Me and my stomach

[bean]

This is a crosspost from another forum I frequent, one that has a subforum for those in the medical field. Maybe someone here will have some input, since apparently several doctors can't figure it out.

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tl;dr version: Been puking for a month, shitting like crazy for 6 months, doctor's just shrug and give me more nausea meds.

First off, I've been to several doctors, and even to the ER yesterday.

For about a month now, I've been vomiting semi regularly. Sometimes I'll go a few days, sometimes I'm projectile vomiting a few times a day. Normally the vomiting is when I have a fairly empty stomach.

For several months, I alternate between a normal shit, and just barely digested "balls" accompanied by what can best be described as pure pepper spray. When I have to shit, I HAVE TO SHIT RIGHT THEN AND THERE. When I get the liquid shits, it's within 10-15 minutes of a meal. When it's liquid, it seems like it's mostly mucus, stomach acid, and sometimes visibly undigested food.

ER visit yesterday was because I was getting ready for work, out of nowhere I started puking, and it was... blood. Bright red blood. Nothing but blood and a little bit of stomach acid. My bathroom looks like something out of a murder scene now.

Last doctor I went to suggested I had a bad round of food poisoning (this was about a week after I started vomiting regularly), gave me some Zofran and Lomotil, did some xrays of my abdomen, and bloodwork. She said everything looked good, but she'd feel better if she got a CT done (which couldn't be done on site). Went back the next day for the CT, another dr there basically chewed me out for wasting their time, said it's a virus or all in my head, and sent me on my way. Gee, thanks.

So, at the ER, they did bloodwork, took a stool sample (for some reason the male nurse didn't appreciate me asking him if he'd at least take me for some drinks first), CT scan of my abdomen, checked for abdominal pain (on a 1-10, I had a 4 or 5 when they were pressing near my gallbladder, but otherwise no pain). I was there about 8 hours total, they gave me IV Zofran as well (which is a goddamn miracle drug when done by IV, not so great orally). Eventually discharged, treated for "Vomiting" and "Acute periumbilical abdominal pain", and given Lortab and more Zofran (why they gave me a pain killer when it only hurts when they pressed on the area around my gallbladder is a little confusing, but I filled it anyway, I'm sure at some point I might need it). The doctor basically shrugged and said he had no idea what was going on, and suggested I may have torn my esophagus from vomiting so much.

In stereotypical geek fashion, I'm a bit out of shape and a little heavy (5'8", 190). I was a fairly heavy drinker, but I've cut WAY WAY WAY back since this has started - only drug use these days is occasional marijuana. 31 year old male with a family history of gallbladder issues, but the doctors all say my gallbladder is fine. My diet is fairly average, with a mild dairy allergy (I get real gassy if I drink milk, I can handle most cheese fine). I have elevated blood pressure, daily meds are 40mg Celexa and 20mg 2x/day Inderal (tremors/anxiety).

Mom had extremely similar symptoms for awhile, and eventually had her gallbladder removed several years ago. The docs were having a hell of a time figuring out what was up with her too.

The Zofran is because I'm allergic to Phenergan - gives me hives. I do have medical insurance (UHC PPO/HRA), and I've met my deductible for the year, but I need to get this taken care of before I lose my job (I work with food, health code prohibits me from touching food if I've puked or had runny shit in 24 hours).

So, before I go bankrupt trying to figure out what the hell is going on, any suggestions? Even though I'm insured, I'm still paying 20% until I hit my out of pocket maximum.

I did eat immediately after leaving the hospital, as I hadn't eaten all day. Then severe cramping followed by painful diarrhea about 20 minutes later, and again another 20 minutes after that. Not nauseated yet, and it's been a few hours.

[Mishi]

Not sure about what's going on with the puking, but the poo issues sound like what my brother-in-law has, he's just been diagnosed as having Crohn's disease after about 18 months of problems. Don't know if that helps, but it's worth asking about.

[ravevolution]

I can assume it has to be gastrol or something to do with your digestive track. . .intestines etc

I'd go to another doctor if I was you. Have them look into maybe side effects of the meds your on. Family history of gallbladder issues should be taken more seriously. I feel they should do a Ultra sound of your abdomen area. . .cat scans don't do the trick.

I Had problems earlier in the year with pain in my legs and upper body, numb hands and bad motor function. Went to my mothers doctor and she did a cat scan of my back and found nothing. I ended up going to another hospital and they did a MRI and found I have multiple sclerosis, kept for 5 days while they had my on steroids IV and now I'm on medication and doing much much better.

[bean]

My grandfather had Crohn's, but it generally doesn't involve puking blood.

Thankfully if I can get someone to go the MRI route, all of my piercings can be easily removed... used to have a couple that, er, couldn't be removed easily at all.

[r2cagle]

I don't know Bean... .what you were describing sounds exactly like what a couple of friends of mine had, and they were diagnosed with Crohn's disease.

It's worth at least ruling out. Find a doctor that has experience with that disease and try again. Even if it isn't, it sounds a little worse than IBS, and that doctor may be able to help track down whatever the real cause is.

[Magpie]

Before/until you can get a diagnosis, adjust your diet anyhow. Worst case, you've been careful about what you eat, and better about your milk sensitivity (it actually sounds like lactose intolerence to me?). Best case your symptoms go down so a) you're feeling better and b) you can go to the doctor and say "look, I cut out dairy, red meat, etc and I feel much better". Just remember that there is no possible way to cut out every single one of the possible triggers at once, so pick one, see if it helps. If it doesn't, start eating it again and try another. And so on and so forth.

[jedimaster91]

Crohn's is a possibility, as is a sensitivity to wheat or corn in foods. Start a food journal if you haven't already and start checking ingredients. There might be a pattern. You also need to get your gallbladder checked. Combined with a family history and pain in that area, that should have been the first thing the doc checked. Nausea, vomitting, and diarreha are also symptoms of gallbladder issues.

[bean]

Well, I have ruled out gluten (tried going gluten free for a week), dairy (eliminated that for a week), and meats (went vegetarian for awhile). I eat very few things containing corn (I don't even drink stuff with high fructose corn syrup very often), when I do eat corn it's usually with real mexican style tacos (lightly fried corn tortilla with meat, onions, cilantro, and hot sauce). There's been times where that super unhealthy meal has me almost shitting myself within a few minutes, and times where I have a normal BM later that day.

I've had a huge steak dinner with mashed potatoes, green beans, etc, and no problems with it at all. On the other hand, I've eaten some fruits and they came out real quick (bananas, berries, stuff like that). I had a garden salad the other day with non-dairy dressing, and it went through me like water. At first I thought it was anything greasy, because when the diarrhea kicks up, it looked very... oily. Turns out that's mucus.

I pay a lot of attention to the nutrition info on what I eat, I try to keep sodium down, along with saturated fats, and I pay attention to the ingredients. For the most part, I TRY to eat all natural or very close to all natural - I mean, I do work at Whole Foods after all. I do eat out a bit, but mostly at places that use little processed food.

It really seems to be completely random. I'll be fine for days, then miserable for days. I do have meds for the diarrhea and nausea (and they reduce, but not eliminate, the issues), but that's just a band aid for a much larger problem.

[MaggieTheCat]

Family history of gallbladder issues should be taken more seriously. I feel they should do a Ultra sound of your abdomen area. . .cat scans don't do the trick.

I agree with this 100%. If you have tenderness/pain in the gall bladder area when someone puts pressure there, that's a good indicator you have gall bladder problems, especially if it runs in the family. Both my mom and my aunt had gall bladder problems and sure enough, I had to have mine out last year. It's more common in females than in males which is why your run-of-the-mill ER doctor maybe didn't bother to check for it. And CT scans won't show anything, so an ultra sound is necessary for diagnosis.

[Darkwolf]

I would say have an upper GI and a colonoscopy done. That will allow them to check for ulcers and other fun things. The upper GI is very easy, you get to basically eat alka-seltzer and then chug a barium milkshake while rolling around on a table.

[jedimaster91]

an ultra sound is necessary for diagnosis.

Ultrasound will diagnose gallstones, but not if the organ itself is working or not. If the ultrasound comes back clean, you may need a HIDA scan. Most docs will order both. If the ultrasound does show stones, you won't have to do the HIDA.

[bean]

Well, I have a follow up scheduled for tomorrow with a doctor recommended by the hospital. Turns out it's a family oriented practice, so I'll be able to use him as a primary care doctor. Bonus is, he also handles anxiety and depression, so I can have him handle my scripts for those (my medical insurance doesn't cover psychiatrists).

I did just call back and ask how much the office visits are though... $125 :eek: but that's before my insurance covers anything and nitpicks them down a bit. They offer a 30% discount for paying cash as well. $0 copay anyway.

[Seshat]

If he can't figure it out, having him refer you to a digestive-issues specialist. I'm not sure what they're called, I'm sure he does. :)

This is DEFINITELY NOT NORMAL and really, really deserves to be followed up!

[bean]

The Dr I'm seeing tomorrow is in a large medical complex - with an oncology center as well. And as long as I have a referral, my insurance will cover 80% with a $0 copay. Still going to cost me a friggin fortune, but I'm rapidly approaching my maximum out of pocket for the year ($5000... ouch), once I hit that insurance pays 100% with no copays.

[trailerparkmedic]

ER docs are mostly concerned about stabilizing whatever symptoms you come in with. You're doing a good thing by finding a primary carae doctor who will have the time to run more tests, rule out diseases and find out what's really wrong.

[Plaidman]

I thought gastroenteritis, but it's lasting too long for that.

In anycase, look, my only suggestion? Drink lots of water. More then normal. With what your doing, your risking dehydration majory, and that isn't a good thing. Even if you explunge it all, every tiny bit helps. It really does.


cholera may also be it. That is deadly. But way too strange that you be the only one effected by it and not anyone as it's pretty contagious.

[Midnight12]

I agree have a GI done, my thoughts are there are ulcers that are irritating everything. Not just in the stomach but throughout your intestinal tract or diverticulitis. OR something happened to the bacteria that is supposed to be in your intestines and because its gone everything is now an issue. or the lining in the intestines is inflamed. But yes, mention this to your doctors that maybe something is inflamed. and that you need to have a camera gone through. which means no eating for the day before. But i'm not in the medical field so i have no clue and i hope the issue is found. Did removing your mother's gal bladder fix or help with her problem?

[tacohuman]

your symptoms sound almost exactly like what i experienced last year, and my issue turned out to be a non-functioning gallbladder.

[bean]

Well, today I felt... pretty much normal. Worked a full shift at another store, had a big lunch, got off work, had a taco dinner with lots of hot sauce, beans, rice, and just got home. Stomach feels just fine, a little gassy from the beans if anything, and all I've had in terms of meds today was a dose of Zofran around 10am.

But... while I was at work, I got a voicemail from the backup HR person in my own store (main HR person is on vacation - the main HR person is the one who's accused me of fraud). She left a polite, but very important message regarding my employment. Basically, she said that my call to the store manager before going to the ER the other day "Can be considered an FMLA triggering event" and she's sending me FMLA documents certified mail, if I return them ASAP "this will help protect your job". Unfortunately, she called at 3:50pm, and left the office at 4:00 (I went on lunch at 4:10).

Also, it would have been awfully nice of them to let me know I had been forced back into medical leave before I drove 63 minutes round trip to work at another store today (I was 3 hours into my shift when she called). And hey, they could have told the other store I wasn't supposed to work too. But I worked a full 8 hour shift.

On my way home I called my boss to ask him if I could just pick up the FMLA documents, since I have a dr's appointment tomorrow anyway, and it'd be nice to be able to get all the paperwork done at once so I can return to work ASAP. He basically said "I'm too busy to deal with you right now" and transferred me to the assistant store manager. Asst mgr knows documents have been mailed, but he said he's just as clueless as I am about the cryptic voicemail. He told me when HR person will be in and suggested I stop by then.

If the shit does hit the fan, the former store manager pulled some VERY illegal stuff with FMLA when I went to rehab a couple of years ago (it's a bit illegal to demote someone, cut them to part time, and reduce their pay for going to rehab on FMLA, right?), and he still works for the company, so I have a couple of aces if I really have to use them. Won't make me popular though.

[FreakyGeek]

Wow, as someone who has Crohn's disease, have you asked your GI (Gastro-Interologist, aka Gut doctor) about a blockage?
Also, I find that Fatty food (like a fast food meal) tend to make those sorts of bowel movements happen. With Berries and Bananas, neither have a lots of fiber to really 'hold themselves up' in your gut.
I know theres a powder you can get by perscription to help with the mucus in the stool, I was one it for ahwhile, it tasted nasty but it really worked.

About the blackage, after you have a larger meal, do you feel very bloated? Then suddenly have to go RIGHT NOW? A CT scan wont show much, but a Barium X-ray will.

Feel free to PM me if you have more questions that might be on the grosser side.

[MaggieTheCat]

Regarding FMLA -- I'm not sure if I understood everything in your last post, so correct any misinterpretations I'm reading. Also note that I dealt with a lot of FMLA issues in my last job, but that was in Wisconsin, and I'm not sure how local FMLA laws differ between Wisconsin and Texas. Federal FMLA laws should be the same in all states. Apologies in advance for the long post.

FMLA is something that all employers with more than a certain number of employees (something like 15, maybe) must offer to employees. To qualify for FMLA, an employee has to have been employed with the company for at least a year and have worked at least 1000 hours in that year. FMLA is not optional for employers to offer but is optional for employees to take. Employers MUST notify employees of FMLA if they feel that an event may qualify for FMLA. Even if an event ends up not qualifying for FMLA, if an employer feels that it may, they are required, by law, to explain FMLA to the employee and offer them documentation. This is probably why the HR person called you today to talk about it.

You don't have to take FMLA, although in your case it may be a good idea to get it as sort of a back-up in case you get really sick or need to go to the ER during your shift. It does not pay you anything (employers are not required to pay you during FMLA leave unless you request to use your own personal paid leave, if you have any) but it does protect you from termination/demotion/pay cuts/any kind of negative documentation due to attendance.

There are two types of FMLA: Leave and intermittent (those may not be the technical terms but that's what I remember them as.) Leave is for something in which you will be absent from work for an extended period of time but you and your doctors know (roughly) when you should be able to return to work permanently. The best example of a Leave is surgery. You have your gall bladder removed; FMLA covers the time you're off during the surgery and after the surgery for recovery. If your doctor thinks you should be off for 2 weeks after the surgery, you will (should) not incur any absences during that time while you're off work. You can return early from that leave if you feel you can handle it, but you can take the whole time off without repercussions from your employer.

Intermittent FMLA is for some on-going, long-term issue that an employee has in which they may need time off work periodically but it's hard or impossible to determine exactly when you'll need to be off. Examples of this would be, say, migraines. I actually had FMLA for my migraines at my last job. If I felt a migraine coming on, I could take FMLA to leave early to see my chiropractor or go home, if it was bad enough. If I had a migraine when I was supposed to work, I could essentially call in sick, but it wouldn't be considered an absence since it was covered by FMLA. This is the kind of FMLA you may be qualified for, since your condition is so unpredictable.

When you say "forced back into medical leave" is there something else you're referring to? If you're referring to the HR person's call regarding FMLA, you're not being forced into anything. If you fill out the paperwork she sent you and get it approved by a doctor, all it means is that the day you went to the ER, and any subsequent days you may have to take off for this particular issue, are covered by FMLA and you won't get any absences or write-ups for those days. This is, essentially, protecting your job, since if you don't get FMLA, any time you need to take off for this issue will go against whatever absence policy your employers enforce.

Please note that if you do get FMLA, especially intermittent FMLA, it's only for one issue and any other time you're ill for some other reason, you should not be using FMLA to take the time off. For example, if you get FMLA for your stomach issues but you twist your ankle and don't want to walk on it, you can't use FMLA to take a day off work for that. (not trying to imply that you'd do this, just wanted to clarify...we had a lot of people abuse the system at my last job. :( ) When you do call in for your FMLA-related issue(s) you will have to specifically say, "I am calling in due to my FMLA condition" or something similar to specify that it your absence FMLA-related.

Regarding getting demoted and a pay-cut while you're on FMLA leave, yes, that is illegal. As far as I remember, the company is not required to keep your exact position open but they are required to reinstate you into a position that has equal pay and hours available once your leave is over. That's not to say that your manager didn't demote you for FMLA but put the reason down as something else -- did he specifically tell you that FMLA was the cause of the demotion?

[bean]

I don't even have a primary care physician yet, much less a GI. I've been putting off getting a real doctor for too long - using urgent care when I've been sick (which up until recently, has been very rare).

I have an appointment with a PCP recommended by the hospital tomorrow. Turns out a friend of my mom's is a patient of another doctor working out of the same office and she's very happy with the staff, so that's some good news.

[bean]

Regarding getting demoted and a pay-cut while you're on FMLA leave, yes, that is illegal. As far as I remember, the company is not required to keep your exact position open but they are required to reinstate you into a position that has equal pay and hours available once your leave is over. That's not to say that your manager didn't demote you for FMLA but put the reason down as something else -- did he specifically tell you that FMLA was the cause of the demotion?

He did exactly that, yes. My pay was reduced to the starting rate of pay at the time, I was cut to 30 hours a week, and suddenly my shifts were midnight to 8am. I bitched to corporate HR about that after I got an eviction letter (couldn't pay my rent on what he cut me down to), wound up getting dragged into the store manager's office, SCREAMED at in front of every department manager in the store and in front of HR about how I stabbed him in the back by going over his head, and told me "Fine, you got your money back, you'll get back pay, and you're going to <x department>", which is the department I'm still in. I never did get my back pay, and screaming at me about my medical condition in front of half of the store was a huge HIPPA violation in itself. He had a bad temper, so glad he's out of the store. He never did apologize for the outburst, but a couple of weeks before he left the store he did pull me into his office and said my boss has said nothing but good things about me for quite some time and how he appreciated my work.

And you're pretty much spot on with the info, though you need 1,250 hours to qualify now. I have over 7,000 hours with the company, and it's a very big company (Fortune 500, over 40,000 employees in several countries, mostly in the US, and headquartered in my state). I've gotten several employee of the month awards, worked in 4 departments, and been with the company longer than 2 of my department managers and all but 1 of the front end supervisors. I bust my ass, and generally try to treat everyone with respect.

Anyway, I had a lot more typed up for this, but #1, it would definitely be moving toward fratching, which I don't want to do, and #2, with some of the wording my boss and the head HR lady have used, I'm fairly certain they're trying to find a way to get rid of me, so I need to start covering my ass.

[bean]

You know what's kinda funny, sad, odd, and weird all at the same time?

This forum has far, far, far fewer users than the one I posted my original message on (the one I copied/pasted to here). We probably have, what, a few hundred registered users here at the most?

The one I posted it on is my favorite forum - it's great if you're registered, but horrible if you're not due to ads, and you have to pay to register - somethingawful.com 's forums. They have over 142,000 registered users, and at this very moment (4:55 AM central), 2,862 users are logged in and actively reading the forums, with another 2,000 or so unregistered users reading.

I posted in their medical subforum, which is pretty much as it says.. you only post about medical issues in there, it's heavily moderated, and a lot of nurses, doctors, first responders, etc are in that particular subforum.

I've had 2 replies over there - one basically said "Food poisoning only lasts a day or two". Well yeah, no shit. The other was a lot more informative and suggested tests that I should ask my dr to have done.

But still.. 2 posts in 2 days there, we're on our 3rd page here. :confused:

[Rapscallion]

This forum has far, far, far fewer users than the one I posted my original message on (the one I copied/pasted to here). We probably have, what, a few hundred registered users here at the most?

We recently trimmed no-post-count inactive accounts and have nearly five thousand accounts on the records. However, there's about 1300 accounts that have logged in during the last thirty days.

Of note, though, is that I've been taken along the route of investigations about guts, and one thing I do know is that most of the gut complaints involve very similar symptoms, so it's possible the professionals are holding back in case of misdiagnosis?

Rapscallion

[bean]

I hate my biological clock.

I missed my dr's appointment. I've rescheduled, but to be honest, I doubt I'll wake up in time. And as of noon today, if I don't have something signed by doctors, I am out of work and marked not for rehire, and I've been told I might be facing charges over fraud.

So much for a Fortune 500 that's been on the Fortune Top 100 Companies To Work For list since its inception (and never below #15), right?

The lower end has been fine all day, even yesterday, after lots of greasy food both days. The emergency exit (puking) has been pretty busy for the past 8 hours or so, with quite a bit of blood.

[trailerparkmedic]

The emergency exit (puking) has been pretty busy for the past 8 hours or so, with quite a bit of blood.

Go see a doctor!! That is Not Good.

[Mikkel]

Go see a doctor!! That is Not Good.
"I didn't think you could die of ulcers either, but the surgeons says holes in your body with blood pouring out are the same whether they're on the inside or outside, so I guess you can." Louis McMaster Bujold; The Warriors Apprentice

No, that's definitely not good, see a doctor, don't wait till Monday!

[bean]

Go see a doctor!! That is Not Good.

Uhm, perhaps you guys missed the part where I was in the ER for this...

[Mikkel]

Uhm, perhaps you guys missed the part where I was in the ER for this...

But you still have a hole in you with blood running out. The Zofran should work by emptying your stomach faster, or so my oncologist tell me, if you still throw up there must be quite a bit of blood. At least call an ER or your own doctor and ask what they'll recommend. Probably they will just check if you are getting anaemic and perhaps get you something to supplement the Zofran.

[trailerparkmedic]

Uhm, perhaps you guys missed the part where I was in the ER for this...

A few days ago, correct? And you're still vomiting blood? Again, unexplained bleeding for a long period of time is generally Not Good and should be checked out again.

[bean]

No, no longer vomit with blood... just the regular kind now, and infrequent.

I met with my new PCP for the first time today. Very nice guy, fairly young (probably late 30s if I had to guess, he graduated med school in 2001 according to the records I've dug up on him). He told me right away the first thing he wants to get done is an upper endoscopy - FINALLY someone that doesn't think food poisoning! He did say that if I could get a release for my records from the hospital and previous doctors, we could skip re-doing pretty much all of the tests and radiation (I had already filled out releases before going in, so I was prepared).

He said he's also willing to do all the paperwork my employer wants, no problem at all, he just wants to get my records before he fills everything out, which will take a few days (HR said I have 2 weeks to get the paperwork done, I'm going back next week for the paperwork and to schedule an endoscopy).

One thing that did catch me a little off guard... so far, when using my insurance, everyone just mails me a bill after insurance pays their share. They pulled up my benefits and I had to pay on the spot (I could be billed for an extra $25) - but the office visit was only $15.97. I'm hoping that, since my psychiatric meds are stable and long term, I may be able to get him to start writing scripts on those as well, since my insurance doesn't cover mental health.

[Der Cute]

Yay!!!!!!

FINALLY!!!!
And yes, for mental maint meds, your PCP can usually write it out for you. Mine does.

*Happy dance* No more pu-king no more pu-king.

Please, do the food log and bm log. He'll want that data anyways.

Cutenoob

[Mikkel]

I'm glad something is being done. I hope they'll find what is wrong soon.

[bean]

I've been doing very very basic logs. We didn't bring that up during my meeting, but he did ask if specific foods or drugs seemed to trigger symptoms and I said "No, it seems completely random". Which is when he announced "Dude, it's clear you need an endoscopy". I mentioned my anxiety issues and he told me "Don't worry, the last thing you'll remember for the day is laying down on the bed, might not remember the next morning either. Worst case, you have a sore throat". We jokingly described the last time I picked up my mom from a colonoscopy and how completely goofy she was, and he said I'd probably be in the same shape.. except I'm much, much, much, much, much, much (did I say much?) more outgoing than mom, especially about my sexuality. I mean hell, I trade blowjob tips with a 64 year old coworker regularly while sober.

Last time mom got, uh, piped, my stepdad was almost cussing at her because she was so goofy. I wound up cussing him out and calling him an asshole and reminding him she was coming out of anesthesia, then asked her if she'd pay for a new tattoo, she said SURE!. Looked back at stepdad and said "See? She'd never pay for a tattoo sober!".

Dr is fully aware of my current alcohol and drug usage, and has some of my past illegal drug history. When I mentioned I occasionally smoke the evil marijuana plant he didn't mention anything about it at all, but he does want me to cut down on drinking ASAP. I have nothing to hide, my insurance company knows about my substance abuse issues at this point anyway. And he admitted he knows alcohol is one of the hardest drugs to walk away from, after he said that I told him all the drug addictions I HAD walked away from (most cold turkey) and he just said ".... wow".

So... once he has most of my recent medical records, he said it'd be a good idea to come back late next week (I'm scheduled next Thursday around noon) so we can go over the records together and piece together what I want to include in my FMLA request. At that point, he should have been able to go over my labs and radiology - he told me there's no point in re-doing anything that's been done recently, he knows I'm fairly low income and told me he doesn't want to waste any of my money or time.

All in all, I'm VERY impressed with this dr and the entire practice.

I also sat down with backup HR, my boss, and the store manager yesterday - backup HR wanted all of us to sit down and talk "to make sure we're all on the same page". It was a friendly chat, backup hr went over what paperwork I needed to get done, and what records I would need to get released. She stated I could work for up to 15 days before that paperwork had to be turned back in - which works out perfectly, it's going to take about a week before my new doctor can start on the paperwork. I did record the convo (remember TX = 1 party consent), but there's nothing of real interest on the recording. I worked my scheduled shift last night as well. I'm scheduled off today, but told them to feel free to call me if they get slammed (doubtful with the weather that's coming). So tensions are definitely way down now. I signed some papers basically stating I wanted to request intermittent FMLA and stating I would return doctors paperwork within 15 days - doing so allowed me to resume working.

[Mikkel]

It sounds good, both your doctor and your work situation.

If the examination you are going to are the one where they look at your esophagus, stomach and duodenum with a tube down your throat, you don't need to be worried, I got one of those without any aid except that I drank some local anaesthetic first. They told me that I should just relax and if I felt I couldn't breathe I should remember that I did get air enough even if it felt as if I didn't. It wasn't really nice but I would do it again if necessary. I didn't even get a sore throat.

[Rapscallion]

I had spray anaesthetic for mine. Numbed the throat - still gagged on occasion, until I forced myself to relax.

Was good when it was over. Even better, they recommended ice cream for the resultant itchy throat.

Rapscallion

[Mikkel]

I had spray anaesthetic for mine. Numbed the throat - still gagged on occasion, until I forced myself to relax.

Was good when it was over. Even better, they recommended ice cream for the resultant itchy throat.

Rapscallion

I was not allowed to eat or drink for two hours afterwards :(, they were afraid that I would choke if I swallowed while the anaesthetic worked. Since I had to fast for six hours before, I was ravenous!
Yes, I gagged a few times too, they said I should just let it happen, after all there was nothing in the stomach to throw up.
It's quite interesting to see your insides on the screen :p.

Still, if I had anxiety issues, I would let them put me under. It's no time for a panic attack with a tube all the way down there.

[dutifuldaughter]

For my first endoscopy they gave me a Valium. One. I said politely that it wasn't going to do the trick (having a long history of requiring way more sedation than the average person - something to do with a highly developed fight-or-flight mechanism, I guess). The nurse looked down her nose at me and said that if the Valium didn't work, they had a rubber mallet handy. Ha ha. Turns out they were lying about the rubber mallet, as the endoscopy was not a success, since I was wide awake and panicking and surely they would have brought it out when, during my struggles, I kicked the intern. I did feel bad about that later.

Second endoscopy - full (if brief) anaesthesia. I had a lovely nap and no lasting trauma. Ask for the drugs.

[42_42_42]

In the meantime, you should seriously go on the BART diet. It's very bland, so it shouldn't further irritate your system. Basically it's bananas, applesauce, rice, and toast (white bread only, no butter, but you can put honey on it). Of course non-alcoholic "clear" liquids (apple juice, white grape juice, cranberry juice, beef broth, chicken broth, vegetable broth, gingerale, Sprite/7-up) are okay, too. Instant mashed potatoes made with just water and salt and cream of wheat made with just water and honey are bland and gentle enough as well. I know it's a really boring diet to eat, but you really need to allow your system to rest as much as possible, so eating your normal diet right now is really not a good idea.

Aside from that, I'm glad to hear you have a doctor who's taking the situation seriously.

[BlaqueKatt]

DISCLAIMER-I am not a medical professional-


i'll just add that the vomiting "bright red blood" while worrisome can be a symptom of a "Mallory-Weiss Tear (https://health.google.com/health/ref/Mallory-Weiss+tear)"-I've had them, caused by excessive vomiting-though it can be something more serious(don't know not a doctor)-and ER docs are not diagnosticians-they just "patch you up long enough to get you to a proper diagnostician" doctor. While there are good and bad ones-they don't have the time to do a proper medical history, or testing.

[Red_Dazes]

I second ((or third)) the GI or Colonoscopy(sp). You might want to look into GERD, or irritable bowel Syndrome. It isn't usually as bad as what you are describing but I have heard that either of them can be.

A big thing I want to ask is how much stress are you under?
A few years ago I was suffering from symptoms that sounds WAY to similar to yours. I was in the doctors office almost monthly going "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME!" and they couldn't find anything.... one doctor even had the nerve to tell me it was all in my head. Part of my problem was mild acid reflux, part of it was mild food allergies... but the biggest part ended up being stress. My stomach still acts up once in a while when I get stressed...vomiting and....other unpleasant things... but not nearly as bad as it was back then.
So you might want to look into some stress relief techniques, even if it turns out to not be related.... it can never heart to be less stressed right? lol

[Mytical]

Maybe a bit late with this, but I hope I can be forgiven as I am a new member of the board. First the disclaimer - not a medical professional, just have some .. experience.

Now..I want you to get them to check your enzyme levels in your urine. If they are elevated..please have them do a liver biopsy. Because there is a little know, but dangerous thing called Non-Alcoholic Streatohepetitis..A form of Hep C. If you are unlucky enough to get it, pray for it to not be the inherited form. Because it is curable. It is treatable. It starts out as something called 'fatty liver' (though this is only it's beginning stage) and basically the reason it is called that is because your liver will swell to twice it's normal size..for awhile.

It causes excess stomach bile (not acid reflux) and can have a wide variety of symptoms (or none at all).

Excess stomach bile. Makes you feel full even when you haven't really ate. Weird felling when your stomach is growling and you feel like you are stuffed. Vomit randomly, regardless what you eat (though I was unlucky enough to get the fatal/non curable version at one point I couldn't even keep down water). Though greasy food tends to be the worse (oh how I miss KFC chicken).

Cirrhosis of the liver. Just like a lifetime alcoholic can get, and drinking any type of alcohol can make you very very sick.

Your immune system is pretty much nil, cause your body is too busy fighting the illness.

As well as a host of other things. Even if it is not NASH (and I hope it isn't) the biopsy could be a good thing anyhow. If it is, and it is not the inherited version..be prepared for many many shots.

Of course even the fatal version has it's weirdness sometimes. 15(ish) years ago, was told I had no MORE then 2 years to live. Then it went dormant and recently has resurfaced. Phenegran (spelling) helped with the sickness for me, but the pain is a constant. As is the utter fatigue. Just .. have them check for it. Please.

It is so little known, even more so for the inherited version. I've found maybe 10 doctors of all I have been to who even know about the NON inherited version (which is more common), and 2 that knew about the type I had..out of hundreds and hundreds..