- Joined
- Feb 14, 2014
- Messages
- 46
I am so glad to find this site, and to discover that I am not alone! I have always had digestive issues since I can remember. As a young child I was always constipated and gassy and always complained of tummy-aches, but was always accused of just exaggerating and trying to get attention, because, after all, there was no fever, vomiting, etc. As I got older the bloating and gas got worse and sometimes there was diarhia sometimes constipation. I have also had other strange symptoms, like being extremely uncoordinated and sometimes light-headed. Sometimes when walking, or even just standing still I start staggering like I am drunk or something for no reason (I don't drink... that would probably kill me!) Symptoms come and go, but as I get older, they are mostly runny stools, severe bloating, gas, passing blood, passing mucus, gall-stones (a few small ones that don't seem to cause problems, and gall bladder is of normal size and functions fine) and sometimes bowl incontinence. several years ago, I went through a year with terrible constipation and even laxatives didn't help sometimes... this lasted over a year. Then I was somewhat ok for about 7 yrs, although I had very loose stools and occasionally passed blood. Then, back in 2009 everything went downhill... at 42 yrs old I was pregnant with my now 4yr old son. At first the pregnancy was actually really an easy one, but when I was about 7 months along, I got the worst, watery diahrea ever out of nowhere, and for the rest of the pregnancy and beyond, I was running to the toilet at least every half hour and couldn't even leave the house anymore. I was constantly in ER because I was so dehydrated and it is a miracle my son was born healthy, only 1 week early. I was told no tests could be done until he was born and that it was nerves, or all in my head, or hormones! After he was born I was still told the same thing, and matters did not get any better. My doctor told me maybe I had IBS, or should see a psychiatrist... and this is after I told her I had a family history of colitis and colon cancer! I changed doctors, and was told the same thing. Eventually, I ended up in ER because I was passing so much blood I thought I was going to bleed to death and had a lot of pain from my bloated gut... this is when I had an ultrasound and was told I had gall-stones and that was the cause. I did research on gall bladder disease, and decided that it wasn't likely that gall stones were causing all of these problems. I was really upset, because I kept telling these doctors about my family history (my dad is a colon cancer survivor and my grandmother had colitis and had her colon removed, and I have had other family members with colitis as well) and they seemed to think I didn't need any further testing. They wanted to take my gall bladder out but I didn't trust them and didn't have the surgery. I changed doctors again and finally, I had one who agreed that what I was experiencing definately was not from gall stones. I had a colonoscopy and tested for several forms of colitis, Crohn's, and cancer. I was told there were no polyps, no cancer, no colitis, no Crohn's... but there was lots of scar tissue, and a couple of ulcers which appeared to be healing. I was also tested for some types of parasites... all negative there too. I am so confused!!! I tried to eat gluten-free and at first I thought it was helping a little (I was still having bathroom issues, but not passing mucus ay more) but now I am getting worse again. I have to stay home most of the time, because if I have to pas gas, I had better be on the toilet... I am always having to go... at least 6 or 7 times a day, which is always soft or runny even. Sometimes I feel like I am about to have an accident and run to the bathroom and strain for 15 minutes, just to pass watery stool and blood. I also notice that about 3 to 5 hrs after I eat a meal, I develop a lump in the lower right quadrant which goes away about an hour later. I mentioned this to my doctor, who shrugged his shoulders and said "so?" like I was crazy, or exaggerating or something!!! I don't feel nauseated, and I don't puke, but I get sooo bloated... one time someone thought I was pregnant again and I was so mad!!! When my gut is empty, I have a 6-pack, so this is really awful! I have tried several meds, all of which are supposed to slow the gut down, but they make me worse... not better. Lately I have been trying a gluten free diet, which seemed to work at first, but now it isn't. Now I self medicate with tons of really strong coffee because it makes everything go through faster, offering quicker relief as I only feel ok when there is nothing in my gut. I cant even hold a job because I spend most of my time running to the bathroom, or calling in sick because I cant leave the house in case of an embarrassing accident. The worse part is that I have a 4yr old son who is everything to me, and to him I am probably just a sick, crabby mommy instead of the fun mom I would rather be. I used to have a health plan provided for by Medicaid, but I don't any longer because of all of this crazy health care reform and this affordable health care stuff... which is not affordable at all when you can barely make enough to meet basic expenses. Now no further testing can be done without insurance... I don't know what to do... I am the only one my son has to look after him, and I don't have support of family... all my friends think it is "in my head because I don't look sick" and they say I am just lazy. I don't even talk to them anymore because I am so disgusted with that attitude. I am so worried about my son and what will happen to him if something happens to me... I am so depressed, and don't know what to do anymore!
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. I have a daughter, also, who is 23! I can't imagine how scared I would be if I was this sick when they were 4 
