Question

Hi Mami,

I'm sorry you're feeling such pain and uncomfortable-ness. How did your ultrasound go today?

Have you been officially diagnosed with IBS, or any type of IBD? The most common cause for right side (lower) pain in people with bowel issues is gas. Bloating is a big source of pain. Have you taken any OTC gas meds? There could also be other culprits like diverticulitis, appendicitis, hernia, endometriosis, kidney stones, and even ectopic pregnancies. There could be so many reasons for your pain... I think it's a great thing you're going in for an ultrasound.

about your possible ulcer... Have you been scoped? That's the best way to confirm ulcers.

Odd pains, tender spots and lumpy feelings on the right upper side of the body may indicate a gall bladder problem. Depending on what's causing it, it may or may not show up on an ultrasound. You need a HIDA scan to check for gall bladder function if it looks normal (because looking and acting normal are two different things).

A bulge in your abdomen may be from a hernia. The ultrasound should generally be able to find it. (I had a friend who went in for hernia surgery on 3 hernia, but when they got in, they found 5--so it's possible they don't all get seen in the mass of intestines. And hers had gotten so bad they were strangling part of her intestines and giving her bowel problems.)

My friend was about 28 when she had her hernia surgery and she had always had them; was born that way. But apparently they got worse and/or new ones developed that started causing the bowel problems, and that's when she had to have surgery on them. Before that, they were considered benign.

My gall bladder went bad when I was 18. Don't let anyone tell you that you are too young for that! I knew at the time that my mother had hers taken out, but I found out later that her grandfather had his out, and that either that grandfather's sister or daughter died of gall bladder cancer (which is fairly rare). So I did not have good gall bladder genes.

Well I had my ultra sound yesterday. They used hot gel instead of the cold stuff I would have preferred. They went over my 'lump' many many times and took pictures of it over and over. They had me lie on my back then on my side and went over it. The woman told me my kidney and I believe she also said my gall bladder look fine. I don't think she said my liver looked fine. My father has severe poly-cystic liver and other poly-cystic organs seem to run in my family. Also both of my parents had their gall bladders removed and I believe some of my grandparents and/or blood aunts and/or uncles, so bad gall bladders seem to run in my family too. When I asked if she found anything abnormal she said she couldn't tell me and that I'd have to go over everything with my doc. Does that mean they found something otherwise she would've said everything looks fine like with my kidney? She didn't go over my left side or lower down my abdomen.

Also my doc gave me a referral for a pregnancy test to see if I was pregnant before I started taking some perscription for acid reflux (started with a P I think, like Plavex...). Anyway she told me if I started my period that I didn't have to got do the pregnancy test. Well after someone here mentioned the H. Pylori test for ulcers, I looked closer at the pregnancy test referral. Also written down on there was the H. Pylori test which the doc didn't tell me about was on that same referral (they had me pee in a cup and I thought that was how they were going to do the ulcer test). She only said the referral was for pregnancy test and nothing else. If it wasn't for you guys and my gut instinct double checking with the doctors at the other place I wouldn't have gotten the test done because I didn't know about it being added onto the referral for the pregnancy test. It sucks that not only do we have to try to decipher doctors handwritting for prescriptions and other things (which is why I don't know exactly what my prescription was for) that now we have to get other doctors to tell us what our doc actually wrote down because they don't tell us everything!

So I'm still left with more questions than answers. I donate my blood to the red cross on the 23rd and the 24th I have another appointment with my doc for follow up and to go over the results. I also wanted to talk to her about my dizzy spells/lightheadedness/spaced out feelings that I get on and off and vary greatly with their intensity each time they happen (I have been getting them for about 5 years now. They used to be real bad where I couldn't walk, but now they just give me a real sick feeling). Anyway I think that is going to have to wait so I can talk to her more about my abdominal issues.

I'm just full of problems aren't I? And thanks Keriamon for letting me know and confirming that age doesn't play a role in all this, that it can happen to anyone at any age.

A co-worker's husband developed dizziness so bad he had to take a leave of absence from work as a journalist to stay at home in bed. They got him into a neuro doctor and he was diagnosed with crystalizing inner ear fluid. They dr said that the inner ear fluid hardened, like it had been frozen, and that's what was throwing him off balance (literally). He prescribed him physical therapy, of all things. Apparently moving your head around in certain ways helps reliquify the fluid. Of course, when you are dizzy, the last thing you want to do it move your head, so you actually allow it to get worse when you stop moving! In any event, the PT helped tremendously, to the point he was able to go back to work. If the symptoms started to reappear, he could do the head movements he learned and that would reverse it.

I'm not sure if the crystalization of the inner ear fluid is common, but I saw an article on this last week--apprently dizziness is common and treating it with physical therapy is common. But you will need to see a neuro doctor to get prescribed the therapy, I'm sure.

<<I wouldn’t worry about the Tech not confirming that she didn’t find anything abnormal. I think it’s standard procedure.>>

It is. Some people are serious about following that to the letter, but some are not. So sometimes you will get someone who tells you everything is fine and someone else who won't even tell you you're fine. Personally, I'm spoiled. My stepfather and mother both worked in the medical field (my mother is still a home health nurse, although she's primarily doing office work) so they knew everyone at the hospital in my small town and the techs, nurses, etc. never had a problem telling them upfront what was wrong with me. Heck, they knew what was wrong with me most of the time anyways; that's why I was at the hospital. In fact, my stepfather did my HIDA scan and he told me my gall bladder was bad before I got up off the table. He later called my mother at home and told me that the radioologist (and a close friend of his) had confirmed.