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Spent my birthday...in the ER!

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Posted 8/19/2012 12:30 AM (GMT 0)
Well the title says it all...today is my birthday and I spent it in the emergency room. Here is the rundown:

I went out last night with some friends to watch a football game. Had less than 2 drinks, a few bites of a turkey wrap, then called it a night. Got home, had a snack, and was really thirsty so I drank a big bottle of gatorade which I diluted with ice water. I also drank a bottle of plain water before I went to bed.

Woke up around 6am drank a glass of ice water and had a normal BM like I do every day. Got back in bed and fell asleep, only to wake up around 7:30 with what felt like gas pains in my upper left abdomen. Tried massaging my belly and drinking more water. Around 8:30-9 I was still in pain so I put clothes on and went to the store to buy some Gas-X. Came home and laid back down. The pain got progressively worse and spread through my whole abdomen, there was no position I could lay in to get relief, and I could not stand up straight. My abdomen also hurt A LOT to touch. By this time my parents were aware that I was not feeling well and kept checking on me. I told my mom I felt like something was just not right...I didn't even have pain like this when I had my colectomy! I had a couple of days in the last week or two where I had some stomach pain but it lasted like 20 minutes max and was not this intense.

So my mom called my PCP's office to get a hold of an on-call nurse, they called back and said that given my history/surgery I should go to the emergency room to get checked out. I got there, and of course literally the minute we pulled into the parking lot the pain started easing up. They took some x-rays and did bloodwork and didn't find anything. The nurse told me it could've been abdomen/intestinal spasms or gas, or something else that wouldn't show up on x-rays or bloodwork. So they gave me an antispasmodic to take in the event that it happens again, and sent me home.

I have no idea what it was, but it was the worst pain I've ever had. I had to call in sick to work which I have NEVER done. It feels much better now but I still feel like I have minor gas pains. Today was miserable!
Posted 8/19/2012 2:02 AM (GMT 0)
Sorry Alibee...glad you're feeling better.

Happy Birthday even though it was a rough one and not the way you certainly wanted to spend it. Take it easy for a bit and get everything back to normal stoma activity.
Posted 8/19/2012 3:00 AM (GMT 0)
Alibee,
Well, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
and I can commiserate, I spent my birthday in the e.r. too :( But, on a flip note, I hope it was just spasms for you and it doesn't happen again. I have found those heat packs that stick to you help me sometimes. You may want to give it a shot, sometimes the heat helps just enough to calm things down. Some people ice things, I can't do that...it sends the arthritis pain thru the roof! But, I have heard that helps some people too. Best of luck!
Posted 8/19/2012 3:25 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks!

I actually don't have a stoma - they reconnected everything during my surgery. So far I have not had really any issues...I have been eating low-residue foods but have been adding in things like nuts and well-cooked (mushy) carrots and things. At first I was worried it was a blockage, but I had zero vomiting, no nausea, and had a BM this morning. I was also able to drink water and keep it down during the episode.

I have felt alright since coming home, I slept for a few hours and then went to the grocery store and I've been relaxing on the couch since then...I still feel sore in my abdomen, and feel kind of gassy, almost like gas pains. So who knows what this was!

Thanks for the well wishes :)
Posted 8/19/2012 5:00 AM (GMT 0)
Yikes. Hope you stay OK Alibee. Bad way to spend a B'day. Happy b'day belatedly.. R
Posted 8/19/2012 12:59 PM (GMT 0)
What a crummy way to spend you birthday! sad Trapped gas pain is the worst. My stoma didn't work for 10 days after surgery, and the pain was horrible.

So glad you're feeling better now! You should celebrate your birthday in a fun way (but stay away from gas producing foods like onions, raw veggies, beer, soda... etc)

Happy belated Birthday! :-)

Cecilia
Posted 8/19/2012 2:05 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry I assumed your problem was stoma related. Maybe your system is still adjusting to the after effects of your surgery and you are more tender and have to be extra careful a while longer till things fully heal.

It is tricky when you feel so good overall but your "innards" are not on the same track.

Take care
Posted 8/20/2012 12:25 AM (GMT 0)
Alibee,

This sounds sooo strange.. but I am so happy to have found someone else that was an immediate reconnect. I am sorry that I didn't see that somewhere before!
Up until now I have really only seen people with bags..
I really look forward to being able to bounce things off each other and get advice from someone in the same boat :)
Good luck.. I had my surgery in January, they took the large intestine, and 2 feet off the small, and did my hysterectomy at the same time.
All went well until I came home and ate something that contained wheat (I also have celiac), so I ended up back at the hospital for 3 weeks, as it shut down my entire digestive process.. :(
Since then I have had other issues, but thankfully I am meeting a new gastro in 2 weeks.. FINGERS CROSSED he has some answers.
Hope all goes well for you!
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