My (very frustrating) story.

[littlered7593]

Hello, my name is Brittany. I'm new to all of this and not sure who to talk to so I figured I would just find a forum for a little help.
Early November 2015 I went to see my PCP due to nausea and stomach pains. My blood test indicated my WBC count was high and he was worried I had appendicitis. So from there I was sent to the ER. Once there they did a CT w/ contrast. The results showed slight inflammation in the terminal ileum.
After that I spent 2 weeks sicker than I've ever been. Probably mostly due to my anxiety disorder and being told I have an incurable disease.
Now, finally, I've been referred to a GI nearly 6 months later. However now we're playing some phone-tag. My GI wants me to have a colonoscopy/upper endoscopy before I even have a single appointment with her but I have a lot of concerns. Most of which consist of prep questions. New symptoms have shown up since my ER visit last November. Specifically I'm very hungry. Not like "ah man I could really go for a burger", but if I don't eat every 3 hours or so I get so sick. Then after that I feel like I could never eat anything again. So here I am wondering if I could even manage to go through with the prep without another ER visit and 2 weeks of pure hell. The nurses I've spoken with on the phone either don't speak English very well and can't understand what I'm getting at or either don't care to hear what "excuses" I have. They also haven't run any tests I thought they would before a colonoscopy/upper GI series, such as stool testing. I'm really just trying not to put myself through unnecessary failed attempts at the prep.
I would really appreciate some feedback on whether or not this all seems normal or my GI is maybe just really weird? Or maybe I'm complicating things? I dunno.
Thanks for reading if you've made it this far though. :ybiggrin:
-Edit-
P.S. Since then my WBC is normal, and sedimentation rate is normal.

 

[Clash]

If a CT scan saw inflammation at the TI then it wouldn't be uncommon for a GI to order an upper endoscopy/colonoscopy. Some may do an initial consultation while other may go through with testing to have everything available at the follow-up.

If you want stool tests done could you call and ask the GI nurse if that's a possibility before the scopes?

As far as prep, it can be rough for some. And the preps vary from doc to doc, country to country. We've only ever done the miralax/Gatorade with dulcolax prep. But others have different ones they've done.

I hope you find some answers.

 

[Scipio]

Your symptoms and the CT scan suggest that you might have IBD or maybe some other GI disease. The upper and lower endoscopies are the next logical step. The doc wants to go to the source, so to speak, and actually see what's going on rather than trying to figure it remotely with more tests.

No one likes the bowel prep for a colonoscopy. But I find the prep fluid goes down easier if it's very cold. I put ice in mine. And in the end the temporary inconvenience, hunger, and discomfort of the endoscopy are well worth it to gain the knowledge of what's going on and what needs to be done about it.

 

[littlered7593]

I'm pretty sure it would have to be colonoscopy due to biopsies for accurate testing.

 

[Tuff]

A colonoscopy/upper endoscopy now can also be used as a baseline, to see if your treatments are working. It's good to have something to compare future tests to.