on my lower right side, which tends to ease up as long as a can have a bm in the morning!
Thats my story so far, I've left out some detail and info as it's already long enough me thinks but thank you to anybody who made it through and to all the others that have already helped without knowing it!
Craig
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