I have a GI bleed
 

I noticed this afternoon that I have bloody diarrhea- very bloody... no severe abdominal pain, just wide-spread discomfort.
Let's just say I thought it necessary to go to the doctor ASAP.
The NP ordered a CBC and iron studies, and I have to do fecal occult stool tests for the next 3 days.
I see a gastro on Wednesday at an ungodly hour in the morning. In the meantime, I don't have to go to the ER unless I have severe abdominal pain.
Obviously, I'm just thrilled about all this.

When I got home from having my blood drawn, I opened a letter from the pdoc's office: more abnormal results, this time on the CBC drawn on the 15th. Only the lab results were in the envelope- no note. Yea.
I guess I'll just have to ask the NP when she calls tomorrow. I'm curious if those abnormal values will be the same or worse, and if they may have anything to do with what's going on now.

I am really sorry that you are having to deal with this much stress. I don't know how you are coping.
I am sorry about your GI issues...
((((HUGS))))
bizi

I am so very sorry you are having all these problems....my first thought is that it isn't fair...my next thought is how do you take these in stride which you seem to do or are you a pressure cooker...i hope you have some good news soon....
bobby

I don't know how well I cope...

I like to convince myself that things aren't really happening, so now I keep thinking I imagined it, or mistook something else for blood, and all the tests will turn out fine and I'll be embarrassed I even went to the doctor.... But when I go over it in my head, I know it was blood. Pretty unmistakable. And it happened 5-6 times yesterday.

So, I'll just keep going back and forth like this until I know more.

In the meantime, I'm afraid of going to the bathroom and having it happen again. :(

Dear Kay,

I can see why you are afraid.

I hope very much that this is something that the mdocs can handle so that you are reassured soon.

M.

good luck with your GI doc appointment tomorrow!
sorry that you are going thru all of this.
((((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))))))))
bizi

Oh dear

i'm so sorry

that must be so scary and i know the feeling of being scared and yet you have to go through with it some how

hang in there.

eat bland foods ~ avoid things that will irritate the bowels and you might feel better. there may be some torn lining that will heal or something. they never do seem to want to interpret results in writing best in person otherwise by phone.

((((:hug: hugs :hug:))))

~ waves ~

Kay I hope it is something easy to address, you certainly do not need more stress or health problems.
Maybe if it is lower, like red blood it is a tear and the bleeding is affecting the blood work. Gosh if it isn't one fret it is another.
But I hope that it is resolved asap.
Good luck & hugs
di

That's awful Kay! I hope that they're able to take care of it for you or that it stops on its own. I am so sorry, you must be really worried. I am glad you posted, we're here for you! :grouphug:

Thank you for your support everyone! :grouphug:

I had diarrhea 3 times today, but no obvious blood. I'm relieved, but at the same time it makes me think all that blood yesterday was in my imagination.

I had to catch some poop and smear some one a card with a little stick (so they can test for traces of blood). I've done that a million times with other people's **** when I was a CNA, but somehow being my own **** made it even grosser. Also, I've been out of practice :)

No word today about the labs they drew yesterday- I'll take that as a good sign.

I spoke to the pdoc tho and she is putting me on 450mg of extended release lithium. I take 300mg of regular lithium now, but my numbers are below the therapeutic range. I guess I'll start that tomorrow. I see her the 31st.

I'll let you all know how it goes at the gastro tomorrow.

Thanks again!

maybe they will ask you to have a colonoscopy?
did they suggest that?
are you nauseated at all?
bizi....just worried about you:hug:

Dear Kay,

I hope that this gets resolved in a satisfactory manner.

Take care.
M.

Don't worry too much about me Bizi! I'm not in pain- I'd call it discomfort. Yes, I am nauseous tho. I'm feeling quite a bit worse today, but nothing severe. If I get worse, I promise I'll go to the ER.

I saw the gastro this morning. I have a slightly elevated white blood cell count, so she suspects I may have diverticulitis. Of course, it could be something else.

I am having a CAT scan of my abdomen and bowel on Friday. I have to go to the hospital's radiology dept. to pick up some crap to drink before hand.

No matter what, I won't escape the colonoscopy....
If the CAT scan shows diverticulitis, they'll rx some antibiotics and scope me after the inflammation does down.
If the CAT scan doesn't show anything, I'll probably have the colonoscopy sooner.

I finally got my PAP results: the same low-grade abnormal cells. I just have to have another PAP in 4 months. Not too bad.

So, that's the latest.

I have to go to the hospital to drop of the poop cards, pick up the contrast for the CAT scan, and have more blood drawn... I should go now, but I don't wanna!
I'll probably just suck it up and go get it over with.

you are such a trooper thru all of this.
(((((HUGS))))
bizi

Dear Kay,

You have been busy taking care of yourself.

Good luck drinking that stuff and good luck with the cat scan on Friday.

Lots and lots of hugs. :hug: :hug: :hug:

M.

Thank you all so much for your support and concerns!

I'll return to post when I hear what's going on with the GI bleed.

I'll be thinking of you all, and wish you well.

Kay

thinking of you tonight....
(((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))
bizi

Dear Kay,

I hope that you are ok.

M.

I'm okay.

I had my CAT scan Friday, but I don't expect to hear anything until Tuesday when the gastro is back in the office.

thanks for posting kay.
((((HUGS))))
bizi

I got my CAT scan results today....

Nothing showed up that would explain the bleeding or diarrhea. So, the gastro's office will call me tomorrow to set up a colonoscopy.

Unfortunately, the scan did turn up a 2cm ovarian cyst on the left side, and a 4cm hemmorragic cyst on the right ovary that's caused some kind of sterile peritonitis. The gastro told me I need to follow up with the gyn. My call to their office to make an appointment went to voice mail, so I'm waiting to hear from them, too.
I wonder if the cysts could be causing my back pain? At some point, I'll be searching for info, but I just can't handle it right now.

I'm pretty down about all this- no answers to why I'm bleeding out of my ***, and now a new issue that needs to be dealt with in some way. And of course, the usual BS.
I'm very anxious about finding out what's going on, and then getting it taken care of... and paid for.

If it's not one thing, it's another. I'm a mess.

Kay
I would like to give you some thoughts on the cysts. I know from experience
that its best to get the cysts taken care of. I had one for about 2 years, before I had it removed. I also had my gallbladder removed at the same time.

It really helped a lot for my pain and my other symptoms to get rid of both things. I honestly can't even begin to tell you what all I got rid of.

Donna:grouphug:

Dear Kay,
This really stinks -- it almost seems like one thing piled on top of another,


You are doing a good job of keeping yourself focused. THe next step will be the colonoscopy and maybe some useful and helpful answers.


Oh dear. I looked these up.
Mdocs can deal with this but I understand feeling like this might be too much.

My guess is yes -- but I am not an expert.

Do you have a way to reach out for support? Maybe start with your therapist if you have one?

:grouphug: :heartthrob: :grouphug: :heartthrob: :grouphug:
Lots of hugs> :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:

M.

I am sorry kay...
((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))) ))))))))))))
bizi

Dear Donna,

I did look up some info and guess that gyn's usually take the wait and see approach for most cysts, checking again in 1-3 months to see if they start to resolve or get bigger. I'm sure they'll do that with the left one, but not quite sure about the right one yet because it's bigger and more complicated.

I'm sorry your cyst caused you so much pain, etc. I had my gallbladder removed about 2 years ago, and was glad to be rid of that pain.
I have lots of abdominal discomfort, and sometimes pain. I'm not sure how much of that is from my GI issues though.
If these cysts don't resolve, I'm sure I'll be pushing to get rid of them.

Thank you for sharing your experience with me! I'm glad to see you back! :)

Kay

Dear Mari,

From what I read, it does seem like my back pain could be from the cysts. I do feel better after reading up. The smaller simpler cyst was less of an issue for me, but I was worried about the right one because it is fairly big and "hemmohrragic." It may not be a big deal though.

I still haven't heard back from the gyn's office yet. I guess you can see much more details of the cyst with CAT, compared to ultrasound. The gastro is going to send the results to my gyn. I'd really like to get that appt. out of the way just to relieve some anxiety.

I'm really turned off by the idea of making a therapy appointment. My regular tdoc is on medical leave, and I'm not thrilled by her replacement. I feel like I have to spend too much time giving her background to be a good use of my time and energy. I may make an appointment, just not sure yet.

My husband just wrings his hair at this point. His job has been really stressful and he's pretty much fed up with it at this point. And I have so many medical problems, and MH issues, I think it's just overwhelming.
My BF is very loving and supportive. She's my touchstone.

Thanks for the hugs, Mari!
Kay

My colonoscopy is April 13th. I guess I'll have more info then.

Thank you for the hugs.... right back at ya :hug:

Kay

maybe you can be a bit assertive as to what you want from a therapist.
maybe there is a certain area of your life that you think she/he can help you work thru or help you with coping skills or what ever, maybe you would like a sympathic ear, someone to validate your feelings...I don't know.
I have a tdoc(therapist) who I share my life with, sometimes it is about hubby and just venting other times she is like a life coach.
I am glad to hear that you have a best friend who listensand is supportive of you, that makes all of the difference in the world.
bizi

tdocs for support
 

Dear Kay,

When I was much younger (in my 20s) I used to bring a half page agenda to my therapist (CBT). I even listed the minutes alloted for each item. It was goofy but I helped the both of us focus. I also listed a summary of a very brief mood chart. I walked in with two printed copies -- one for each of us. (not all therapist slike this approach of course but it worked for us for a while)

The summary would be something like this:
LISTED MEDS --- and whether they had been adjusted by pdoc since last tdoc visit (even though the tdoc did not deal w/ meds, he needed to know if there had been a change.)
SLEEP -- how that was going since last tdoc session
MOODS -- main mood issue the past week
LIFE EVENTS AFFECTING CURRENT MOOD -- I would list if something major was going on like an upcoming trip, money worry, or anything else that might be important to the picture.

Some people bring in various versions of mood charts that are available electronically and can be printed out.


With my current tdoc, I still sometimes do things like this:
1. call her a head of time with a very brief phone message a few days before about what I really need to work on during that seesion
OR
2. read to her a brief handwritten list before at the start of the session of what we need to cover. Often, by the time I read the list of 4 or 5 things to her, my needs have already changed, so we might focus on 2 things instead of the whole 4. Sometimes, at the end of the session we even check the list as a way to summarize what she and I spoke about.

These are some ideas for how I let the tdoc know about my needs.


My suggestion is that you devote most of one session to telling her your goals in therapy -- keeping in mind that goals are allowed to morph / change as the therapeutic relationship and your issues evolve.

Therapists are usually pretty well trained in the whole "goal" thing. It helps to use their vocabulary.

For example, you probably benefit from discussions with medical professionals by using their nursing / medical terms. I think the same might work for therapy.
Here are some web sites that help a bit:
http://www.drranjanpatel.com/goals_therapy.html
and another:
http://www.suite101.com/content/sett...rocess-a112371
Achieving goals as a part of therapy should consist of:


It can take a while to get the tdoc on board. I felt like I spent months "training" my first therapist to help me. It was worth it because he did help me tremedously and I stayed with him for years.

My current tdoc "gets" me, but each year she has gotten more helpful to me.

A Social Worker friend of mine told me to choose older therapists with years of experience. Younger ones are not as good as older ones she told me. This is not necessariiy true in all cases but it gave me something to consider.


Sometimes our goal of therapy is supportive. Sometimes, therapists want to do more for us when what we really need is a supportive environment -- this is especially true for those of us with complicated cases. The therapist is not going to solve / fix anything at all, but she can improve the situation for us by being helpful a long the way.

I hope you get the idea about what I am trying to say here.
I can't look for links right now, but I think there is research that says that supportive therapy (no goals beyond support) can be very useful.


M.

the bleeding ovary sounds like it is causing you pain....
I hope you have a nice weekend.
bizi

I had my infusion in Boston yesterday. My brother got the day off of work to come with me because my father bailed. We had a nice time, everything went fine, it's just exhausting.
I'm going to have transportation issues now that my brother has gone back to work. The social worker at the MS Ctr. doesn't think it's safe for me to take the train either. She's going to look into other options. In the meantime, I have another appointment there on the 5th. I guess I'll figure something out.

I tried calling the gyn's office yesterday, and it went straight to voicemail, but I finally got someone to answer via the urgent extension. The appointment secretary finally got on and told me she did her part by handing my info off to a nurse when she got the message. Anyways, I ended up giving her the where and when for the CAT scan. She said she'd pull the report, show it to the gyn to see if she wants to see me before May, and call me back today.

Thanks for your input on therapists, Bizi. And thank you Mari for all the info.

I have an appointment with the pdoc on Monday, and will run everything by her. I'm sure she'll tell me I need therapy- and I need to make an appointment.

One of my issues with the interim tdoc is that she has a lot of questions about medical issues. And of course, a big part of what's weighing on me right now is medical crap. She also wants to go into detail about my family and childhood- complex people and dynamics. Either way, I'm answering questions for her benefit, and haven't been able to address the things that have been troubling me.
The other big issue is since she is a substance abuse specialist, all roads lead to that. Last time I saw her, she took issue with the fact that I drank 4 beers in a week- 2 on Fri, 2 on Sat. When I told her that I hardly fit the guidelines for alcoholism, she said most female alcoholics don't drink every day. My response: my mother did. That probably didn't help.

I'll probably have to see her again. I'll be more assertive as you suggested, Mari. But if it's more of the same, I won't be seeing her again.

By 3:30 the gyn's office hadn't called, so I called again and had to leave a message basically saying "please call me back either way."
A receptionist called me back just before 5... she had no idea why I was calling, couldn't tell me if anyone did pull my CAT scan results, or if the gyn saw it. She told me my gyn would be back in the office on WEDNESDAY...
To make a long story short, she finally said she would ask a doctor or NP to review the results and call me Monday morning. I have little faith that that call will actually happen.

I'm beyond frustrated! Maybe both cysts just need to be followed. I don't know. All I need is for someone to look at the CAT scan results and tell me either way.

The office policy is to respond to non-routine appointment requests by the end of the business day... The appointment scheduler hasn't even set an appointment for an available spot "at the end of April."
If I don't get some kind of answer Monday, I'm going to call and speak with the practice manager.

I'm just ******.

Kay

I would be royally upset by now. You are using much more patience than
I would have. I too would be calling the office manager.

Then a new Gyn. for a appointment.

Donna:grouphug:

Dear Kay,

That office stinks.
'Sorry you have to wait through the weekend.


M.

I would start looking for a new one. I am sorry you have to go through this.
bobby

Kay,
Maybe you should cancel with her.
She does not want to make adjustments to your needs / goals.

I would cancel rather that be annoyed yet again by her.


M.

Mari,

I am going to run the tdoc issue by my pdoc tomorrow. I'm usually very good with staying on a therapy schedule.... I guess I'm turned off. Pdoc may send me to someone else. We'll see....

I've decided that if that bleeping gyn office doesn't call me by noon tomorrow, I'm going down there!

oh kay, I hope you get some answers tomorrow.
(((((HUGS)))))
bizi

The receptionist I spoke to on Friday was good to her word. She called me this morning to tell me that the "results from (the hospital) just became available this morning," and she sent the info to my gyn, who would call me.

The gyn said that she wasn't very concerned by what she saw. It looks like I also have fibroids now, too. She's ordering an ultrasound as a baseline- to be repeated in 6-8 weeks.

I'm happy it's not bad news, and some of my anxiety has been allieviated.
----

My pdoc was out sick today. I'll call tomorrow to reschedule.

I have to drive myself to my appointment tomorrow because no one is available to take me. I'm anxious about that. I hope I'm just in and out before I get too tired.