Hi everyone!

[JynxGirl]

Hi there! I'm new to the forum, but have been dealing with Crohn's now for about a year.

Right now, I'm super frustrated with my doctor and my local hospital. It literally seems like I'm being ignored when I go in for a problem or when I'm trying to get more information.

This week, I started bleeding rectally on Saturday, and when I went to the ER on Sunday, I was treated like I didn't know what I was talking about. Instead of looking at my bowels, they keep trying to look at my uterus and ovaries. (Apparently being female means that any abdominal problems are located in my female parts!) I was sent home with a shot of morphine for pain and told ultrasound would call me in the morning to check out my lower bowel.

I didn't get a call in the morning, so I called them in the early afternoon to find out what was going on. They didn't schedule a bowel ultrasound, but a pelvic to check for ovarian cysts! I canceled the appointment.

I went back to the hospital on Wednesday when the bleeding increased to the point that I'd soaked through a pair of pants and my computer chair. The pain was intense and they had to sedate me just to get a somewhat straight answer out of me as to what was going on.

The ER doctor called my gastro-enterologist and told me that I should just go home and see him in the morning. (Today, a regular appointment.) My hemoglobin was a little low, but not scarily so.

So off I went this morning, determined to get some answers (and still groggy as hell from the narcotics and the muscle relaxers they gave me in the ER). The doctor kept telling me I was constipated, when I'm not. Then he said the bleeding had to be caused my hemmerhoids, but when he checked my backside, said he couldn't see any.
:grumpy:

Then, instead of putting me on a new medication like he keeps telling me he's going to, he put me BACK on the prednisone which does nothing but make me sicker and cause me to gain water weight.

I feel like I'm beating my head against a brick wall because no one seems to listen. My fiancé is frustrated with my constant health problems. My ex-husband is threatening to take my daughter away because he doesn't think I'm doing a good enough job looking after her. (That's a whole nother post...)

I guess I'm here in the hopes that someone will understand and tell me I'm not crazy.

BTW, my name is Jen, I'm 28, single (for now) mom of a 6.5 year old girl with severe autism. I'm a business owner and a soon to be house buyer. Things in my life are always stressful, but my Crohn's is definitely making things worse.

 

[Pirate]

Hi Jen and Welcome to the forum. With the problems your having with you GI I think you should check into a new GI. Sounds like they should be doing a colonoscopy to find out where the bleeding is coming from.

I hope you get results and things get better.

 

[Astra]

Hi Jen

Yes I agree, maybe time for a second opinion and a scope, doesn't sound like hemmies to me, you'd get a bit of blood on toilet paper, but not that much it would soak your pants.
So sorry you're having a lot of stress right now, that can certainly trigger things, such a viscious circle! and I feel your pain, I've just recently divorced husband, moved house and tried to hold my job down, I teach kids with ASD,so know how hard that can be, and have been off for 3 months, cos of current flare.
Try not to be intimidated by ex, he wont get custody of child, not unless the courts can prove you're unfit to be a mother, you're not unfit, you're ill!!
You're not crazy neither! a lot of us have been thro this, being told nothings wrong, no-one listening, misdiagnosis, normal blood work, normal scopes, etc I had same problem 10 years ago, they were looking in the wrong place, and I had a hysterectomy, only for the symptoms to come back, so I persisted, and got a gastro who found the Crohns
You've gotta be strong, determined and insistant, and chase your GP for a referral to another gastro.
glad you found us, we're here to support you, you're not alone, lots of friendly peeps here for advice etc
good luck and lotsa luv
Joan xx

 

[Henry01119]

Hey Jynx good luck..u on facebook

 

[Nyx]

I agree with others have said on here already. Get another GI...bleeding that much is not normal! And how can they think it's your lady bits if it's coming from your rectum??? OMG...I can't believe that. It's good that you went to the ER though, bleeding is very bad...I wound up in the hospital from that (mind you, I didn't know I was bleeding to death till I fainted). I'd demand a colonoscopy if I were you.

Good luck, hope things improve for you soon...

 

[RachLG]

Hi there Jen~ I am yet to be dx'ed, but I can absolutely sympathize with the “since I’m a girl, all of my problems must be linked to my girly parts” issue! The majority of my pain is under my ribs and to the left of my belly button, and yet when I passed out from pain and went to the ER, they did a pelvic ultrasound!...said I must have had a ruptured ovarian cyst. I had surgery for endometriosis and they did find some but “not enough to be causing my symptoms,” says the doc. I got a copy of my medical records from the doc who did the surgery and after sitting in his office pre-op saying “but none of my pain is in my pelvis…it’s all in my upper abdomen” – he writes in my chart “severe pain in pelvic/lower abdomen, consistent with endometriosis.”
I’m sorry you’re having so much trouble – I just wanted to let you know that you’re not alone! Seek a second and third opinion if you need to – you’ll eventually find a doctor who will consider you as a patient with symptoms and not just a female with normal female issues.

 

[CDDad]

Hi Jen,
I'm a big believer in the role of stress on Crohns. But, life is life and you have a lot going on!

I hope you are in an area with a good choice of GI doctors. Or maybe a city nearby for a second opinion.

 

[acg101]

Hello Jen and Welcome to the forum. I feel so bad for the troubles you are going through. As CDDAD said above, a big impact on our GI is the stress level. It took me awhile to admit that but I found in my case for sure a corellation.
Most importantly, find a new GI doctor that will listen to you and treat you with respect.
When one bleeds so much as you describe above, a scope is needed to find the source, otherwise it will get worst. I personally could not tolerate the side effects of prednison and other than the moon face it just drove me insane.
Best wishes and dont hesitate to ask us any question
acg