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Undiagnosed: diarrhea, pain, blood, mucus

I am 26 and have always had problems with diahrrea. I never really go to the bathroom any other way. I was put in the ER once 2 years ago for extreme abdominal pain and diahrrea. My WBC was elevated to 15.8 and they did find occult blood in my stool and urine. Recently it has worsened to really bad exruciating pain and now there is bright red blood and lots of mucus in my stool. I am always tired and freezing cold but run low grade fevers. Sometimes I get really nauseous sometimes with it and I am really scared. Does this sound like Crohn's? I am a single mom so its hard for me financially to get to a doctor and I am $25 over the amount needed to recieve medicaid. So here I am.
 
Hi Marley0724,

The symptoms you describe are consistent with Crohn's but there's really no way to tell for sure without the appropriate testing. Crohn's is usually confirmed by colonoscopy (either visually or if possible with biopsies) or on the findings of other imaging studies of the bowel. Your doctor would also repeat blood work, as Crohn's usually causes raised inflammatory markers in the blood and perhaps do a fecal calprotectin test to check for inflammation specific to the gut.

Of course, a doctor would also be checking for any other possible causes too. I do think it's important for you to see a gastroenterologist to check out your symptoms.

I'm really sorry that you're dealing with this and the financial aspect of accessing healthcare too. I'm afraid I don't have any specific advice on that as I live in the UK and am not familiar with any assistance that you might be able to get where you are but I really hope that someone else might come along who knows more about that.

Wishing you the best of luck. I hope you can get some relief from these symptoms soon :ghug:
 
I know I am really nervous I hear it's really hard to diagnose here and that scares me. I really don't have the means to jump through hoops to find a diagnosis but its looking like thats the only option lol.
 
You definitely have a serious medical condition and your symptoms are consistent with the symptoms of Crohns. The extreme pain you are experiencing could be from a stricture (narrowing) of your intestines and this can become a medical emergency requiring you to go to the emergency room when a stricture becomes a complete blockage with symptoms including extreme pain and vomiting. Your symptoms of being tired and cold could be from blood loss and a resulting low hemoglobin count. A blood test could confirm this and you would need to add iron supplements and/or more red meat to your diet.

Here are some options for you:

(1) Find a doctor/hospital who will accept cash (self-pay) patients and then prepare yourself to haggle with their billing department about why you as a self-pay patient should be expected to pay 3 times what an insurance company pays (after negotiated discounts) or 6 times what Medicare/Medicaid pays (after non-negotiated fixed pricing).

(2) Try to find a new job that offers you employer-sponsored health insurance. This might require you to get some student loans to attend a vocational school or college to train for a new career. (Obviously, this is easier said than done, particularly for a single Mom, and it is not a near-term solution.)

(3) Move to a civilized country that has universal healthcare such as Canada or almost anywhere in Europe.

(4) Explain your situation with your boss and ask if you can receive fewer hours/pay to get your income low enough to qualify for Medicaid. This option is probably the best near-term option to get yourself some near-term medical help that won't bankrupt you.

You should probably consult with the social services agencies in your area for other possible medical care options for low-income workers. You can also try talking with the local hospitals financial assistance departments to see if they can help you find a solution.

P.S. Another option is to marry a doctor, preferably a gastroenterologist. Best of Luck.
 
haha I actually have an associates degree. Achieved that while my son was younger. I am actually an RMA for an ear nose and throat surgeon but I am just starting out, I will hit my year mark in September. So the pay is less then you would think. When I was in the hospital 2 years ago they did a US and CT both came back normal. I also had normal RBCs but high WBCs. But I normally eat chicken its hard for me to choke down red meat because of the taste but I should try that and maybe that will help until my upcoming apt on the 3rd. Thank you for your insight. Any insight helps.
 
My apologies for assuming you had a job without medical benefits. (I assumed that was the case when you mentioned that you made $25 over the amount needed to qualify for Medicaid.)

Yes, even with employer-sponsored medical insurance, medical care in the USA can be a major financial burden with the deductibles, co-pays, and co-insurance; particularly for a single Mom with a modest income. If you have not had a colonoscopy yet, then maybe that is the next diagnostic test you should push for to get to the bottom of your symptoms.
 
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I would like to amend my comments to say that your best option to be able to afford expensive doctor bills is to become a doctor yourself, (instead of marrying a doctor you might meet at work, which is an old-fashioned, inappropriate, sexist idea).

Good luck on finding a diagnosis for your symptoms and an effective treatment to get you back to feeling well again.
 
Haha its ok thank you for all your helpful advice. Everyone always asks how I work for a doctor and still cant afford to go to one. Being in the medical field doesn't have as many perks as you would think. I work for a small office so I had to get my own personal insurance. And it is nearly impossible to pay co pays being a single mom who doesn't even get child support anymore. But that's my problem haha. I called my doctor today he moved up my apt to the 29th. Im going to ask him the cheapest route to get a diagnosis so hopefully I can avoid paying for every expensive test lol. Again Thank you :)
 
HI Marley0724
Why didn't they do more two years ago when you where in the hospital sounds like you where struggling than.

PLEASE don't mess with this from what you related about what is going on you need to get some answers ASP before it gets even worse.

If it gets bad before your appointment go to the ER there will be folks at the hospital that can help you sort out the $$ end, the priority is to get well before it gets to the point no amount of $ will help. The longer you wait the more damage is being done.


Hope you are feeling better soon please keep us posted.
 

Lady Organic

Moderator
Staff member
HI Marley0724
Why didn't they do more two years ago when you where in the hospital sounds like you where struggling than.

PLEASE don't mess with this from what you related about what is going on you need to get some answers ASP before it gets even worse.

If it gets bad before your appointment go to the ER there will be folks at the hospital that can help you sort out the $$ end, the priority is to get well before it gets to the point no amount of $ will help. The longer you wait the more damage is being done.


Hope you are feeling better soon please keep us posted.
I totally agree with that. if your pain is extreme, blood and mucus, some fevers, as you mention, go to the ER, the wait is not worth risking possible complications or irreversible damages. best wishes.
 
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