Okay, husband has finally consented last week to go to the doctor.
This has been going on for 20 ish years- but the older he gets, the more frequent this becomes.
He used to get episodes that he would stomach pain, low abdominal, and they would always lead to diarrhea. The diarrhea would last 5 or so hours- with him going at least 20 times in that amount of time. sometimes, he would do that for a day or two, of co urse, he woudl then feel worn out, as if a truck would run him over. The pain is usually almost unbearable for him- until he goes to the bathroom. Thenhe would go, the pain would go down, and then the pain would build up and he'd have to do it all over again. It never matters what he eats or drinks, we never see a specific trigger.
Well, this had gone on, and he would have an episode or two a year, and now that he is 51- he has had three or four this year alone.
THis last episode- lasted 8 days- diarrhea 20 times or so each day, til about 3pm- always would start about an hour after he woke up and then last all day, until about 3.
He would still go to work, and do his job- only because that's the kind of guy he is.
Never a fever, always unbearable pain. He has passed out from ths pain before, only because he would hold his breath. So, after going finally 8 days long, we went to the doctor.
They discovered that in 10 months, he has lost over 11 pounds- without really trying.
His white blood count is very mildly elevated, along with his mean platelet value but his platelets are on the high end of normal. His lympocytes are mildly elevated, as well.
The doctor said it "could" be IBS but it generally doesn't follow this pattern- and it could be IBS coupled with something else.
He is already a skinny man- doesn't smoke or drink. Eats a low fatish diet.. has severe GERD- that has sent him to the hospital twice for in the past because of the terrible chest pains he would get with it.
So, his last bout of diarrhea was Wednesday- and today (Monday) is the first day he has had a bowel movement since then. He was not constipated, it was not harder then normal.. it was just a normal bowel movement.
What is going on?