Hello,
I am new here. I am so stressed out and worried and don't know where else to turn.
I am a 45 yr old female here in Canada. In Feb 2012 I began experiencing intermittent explosive (and unpredictable) diarrhea. Thought it might have been a side effect of meds I was taking (Zoloft) so dose was decreased. By the summer of 2012 the diarrhea was getting worse. I went to see my family doctor and requested a Colonoscopy. Easier said than done, the process here is to be put onto a wait-list to first see a GI Specialist and wait-list is long. I finally got called to see GI Specialist a couple of weeks ago and am scheduled for Colonoscopy and Gastroscopy on Monday (Jun 24).
Sometime in the spring of 2012 I began passing gas (rectal gas) through my Vagina. Of course I shared this with my family doc (GP) but she just quickly attributed it to my having decreased tone to muscles of pelvic floor - which I did not agree with (I am an RN by the way). I tried to explain that the gas I was passing was odorous, like rectal flatulence (farting). I did my own reading up and was concerned about possibility of Rectovaginal Fistula. She brushed that off stating if that's what I had I'd be passing stool through my vagina.
This has been most frustrating, I know my body. I know when something is not right. I know the difference between just "air" coming out of the vagina and actual smelly flatulence.
Now in Nov 2012, I began experiencing fecal incontinence (only rectally). It would happen when I'd get very sudden abdominal cramping and literally had 10 seconds to make it to the bathroom. Sometimes I just couldn't get there fast enough/get my pants undone fast enough. It was like I didn't have very good anal sphincter control. Never before in my life have I had diarrhea and not been able to make it to the bathroom so to me this was different and indicative of something else.
My GP just figured (without doing any testing) that I must have "IBS."
So I finally get into see GI Specialist a few weeks ago, I explain my entire history and symptoms. He schedules me for Colonoscopy and Gastroscopy, says I may have IBS. Told him that years ago, as a totally incidental finding, I was told I had diverticulosis. Told him, too, about my concerns re: having a possible RVF (fistula). He sort of blew it off too for at that time I was not passing stool through vagina.
On Jun 6th when having a rather severe bout of abdominal cramping, I again couldn't quite make it to the bathroom in time and I had some fecal incontinence of diarrhea rectally (as noted on the pad I wear) PLUS for the first time ever, I noted a small amount of liquid stool further up on the pad, from my vagina area. I was mortified, trying to tell myself that maybe it wasn't from vagina...but I took a piece of toilet paper and rolled it up tight like a tampon and inserted into vagina and sadly there was liquid stool on it.
I immediately let GI Specialist office know of this new development. As a result, specialist arranged for me to have a special/urgent Contrast Enhanced and Endovaginal Ultrasound done; had it done about 4 days ago. As the U/S Tech knew I'm an RN, she told me (when all tests done) that it showed I had:
1. thickening to the end of my small intestine, commonly seen in ppl w/ Crohn's.
2. something "abnormal" lower down to where a rectovaginal fistula might be.
She said to me, "it will be interesting to see what the Colonoscopy shows."
As you can imagine, I am terrified and am imagining the worst. I am fearful of having cancer.
I would have never thought I had Crohn's - I had stool for Occult Blood done several months ago and it was negative. I surely have not had any weight loss (I wish!). I get diarrhea about 3 times a week......there is no rhyme or reason to when I have it....it doesn't seem to correlate whatsoever with what I eat or when I eat. I have ruled out any food sensitivity to eggs, dairy. Tried probiotics with no improvement. Have tested negative for Celiac. They did stool testing for things like infection, ova & parasites, clostridium, all negative. I did try Imodium and Questran for the diarrhea but both made me constipated which was no picnic either so stopped those.
A few days ago I had diarrhea and in the toilet I noticed what appeared to be a large clot, though not red in color. I've been paranoid that since having Stool for OB tested months ago, that maybe I AM having blood in my diarrhea that I just can't obviously see. I know it's TMI but I took some toilet paper and tried to inspect this marble sized mucousy clot....it wasn't blood.
I am just a nervous wreck. Perhaps it's due to being a nurse but I am fearing the worst. I don't feel that my diarrhea and symptoms are bad enough to be Crohn's but maybe I'm wrong? I keep thinking maybe it's cancer.
There has been a large natural disaster where I live and the hospital where I'm having the colonoscopy done on Monday is cancelling all elective surgeries and non-urgent procedures. The GI Specialist's nurse cancelled everyone else's tests for Monday but told me she didn't want me to have to wait until August to be rescheduled. I sense that perhaps she's reviewed my U/S reports (she confirmed she has them and will ensure GI Specialist reviews them prior to doing Colonoscopy) and there may be info I'm not aware of that's caused her to feel that it's critical i get these tests done ASAP.
I sometimes also notice, like today, that when I rarely have a formed stool, it's much thinner than normal......and that concerns me, too.
Thanks for any support or experiences you can share.
Kindly,
Lisa :sign0085:
I am new here. I am so stressed out and worried and don't know where else to turn.
I am a 45 yr old female here in Canada. In Feb 2012 I began experiencing intermittent explosive (and unpredictable) diarrhea. Thought it might have been a side effect of meds I was taking (Zoloft) so dose was decreased. By the summer of 2012 the diarrhea was getting worse. I went to see my family doctor and requested a Colonoscopy. Easier said than done, the process here is to be put onto a wait-list to first see a GI Specialist and wait-list is long. I finally got called to see GI Specialist a couple of weeks ago and am scheduled for Colonoscopy and Gastroscopy on Monday (Jun 24).
Sometime in the spring of 2012 I began passing gas (rectal gas) through my Vagina. Of course I shared this with my family doc (GP) but she just quickly attributed it to my having decreased tone to muscles of pelvic floor - which I did not agree with (I am an RN by the way). I tried to explain that the gas I was passing was odorous, like rectal flatulence (farting). I did my own reading up and was concerned about possibility of Rectovaginal Fistula. She brushed that off stating if that's what I had I'd be passing stool through my vagina.
This has been most frustrating, I know my body. I know when something is not right. I know the difference between just "air" coming out of the vagina and actual smelly flatulence.
Now in Nov 2012, I began experiencing fecal incontinence (only rectally). It would happen when I'd get very sudden abdominal cramping and literally had 10 seconds to make it to the bathroom. Sometimes I just couldn't get there fast enough/get my pants undone fast enough. It was like I didn't have very good anal sphincter control. Never before in my life have I had diarrhea and not been able to make it to the bathroom so to me this was different and indicative of something else.
My GP just figured (without doing any testing) that I must have "IBS."
So I finally get into see GI Specialist a few weeks ago, I explain my entire history and symptoms. He schedules me for Colonoscopy and Gastroscopy, says I may have IBS. Told him that years ago, as a totally incidental finding, I was told I had diverticulosis. Told him, too, about my concerns re: having a possible RVF (fistula). He sort of blew it off too for at that time I was not passing stool through vagina.
On Jun 6th when having a rather severe bout of abdominal cramping, I again couldn't quite make it to the bathroom in time and I had some fecal incontinence of diarrhea rectally (as noted on the pad I wear) PLUS for the first time ever, I noted a small amount of liquid stool further up on the pad, from my vagina area. I was mortified, trying to tell myself that maybe it wasn't from vagina...but I took a piece of toilet paper and rolled it up tight like a tampon and inserted into vagina and sadly there was liquid stool on it.
I immediately let GI Specialist office know of this new development. As a result, specialist arranged for me to have a special/urgent Contrast Enhanced and Endovaginal Ultrasound done; had it done about 4 days ago. As the U/S Tech knew I'm an RN, she told me (when all tests done) that it showed I had:
1. thickening to the end of my small intestine, commonly seen in ppl w/ Crohn's.
2. something "abnormal" lower down to where a rectovaginal fistula might be.
She said to me, "it will be interesting to see what the Colonoscopy shows."
As you can imagine, I am terrified and am imagining the worst. I am fearful of having cancer.
I would have never thought I had Crohn's - I had stool for Occult Blood done several months ago and it was negative. I surely have not had any weight loss (I wish!). I get diarrhea about 3 times a week......there is no rhyme or reason to when I have it....it doesn't seem to correlate whatsoever with what I eat or when I eat. I have ruled out any food sensitivity to eggs, dairy. Tried probiotics with no improvement. Have tested negative for Celiac. They did stool testing for things like infection, ova & parasites, clostridium, all negative. I did try Imodium and Questran for the diarrhea but both made me constipated which was no picnic either so stopped those.
A few days ago I had diarrhea and in the toilet I noticed what appeared to be a large clot, though not red in color. I've been paranoid that since having Stool for OB tested months ago, that maybe I AM having blood in my diarrhea that I just can't obviously see. I know it's TMI but I took some toilet paper and tried to inspect this marble sized mucousy clot....it wasn't blood.
I am just a nervous wreck. Perhaps it's due to being a nurse but I am fearing the worst. I don't feel that my diarrhea and symptoms are bad enough to be Crohn's but maybe I'm wrong? I keep thinking maybe it's cancer.
There has been a large natural disaster where I live and the hospital where I'm having the colonoscopy done on Monday is cancelling all elective surgeries and non-urgent procedures. The GI Specialist's nurse cancelled everyone else's tests for Monday but told me she didn't want me to have to wait until August to be rescheduled. I sense that perhaps she's reviewed my U/S reports (she confirmed she has them and will ensure GI Specialist reviews them prior to doing Colonoscopy) and there may be info I'm not aware of that's caused her to feel that it's critical i get these tests done ASAP.
I sometimes also notice, like today, that when I rarely have a formed stool, it's much thinner than normal......and that concerns me, too.
Thanks for any support or experiences you can share.
Kindly,
Lisa :sign0085:
