So I'm finally out of the hospital

[GirlinContempt]

and pissed the fuck off.
Ask me anything, I guess, just don't expect an answer.
I might pass out and not respond for hours. By pass out I mean fall asleep.

[SPKrazy]

1. are you okay?

:shrug:


:hug:

[GirlinContempt]

3. Well apparently, I'm not in any IMMINENT danger

and if, once again, the danger is actually imminent, they may or may not take another stab at it, but we'll just have to wait and see.

Not that I'm frustrated or anything.

[hippywife]

2. I hope you are feeling

better, besides being pissed, and all is well.

[GirlinContempt]

4. I'm not really,

but thanks for the hopes :)

[swag]

5. Hi.

Jesus, I sure hope this shit passes soon.

Hi. Hi!

[GirlinContempt]

6. Yeah, I hope I get some fucking competent care soon.

Hi!

[BlueIris]

10. Yeah. What's left of our kingdom for competent medical care.

[dolo amber]

7. Wtf?

You ok mang?

[GirlinContempt]

8. Apparently I'm not going to die

at least they hope not, so I guess that's good, right? :eyes:

In other words, they don't know wtf was wrong, ignored the advice of specialists, and just sent me home with instructions to come back if I start to die or something.

[Writer]

9. What were you experiencing? n/t

[GirlinContempt]

16. Crippling, excruciating stomach pain

[eyepaddle]

22. Does it get worse after you eat something,

I'm not gonna offer up a diagnosis or anything, but pancreatitis can be like that. The only reason I bring it up is I had a few bouts with that and it sort of leaves an impression. It felt like the most insane muscle spasm in the universe.

Mainly I wish you a speedy recovery. :hug:

[GirlinContempt]

24. Yeah, it was getting worse after eating.

[FloridaJudy]

45. Do you still have your gall bladder?

Not diagnosing or anything, but that's what docs usually investigate first with severe abdominal pain after eating.

[GirlinContempt]

84. Yes

[FloridaJudy]

94. Ask your provider if it could be gall baldder disease

The tests for that are quick, cheap and painless (ultrasound and flouroscopy). At least request that it be ruled it out. It's increasing common in young women, particularly if you happen to be overweight (and many women with PCOS are).

[KitchenWitch]

11. Hospitals are no place for sick people!

Sorry you have not been well.

:hi:

[GirlinContempt]

17. That's what my dad said

:)

[JVS]

12. WTF! I had no idea you weren't well!

[GirlinContempt]

18. Yeah, it just sort of happened.

[bridgit]

13. ...why were you in the hospital...

:(

[GirlinContempt]

23. Well, the Saturday after my birthday extravaganza

I had this weird stomach pain. For a while, I just thought, maybe it's the onset of cramps (which I never get anymore), or maybe it's a weird reaction to drinking too much (which I didn't really do). As the day progressed, it got worse and worse, till it was hard to walk and I was doubled over in pain. I called HealthLinks, which is a free government service with RNs on the line to help advise you. After a million questions she said "get thee to the hospital". I called my friend to let her know I wouldn't be getting together with her later probably, and she insisted on driving me (cause she's sweet).
The wait was actually really not that bad. Got there at about 4, and I was in a bed by 5ish. Friend had called my family, who showed up to relieve her about 6ish or so.
Anyway, Dr shows up, pokes and prods me in a fairly agonizing way, and tells me he thinks it may be my appendix. Great. Orders me put on morphine, blood tests, and an IV, or maybe I was on an IV already hard to remember. He orders a CT scan. Bit of a wait. Anyway, I end up getting a CT, which shows nothing abnormal in my appendix area. He does an internal exam, which is inconclusive. Dr tells me I have some small cysts on my ovaries (I'd already told them I have polycystic ovaries, so no big shock there) but that they shouldn't be causing the problem as they are fairly small and none have ruptured.
Dr eventually tells me that I can go home if I want to, or say in the hospital. I should come back if it gets worse, and it may still be appendicitis, as sometimes it just doesn't show up in tests, or it may not be bad enough to show up in the scan.
I decide to go home. Get home around midnight/1 o'clock, still dopey on morphine, fall asleep. Wake up still in pain, but it's not TOO bad. Go to my grandmothers for mothers day brunch, where I get progressively worse till again I can barely walk and I'm trying not to cry. Back to the hospital, where eventually a DIFFERENT doctor pokes and prods at me, and looks at the day befores CT scans. Says I don't have appendicitis based on that but refers me to a surgeon. Surgeon pokes and prods me. I get more morphine. Surgeon looks over my CT from the day before and comes back to ask me about the cysts, asks me if I'm AWARE I have them. I point out that my chart says I have polycystic ovaries, so it's no big secret (I was actually polite at the time :P ) Ends up calling in a gynecologist to examine me. Gyno was really really nice and great. I wish I could get him for my gyno. He checks me out, and says unequivocally NO, the cysts are NOT causing the pain. There is NO WAY they could cause the pain. They are way too small and there is NO indication of rupture. The surgeon just probably asked him just to be 100% sure or something. Whatever. Surgeon says I need a pelvic ultrasound. May show something the CT didn't.
I get admitted. In to a room with a cancer patient, who I'm pretty sure was being diagnosed in the ER next to me on Saturday. It's REALLY HARD not to eavesdrop when you're lying motionless and that's the only sound.
Sadly, this woman had the stupidest, most obnoxious, LOUDEST relatives in the entire world, who came to visit her after visiting hours and were SO god damn loud I couldn't even hear my dad who stopped in to check on me (I was admitted past visiting hours).
Whatever.
Monday, early, Dr and team of students show up, poke and prod me again, and say that I need a pelvic ultrasound. Great, bring it on. This whole time, since saturday, I have not been allowed to eat or drink a god damn thing.
Monday passes in a haze, I'm on morphine and sleeping for most of it. Eventually, the Dr shows up and says, based on the tests you DON'T have appendicitis, but we'll keep observing you for a bit to see if anything else happens. Being drugged and asleep, this barely registers, but as soon as it does, I call my nurse and ask about the ultrasound. She says she thought I had it, I say I don't think I'm THAT drugged out. Turns out, I *DIDN'T* have it, and they decided to CANCEL it based on a 2 day old CT scan. As if the fucking CT scan from two days ago still REALLY means anything.
Dr tells me also I can drink something but doesn't bother putting it in my chart.
Monday comes, again I am woken up by dr at like 6:30am, who tells me they're sure it was my cysts and I can be released at noon.
Sorry, my cysts? My cysts that the first doctor, the gynecologist and my endocrinologist all don't think can cause this kind of pain? Fuck you mr lazy surgeon.
At that point though, I did just want to get out.
They served me two plates of orange jello for breakfast. Needless to say I didn't eat.
Lunch brought me two more plates of jello, lime this time I think, and a bowl of 'beef broth'. This shit tasted like the saltiest fucking gravy packet you could find, not to mention just gross, then horribly watered down. Ew ew ew. My nurse comes in and tells me I can't leave if I don't eat, so I pour as much ice water in the broth as I can, chug it, and chase it with about another liter of ice water. It was so sick. Nurse says she's not sure if thats enough to make sure I can eat. I point out that if that didn't make me ill, pretty much nothing possibly could.
So I get released.
I'm still in pain
I have trouble eating.
I feel very hungry, and I'll make a bowl of rice or a sandwich or something, take two bites, and just REALLY not want it anymore.
My arm is in agony from the IV and my skin is peeling off in patches from the tape.
My fever is sitting at about 100.2.
I've called my endocrinologist for an emergency appointment. I want conclusive say-so from someone trustworthy that this IS NOT my ovaries so I can try to figure out what it is.
I'm unhappy, restive, weak feeling and achy, not to mention the stomach pain, which is not crippling but still there.
So there.
A lot of that is me moping. Sorry. But it was a not nice few days.
And I'm not 'allowed' to work till monday.
My boss is pissed about that.
And I am, but I also don't think I could work right now anyway.
I don't know
Shutting up in 5 4 3 2 1

[knitter4democracy]

49. Ah, yes, the "broth."

I had that in the hospital, and it's just terrible. Ick, ick, ick. I got to the point that I actually wanted the jello, that's how bad it was.

Btw, I PM'd you. Hubby had some questions. He's not happy with the doctors at all.

[GirlinContempt]

55. I replied

quite late, but I replied.

Sorry, I fell asleep

[knitter4democracy]

69. You needed the sleep.

It's not like you slept well in the hospital, so you need as much sleep as possible right now.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

64. I hate those damn salty soups they foist on you in the hospital.

I've gotten mad at several nurses for giving me that salty powdered crap, and I tell them in no uncertain terms I am NOT to eat any salt and I have hypertension.

[knitter4democracy]

70. Oh, that's smart.

:eyes: Let's give someone on a low-salt diet a salt soup. Blech!

[GirlinContempt]

77. I do not understand

how they expect sick people to get better on beef broth and fucking jello.
I really don't.
I tasted that beef broth, and I can manage a pretty good guess on it's nutritional value, and we all KNOW how much value jello has.
I'm tempted to tell them I'm vegan if I ever have to go back in.

[knitter4democracy]

90. The veggie broth isn't much better. It is better, though.

Ick. Have someone steal you some saltines. ;)

[bridgit]

65. answering you through the other portal when i get back in today...

:hug:

[Nicole]

14. Glad to hear you are home.

Sorry to hear that you needed to be in the hospital & it pissed you off.

Hope you are better soon. :hug:

[GirlinContempt]

25. Thank you, thank you.

[billyskank]

15. Holy cow, I am so sorry to hear that

I was wondering where you were. Whatever is wrong, I wish a speedy recovery.

[GirlinContempt]

26. All that's wrong now is my lost star and poverty

grr.
haha I'm joking.

Thanks. I hope what is wrong can be figured out so I can get better.

[billyskank]

39. I hope so too.

I don't have much in my power than I can do for you, but what I can is yours. Wishing you well, most sincerely.

[brook]

52. The description you gave

of your symptoms - and the endless rondelay of Drs. w/o a clue - sounds incredibly like the experience I had many years ago. I left the hospital sans diagnosis after a 10 days stay then. Another bad attack and it turns out it's diverticulitis. Been hospitalized 3x over a 30 year span - with some small flareups every once in awhile. When it produces a fever, I get IV antibiotics. Lots of morphine as well.

I'm not saying you have it - but you might ask them to rule it out? In any case, hope you feel better!
It is the belly-ache from hell!

[DS1]

19. That must have been one hell of a birthday party

:hi:

[GirlinContempt]

27. Uh sorry I just had six heart attacks

YOU@!!!!!!!!!

[no name no slogan]

20. Sending good vibes your way, sweetie

and happy belated birthday, too :hug:

[GirlinContempt]

28. Thanks

How've YOU been?

[no name no slogan]

31. I've been pretty good overall

Things are going pretty well. Busy doing music again but trying to keep both wheels on the ground. :)

[ThomCat]

21. I'm happy to hear that you're home.

How is your recovery going?
:hug:

[GirlinContempt]

29. Not great

Cause no one knows what's wrong with me :\

[ThomCat]

30. It a bit depressing how often doctors don't know.

Most of the time they just treat symptoms and hope the problem goes away. :(

I hope your immune system is smarter than the doctors. :hug:

[supernova]

32. Ugh. Sorry to hear you're not well

Last time I had a story similar to yours, I had a really bad UTI. I had never had one before, so I didn't know what they felt like. YMMV.

Hope they can figure it out, soon though. :hug:

[GirlinContempt]

35. me too, thanks

[LaraMN]

33. WHAT?!

What the hell happened?! You okay, sweetie?!
:o :-(

[GirlinContempt]

34. er yeah

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=6512629&mesg_id=6513412

[xmas74]

36. Just get some sleep

and call your friendly neighborhood dealer.

When I had gallstones years ago pot worked better than anything else.

[GirlinContempt]

40. No pot for me, thanks

but sleep and fretful phone calls to my poor doctor.

[xmas74]

43. Haven't done it in years

Get some sleep.

[merh]

37. if you have had no vomitting

then I don't think it is your pancreas - sounds more like your appendice (<<sp?).

I had the severe pancreatitis, I wanted death, it was horrific, the awful abdominal cramping, the vomiting until I couldn't hold my head up, the horrendous headache from the vomiting and the cramping, the dehydration.

Phenobarbital is really some great shit - that and antibiotics from hell.

I was unconscious for days after the phenobarb shot (okay, I was loopy and in an out, remember bits and pieces of movies and shadows checking to make sure I was alive). It took me a month to get my color and strength back where I could go to work.

Can you get a second opinion? I hope it's not appendicitis, the way it is happening, it sounds like what happened to my niece, all the tests told the docs it wasn't until it ruptured and spewed it's poison (she came close to dying).

I hope you find out what it is that is troubling you and get the care you need. If you don't mind, I'll say some prayers for your recovery - good and healthy vibes sent you way.

Healthy postive thoughts for you :thumbsup: (and if you get a chance to get some phenobarbital, grab it ;) )

[GirlinContempt]

41. Thanks, merh

I'm hoping to get some answers asap

[SmokingJacket]

51. My appendicitis was just like that.

Before they did cat scans for anything except brain tumors and what have you -- they just poked around and got out the knife.

My dad also had undiagnosed stomach pain for MONTHS before they realized it was appendicitis. Now that was frustrating -- it was the first thing we thought of, but assumed that it was such an obvious diagnosis and so common that they'd obviously catch it. Umh, no.

[knitter4democracy]

71. I had it for ten years.

I'm married to an internist, too. They misdiagnosed it as endometriosis (the history, physical, and ultrasounds all fit that diagnosis, so I can't really blame them), and when I finally caved and begged for surgery, they found it then.

Serious massive pain, that one.

[SmokingJacket]

89. See, in the old days they would have taken it out right away.

The reasoning being, you don't NEED an appendix, and so if they happened to be wrong, they might be preventing later problems anyway.

Now they're just worried about saving money and being sued.

[knitter4democracy]

91. Well, it never showed up on the tests.

Of course, my first doctor never did the CT that might have caught it, so . . . I can't really blame them, since all the symptoms and tests pointed in a completely different direction.

[SarahB]

73. I've seen undetected appendicitis myself.

I work in medicine and will be a nurse as of, um, tomorrow. Technically, they should see an increased WBC (white blood cell) count on the bloodwork, but not always. Sometimes you don't see much on the labs until it ruptures which in that case can be serious business (broad spectrum IV antibiotics to prevent sepsis from peritonitis, etc.). Keep a close eye on yourself, GIC and any fever, get thee back to the hospital.

[GirlinContempt]

78. One doctor told me

that even though my appendix wasn't inflamed, and my blood tests showed nothing, that sometimes (very rarely) it can still be appendicitis. Some people just don't show up till it explodes.
I have no idea if this is true or if this is the case with me, but it's kind of freaky.

[knitter4democracy]

92. I didn't. No high WBC count, nothing.

It happens. Thank goodness it never ruptured. Horrific pain, though. *shudder*

[Bassic]

38. I was wondering where you were

What happened?

[GirlinContempt]

42. I spewed the story

to bridgit upthread, if you wanna take a look

[RetroLounge]

44. So does this mean you're not coming to Wisconsin soon?

:D

Seriously, sorry your gut hurts and hope whatever the fuck it is, it goes away soon...

:hug:

RL

[GirlinContempt]

56. Not terribly soon

:P

[tigereye]

46. sorry to hear all that!

hope you are feeling better soon and get some definitive answers. :hug:

[GirlinContempt]

57. Yeah, I do too

I've been calling my endocrinologist a bunch bit it keeps going straight to voice mail, I think the phones got some issues or something

[u4ic]

47. Holy crap, GiC

:-(


I hope you are soon rid of whatever ails you. :hug: :hug: :hug:

[GirlinContempt]

58. Thank you

:)

[wildhorses]

48. did anyone mention the possibility of an ulcer?

sorry, you are not feeling well:hug:

[GirlinContempt]

59. Would that show in a CT?

[knitter4democracy]

72. Probably not.

You would need to get scoped for that. That one's not that big a deal, but the lower end scoping is icky because of the prep.

[Taverner]

50. Sorry to hear you're feeling bad

:hug:

Hug?

[GirlinContempt]

60. hah thanks

hugs kinda hurt

[sir_captain]

53. Yeesh

sounds like an awful experience. I'm a medical student, and I'd totally suggest you get in touch with the hospital's patient advocate to complain about the lack of communication among the medical team--that's pretty unacceptable.

I didn't read every post in your thread, but I hope you have a primary care provider you can get an emergency appointment with who is competent and able to properly manage your care unlike the docs you've been dealing with so far.

And mainly, I hope you feel better. :hi:

[GirlinContempt]

61. Sadly, I have no family doctor

[BreweryYardRat]

54. Hope you get better.

:hug:

[GirlinContempt]

62. Sometimes

internet support can be really nice.
Thank you :)

[crim son]

63. I empathize.

There are a million potential causes for abdominal/pelvic pain and it can take a while to get to the bottom of it. I hope you do, sooner rather than later. Sorry about that, GirlinContempt. :hug:

[GirlinContempt]

79. Thanks crim son, it just seems like

the surgical team looked at my OLD ct scan, decided it couldn't POSSIBLY be appendicitis, and instead of trying to look for ANY OTHER problem, they blamed it on my girly bits.
That is a REALLY frustrating feeling.

[NC_Nurse]

66. I'm so sorry!

I have chronic abdominal pain too. I've had CT scan, ultrasound, endoscopy, the works.
They have not figured out what it is either, but it has improved somewhat.

I WORK in gastroenterology and they have given me all the tests and then some. Still no answer.
Medicine is like that sometimes....I'm sorry you are having to deal with a very similar problem - it sucks.

If I find out what mine is - I'll let you know. Please do the same for me.

:hi:

[GirlinContempt]

80. I'll be sure to

I just wish they'd done more tests. As I said to crim son, it really really seemed like because I have a problem with my girly bits, it must be THIS problem, so they just didn't bother.

[NC_Nurse]

95. I know what you mean.

Often, they follow up on the old stuff. I've had chronic UTI's in the past and my doctor tests my urine every time we talk about my abdominal pain - even though this pain is totally different than when I had the urinary problems.
It can be very frustrating.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

67. sorry babe

:hug:

[GirlinContempt]

81. Hope everything is well with you

:)

[La Lioness Priyanka]

86. acid reflux. no sleep. finals looming.

life is wonderful :sarcasm:

:hi:

[NewJeffCT]

68. welcome back

I hope you're doing better today.

[GirlinContempt]

82. My cat seems determined to poke me in the stomach

so that isn't helpful :P

[BarenakedLady]

74. Hope you are feeling better today.

:hug:

[GirlinContempt]

85. Not yet, but maybe later on today

:) Thanks

[jpgray]

75. Bleh. At least get some Percocet or the like out of them

:hug:

[GirlinContempt]

83. Nope, they told me to take tylenol.

TYLENOL?! T3's don't even do shit for me. TYLENOL?!
Anyway, I'm not taking anything for the pain at the moment, because I'd rather know exactly how it is, be clear headed, and able to tell if something changes. I have some percocet from something else, but I know it won't let me do that :P

[knitter4democracy]

93. So, they were just f'in incompetent all the way around.

Oh, you need a morphine drip when you're in there but no pain control when you leave--still in pain with a fever?!

I'm getting more disgusted by the minute. I sure wish you were in the area and could just come to one of the hospitals Hubby covers so he could take care of you. He likes medical mystery patients. :)

[SarahB]

76. I hope you find answers soon.

Unfortunately, docs often look at numbers and numbers don't often tell the story until something else is going on (as I wrote upthread, my biggest concern would be an appendix that could possibly rupture). If you have any fever, get yourself back to the hospital. Also (not to offend DU, but pointing out some stuff she can do), but keep a close eye on your stools. Bright red blood can be indicative of a lower GI bleed, ones that look like "coffee grounds" can show an upper GI bleed, and if the look light gray, it can indicate liver/gallbladder issues.

:hug:

[GirlinContempt]

87. I'm not having many

BMs *ahem*
Not being able to really eat limits that.
but, thanks Sarahbelle, I hope they figure it out too. I'm actually just gonna pop off and call my endocrinologist again.

[JVS]

88. LOL! BM!

:rofl: