Scrubbed on the Stones and Shoved Through the Wringer

Oh my goodness. This is going to be a whiny post about my tummy, so skip it if you don't want to hear about it.

Ever since the endoscopy/colonoscopy, I have had some really wonky things going on: blood pressure drops (down to 80/60, etc); extreme diarrhea followed by extreme constipation; terrible stomach pain (like 5-6 and sometimes 7 out of 10); my bouncing baby staph infection... all that sort of stuff.

At first I thought it was just stress and the sewer stuff, so I cleaned like a fiend. But over the past week it has gotten much, much worse, and this weekend I resorted to lortab left over from when I had shingles in January just to take the edge off the pain enough to function (because I'll be damned if you could drag me to the ER AGAIN, especially on a holiday weekend!).

Well, I saw the cardiologist first thing this morning and he wants to keep me off the bp medication indefinitely... everything looks good right now, and my bp is at least over 100 systolic, if barely, today. EKG looked great.

The GI doc?? Well, not so good. Saw his nurse practitioner (couldn't get worked in with him at such short notice) and when she palpitated my tummy I about came off the table in pain - I honestly thought I was going to hit her in the head with my knees when they came shooting up. Listened for bowel sounds and heard nothing. Not even crickets chirping (I normally have a hyperactive tummy that can be heard from across the room - not hearing *anything* even with a stethoscope is ominous). Had an x-ray and while I am not impacted, things are clearly backed up. Blood pressure had actually gone down from the time I saw the cardiologist and the time I got the gastro, but still 101/74. Am home for the rest of the day for two reasons: awaiting a phone call from the doc himself after consulting with partners and nurse, and, am on lortab for the pain and they don't want me going to class today. No idea what will come of the consult, and I must admit to a bit of nervousness.

Anyway, that's the long and the short of things for the moment. ::shaking head:: I keep hoping things will get better - and the upper GI tract stuff seems to be on the mend (I haven't vomited in a week, and while I still have nausea, I am at least gaining some measure of control over that for the first time in a YEAR). It's just the lower GI that is killing me in fits and starts right now.

::sigh:: I WANT RESOLUTION TO SOME OF THIS!! NOW, DAMNIT!

Comments

[mskitty]

Gosh, Laura, it sounds absolutely miserable. I'm so sorry! And you're in my thoughts today. I hope you find an answer and some relief. Holding you close.

[mskitty]

I had a thought this morning as I was reading an old Utne Reader on the exercise bike. Do you eat a lot of soy products? The symptoms for soy overload sound quite a bit like yours. Sorry to give unasked for advice, but the article in UR was about the dangers of too much soy and soy allergy and it hit me that they sounded like what you were experiencing. Whatever it is, I hope you figure it out soon!

[laura]

No... I don't have a lot of soy products, nor do I have a lot of milk products due to a certain amount of lactose intolerance. Great suggestions, though!!! Thanks!!!