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Apt. with surgeon tomorrow at Mayo, feeling anxious with lots of questions. Need advice....

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 8/18/2010 2:28 PM (GMT 0)
So, with the upcoming appt. my head is swirling with questions. And on top of it, I just read where they want me to take two enemas before my appt. I wonder what the heck he is going to do? I guess a short scope exam of maybe 6" or so? I think I had one of those many years ago when this first started.

I just feel like they really don't know what I have and I am going to the Mayo Clinic! They say it is diverticular colitis but I think I have crohn's or might be getting it.  My blood test is positive (asca) high sed rate, I have joint pain, extreme fatigue & mouth sores. I asked my docs office for a surgery consult basically out of frustration because the enemas, colazal and flagyl have not completely gotten me into any real sort of remission. So far, my biopsies have just said inflammation. Then again, perhaps the diverticula pouches that I have need to come out. I just hope the surgeon looks at my case and discusses things with me. I am not too keen on having another physical exam down there. I want him to look at everything in my records and hope he does so. Ok, thanks for letting me vent!!

p.s I live an hour away, my apt is at 10. I guess I'll have to wake up at dawn b/c I usually get diarrhea in the morning anyway. Think I'll do just soups today to make things easier.  yeah

Posted 8/18/2010 2:31 PM (GMT 0)
I think it is a good idea that you stay on light foods today, less to clean out tomorrow. I don't know why they want the enemas, other than for the flex sig you think they may do. Good luck at Mayo and keep us posted on what happens. Hugs!
Posted 8/18/2010 6:26 PM (GMT 0)
Just keep in mind that you are in good hands at Mayo. Some of the best in the country. Let us know what colorectal surgeon you end up seeing. I'm a candidate but so far have managed to avoid a second surgery altho I've talked to Dr Larson, Dr Chua and .... I've forgotten the name of the first surgeon I consulted with this time around. I'll have to look his name up later. I thought I was going to end up at Mayo for surgery before Christmas but things have calmed down again and I've managed to squeak by a while longer maybe. (I'm talking Mayo, Rochester - which one are you going to?)
Posted 8/18/2010 10:45 PM (GMT 0)
thanks for the encouraging words Nanners and ChronieToo. Yea, I feel comfortable with seeing a surgeon at Mayo. I hope he listens well and has a good idea if the surgery will help me. I am hoping that having this bad area cut out has to help! Hopefully, it won't come back. the surgeon I am seeing tomorrow is Dr. Metzger.

ChronnieToo, do you have crohn's colitis? Why did you think you would need surgery for a second time if you don't mind me asking? Was your first surgery right before Christmas? Back to back surgeries would be very rough.

It's kind of funny, when this started two years ago, I really thought I'd end up in surgery then but Mayo got me feeling better for a while. Over the past two years though, my remissions have been extremely short lived. I wish they had sent me to surgery then and saved me all this time and agony. Hindsight is always 20-20.
Posted 8/18/2010 11:10 PM (GMT 0)
when you say surgery do you mean for a colostomy or a resection?

I/m thinking the enemas might be for a sigmoidoscopy? I think thats the one they blow air up and only see the last so-many-inches. I have crohn's colitis and had this done with my "new" gastro.
Posted 8/18/2010 11:25 PM (GMT 0)
Oh, I feel sure just a resection. My problem is in the descending colon. Sometimes I have some pain on the right side but I think it is pressure from the left side not working and causing pressure. So far, all my CT scans and scopes have show problems only in the left side. At least, that is what I am thinking. I guess I'll know more tomorrow. My mother told me she had to have "several feet" out of her intestines but that was when I was very young and I never got the details. Sounds like she had the same thing. I wonder if she had crohn's because at 76 she got acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis and died very quickly. They never knew why she got it either. Her gall bladder was clear. I've heard pancreatitis can sometimes happen in crohn's and IBD. I didn't get her medical records either In retrospect, it would be nice to have them.
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