- Joined
- Oct 21, 2012
- Messages
- 47
Eight years ago I started having bouts with loose stools. It was rather unexpected, one afternoon, as I was walking to the public library. I noticed all of the sudden I had to go really bad, but there were no bathrooms around. I was next to a post office, and so I went in there trying to find a bathroom, but to no avail. So, being downtown, I walked to the event center where I barely succeeded in not having an accident. I had to call a cab home because I was terrified I would have another incident.
Over the next few months, I noticed I was having more scanarios, and so I went online and found something on IBS. I had no pain, no craps preceeding the bouts (or after for that matter), no fever, no discomfort, and no problem sleeping or eating. In a nutshell, I had nothing wrong with me that I could tell. However, being worried, and having no GP, I went to the E.R. one day to find out what was going on. I had blood test taken, and everything came back "perfect". The E.R. doctor referred me to a specialist, but I didn't go because not only was I told my blood work was good, but I didn't have insurance, so I didn't make it a high priority because I presumed I had IBS, which was fairly common and not so threatening. So, I learned to take Immodium everyday to lessen the bouts that I had, so that I could function socially without worry.
This all was fine up until about two years ago, when I began losing facial weight and having grease in my stool, or fatty stools as its sometimes called. It worried me because, although I still wasn't having any acute symptoms, and felt fine, I was losing weight without trying. So, I went back to the E.R., and was told the same thing. Blood work was fine, and I was referred over to a specialist, or gastroenterologist. This is when I was tested for fecal fat test and found I was only absorbing about 70% of my daily fats. This was a year ago. My doctor then told me he didn't know what was going on, and although I mentioned celiac and crohns, and colitis, he didn't seem like he had any idea. He basically set me up for every test to figure it out. Right before my colonoscopy, I was called and told that my insurance wasn't accepted and I would need to pay out of pocket. I was floored. So, I found another GI. (btw, I'm a college sophomore, and I work 3rd shift making about 8 bucks an hour with my own personal bills)
I found another GI and after waiting a month to get in, I had a different insurance, which was better, and a new hope. The doctor seen me, said he could tell I had lost weight, pushed on my stomach, everything was soft and there was no pain anywhere in the abdomen. He asked me if my thyroid had been tested and I said I didn't know, but later on I found out it did and it was normal. He sent in a test to see if there was inflammation involved, but I never got those test results back so I don't know. However, he scheduled me for a colonoscopy and endoscopy, and the day before my procedure I was told my insurance would not cover the cost because since I had loose stools before the tests, it would be considered a pre-existing condition and the insurance company wouldn't cover it. I was told I would need to pay for the procedure ahead of time before the procedure, but I would also have to pay for the solution liquid stuff before the test becuase insurance companies this year weren't covering it. Six months later, here I am again waiting.
In order so that I maintain my weight, I have been drinking Ensure's twice a day. I have increased my caloric intake by a third, so I'm eating more, though if I have celiac I'm not helping because I'm eating more gluten probably than ever before. I'm managed to be pro-active about my struggle by doing everything I can to help the problem, at least until I can get insurance again when my fiancee and I get married in two months and I can be put under her policy. And by this time I may have saved enough money to pay for the $800 dollar procedure anyway. But, the biggest issue I have is depression, because all of the weight I've lost has came from my face and hands, but mostly my face, which looks all sunken in. Sometimes I get told things like, "you need to put on some weight"....like I don't know. :yrolleyes: And when I'm told this by people I work with, it doesn't help. And I've really done all I can do right now to help it.
At any rate, I'm frustrated to say the least. I hate sitting around not going to a doctor when I know I need to, but I have no choice. I'm stuck sitting around, watching myself lose weight, in addition to being made a mockery because of my "silent disease" that I still don't know what it is. Had I more acute signals or signs like you would have when your brain tells you to go to the doctor, like pain, bleeding, etc. I would have seen a doctor eight years ago, but to this day I don't have any....ANY. Nowadays I have little signals like after I eat popcorn, I will get what I call eye-headaches, but which I later found out was probably uveitis. I also get these headaches when I drink malt-shakes, or eat something that doesn't digest well. I'm also lactose intolerant, in that I can't have a lot of dairy; I'm not completely lactose introlerant. I have to take Immodium everyday, otherwise I'm in the bathroom 15 times a day, even through the night. I have no pain, no problem sleeping, or anything else outside of this.
That's my story.
Over the next few months, I noticed I was having more scanarios, and so I went online and found something on IBS. I had no pain, no craps preceeding the bouts (or after for that matter), no fever, no discomfort, and no problem sleeping or eating. In a nutshell, I had nothing wrong with me that I could tell. However, being worried, and having no GP, I went to the E.R. one day to find out what was going on. I had blood test taken, and everything came back "perfect". The E.R. doctor referred me to a specialist, but I didn't go because not only was I told my blood work was good, but I didn't have insurance, so I didn't make it a high priority because I presumed I had IBS, which was fairly common and not so threatening. So, I learned to take Immodium everyday to lessen the bouts that I had, so that I could function socially without worry.
This all was fine up until about two years ago, when I began losing facial weight and having grease in my stool, or fatty stools as its sometimes called. It worried me because, although I still wasn't having any acute symptoms, and felt fine, I was losing weight without trying. So, I went back to the E.R., and was told the same thing. Blood work was fine, and I was referred over to a specialist, or gastroenterologist. This is when I was tested for fecal fat test and found I was only absorbing about 70% of my daily fats. This was a year ago. My doctor then told me he didn't know what was going on, and although I mentioned celiac and crohns, and colitis, he didn't seem like he had any idea. He basically set me up for every test to figure it out. Right before my colonoscopy, I was called and told that my insurance wasn't accepted and I would need to pay out of pocket. I was floored. So, I found another GI. (btw, I'm a college sophomore, and I work 3rd shift making about 8 bucks an hour with my own personal bills)
I found another GI and after waiting a month to get in, I had a different insurance, which was better, and a new hope. The doctor seen me, said he could tell I had lost weight, pushed on my stomach, everything was soft and there was no pain anywhere in the abdomen. He asked me if my thyroid had been tested and I said I didn't know, but later on I found out it did and it was normal. He sent in a test to see if there was inflammation involved, but I never got those test results back so I don't know. However, he scheduled me for a colonoscopy and endoscopy, and the day before my procedure I was told my insurance would not cover the cost because since I had loose stools before the tests, it would be considered a pre-existing condition and the insurance company wouldn't cover it. I was told I would need to pay for the procedure ahead of time before the procedure, but I would also have to pay for the solution liquid stuff before the test becuase insurance companies this year weren't covering it. Six months later, here I am again waiting.
In order so that I maintain my weight, I have been drinking Ensure's twice a day. I have increased my caloric intake by a third, so I'm eating more, though if I have celiac I'm not helping because I'm eating more gluten probably than ever before. I'm managed to be pro-active about my struggle by doing everything I can to help the problem, at least until I can get insurance again when my fiancee and I get married in two months and I can be put under her policy. And by this time I may have saved enough money to pay for the $800 dollar procedure anyway. But, the biggest issue I have is depression, because all of the weight I've lost has came from my face and hands, but mostly my face, which looks all sunken in. Sometimes I get told things like, "you need to put on some weight"....like I don't know. :yrolleyes: And when I'm told this by people I work with, it doesn't help. And I've really done all I can do right now to help it.
At any rate, I'm frustrated to say the least. I hate sitting around not going to a doctor when I know I need to, but I have no choice. I'm stuck sitting around, watching myself lose weight, in addition to being made a mockery because of my "silent disease" that I still don't know what it is. Had I more acute signals or signs like you would have when your brain tells you to go to the doctor, like pain, bleeding, etc. I would have seen a doctor eight years ago, but to this day I don't have any....ANY. Nowadays I have little signals like after I eat popcorn, I will get what I call eye-headaches, but which I later found out was probably uveitis. I also get these headaches when I drink malt-shakes, or eat something that doesn't digest well. I'm also lactose intolerant, in that I can't have a lot of dairy; I'm not completely lactose introlerant. I have to take Immodium everyday, otherwise I'm in the bathroom 15 times a day, even through the night. I have no pain, no problem sleeping, or anything else outside of this.
That's my story.
