UC, NO appendix, lower right abdominal pain (sharp!)

I am a 26 year old female. I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis about 2 years ago. I had my appendix removed when I was 18 wks pregnant with my second child. I have been having pain in my lower abdomen, as if I still needed my appendix removed. The pain goes into my lower back and i feel really tender on my side and under my rib cage a little. I went to the urgent care, then switched to the ER so they could do labs...Mostlikely wasn't sure what to do with a UC patient. Said they needed labs done. My billirubin is elevated. Potassium low (no surprise there) I have had this pain for over a year I would guess. Not exactly sure bc pain is a daily occurence. But this sharp pain is always in the exact same place. Sharp, deep, not like cramping at all. I had an exploratory lap (removed a cyst on the left side) I also bled for 8 months after my second pregnancy. Eventually stopped. I am sure i have inflammation in my intestines that may be causing swelling in my pancreas or gall bladder? had it before...BUT this sharp pain is getting stronger. I just have no idea what it can be. Ive had an xray, they didnt see anything. duh. and i am getting an ultrasound done. I can not figure out what makes it worse or better. its just there...well until this morning, i noticed the pain spike when i bent over. I have 2 small children and no time to be sick! im sure many of you feel this way. but maybe someone has had similar pain? more experience with how to get the drs to listen to me.

I was given a laxative at my last er trip. sisnt notice a difference. dr thought maybe i would feel better if anything was blocked! didnt touch, change, relieve this pain at all.

sorry if this is confusing! i hope i mentioned as much i could remember. also, the pain really bothers my back. sciatic nerve. i was told inflammation in my abdomen is inflaming the nerve? and oh, maybe you have arthritis...???

I had 2 sigmoidoscopys last one about a year ago, no colonoscopy (crazy i know) I had a scope almost a year ago. I was diagnosed by biopsy. I forgot to mention i had my lst remicade infusion in march. lost my insurance. tried asacol 4 by 3xday before that. no relief.

maladeda - your post about scopes was kind of confusing, but I think you wrote that you have not had a coloscopy.

My first IBD diagnosis was ulcerative proctitis. My GI did a sigmoidoscopy after I had been complaining (for a year!) about bloody stool, passing mucous, etc. etc. He was able to see inflammation in my rectum with this scope. He prescribed rectal meds. I got a little better.

I was frustrated with his treatment and went to see someone else. I also got pregnant around then so couldn't really be scoped until another couple of years had passed. When I finally had my first colonoscopy, my [new] GI was really surprised to see I had inflammation in my cecum as well as my rectum.

Right-sided disease can absolutely be present. I would suggest that you get a full coloscopy to be certain of the extent of your disease.

Sorry for the confusion. I was diagnosed from a biopsy taken during the first sig.oscopy that was done while I was hospitilized at the on-set of my disease. I slso have had a scope through the mouth also. Just to rule out more when I was having alot of upper abdominal pain. I know I need to have a colonoscopy done. That is like the "thing" to have done for any colitis! I was told the biopsy in the difinitve way to diagnose Ulcerative Colitis. By the time I had the second sigmoidoscopy I had been recieiving Remicade Infusions for months and my DR said that he would need a biopsy to know that I even had the disease anymore. It was visible on its own with the first. I hope that clears that up.

English was never my strong subject and when I am in pain I don't think very straight.

Kazbern,
Thank you so much for replying again. I see what you are saying now about the inflammation possibly being higher up/throughout more of my colon and/or intestines. I was confused too ;) typical of me! In this time of finding out and learning more about UC I have been trying to ask all the right questions and research but it can be beyond confusing!!! I am still trying understand all of this. I really appreciate the advice from someone who has had more experience with all of this.

Some more into my UC path/legacy! haha. Just kidding. I was diagnosed while in the hospital from what they figured I had the UC from a CAT-scan I believe. I had gone into the ER with pain, D, exhaustion, and dehydration. I had been alone and trying to cope and treat this HORRIBLE "flu" that I thought I had been plagued from while I was pretty much completely alone so far from family. Luckily we had some friends that were able to come and get the girls from the hospital and take care of them for 4 nights while I was hospitilized. My DR wouldnt let me leave becuase she was worried that I may pass out from the pain and dehydration while driving or alone with the girls at home bc I wanted to go and pack their bags...typical mama thing I suppose, even when you are sick! I was alone in KY (I am from CA) while my husband was away for training. We were a military family. And while in the military I recieved my health care from the hospital on post. I began to feel that I should have attempted to see a DR off-post for a second opinion about the UC. I was just so sick at the time and I settled out of just attempting to deal with each day as it came in a terrible fog from exhaustion. I had and still have a really difficult time with stress. I am triggering so much of problems with my high stress level. I have been taking care of my girls alone for the most part while attempting to get better and praying for this to go into remission. This diagnosis has been insanely difficult to accept, in the way that I will always have to deal with it. Meaning even when I may be in remission I will need to be "good" as far as my diet and stress level in order to keep it "at bay."

Okay, sorry for that ramble, of which I will most likely continue bc I suck at explaining stuff. My last Remicade infusion was in April 2011. I was "prescribed" to have the infusions done every 8 weeks and then after knowing that around week 6 I would begin to feel my symptoms coming back. D, cramping, dehydration. So my DR had decided to change it to every 6 weeks we started duscussing changing it to every 6 weeks. But my husband discharged from the military quickly and supposedly we were going to be covered by Tri-Care for another 180 days. I went to the pharmacy to pick up meds and they told me that my tri-care was no longer active. Obviously this was like a slap in the face. But not a complete surprise...unfortunetly for me and my children. I had some asacol bottles that were full. I had them from before I began the infusions, they just werent working at the 12 a day regimen. Remicade really made a difference for me. I felt crappy the day that I would recieve the infusion. Its like it was destroying my body, litterally!!! But I did notice a difference. Anyways, I was taking the asacol for the chance that it could help me stay in remission. That has finally ran out.

Today I was able to get into my parents DR. I saw a nurse practioner. She was amazing. Very helpful. She recommended that I should go to the ER straight from her office. While she doing the routine abdominal exam I let out a loud "yelp-like" sound from the excruiting pain I felt spike through to my back from about as high as my belly button. I had what my mom calls "crocodile" tears. Just streaming down my face. I had been so strong about tolerating the pain while I waited for the DR to come in after the nurse got my vitals. I was really beginning to lose my mind from all the discomfort. After a total of 3 hours for an appt at a regular DRs office (not urgent care or anything like it) She was really concerned and told me if I were her daughter she would take me down to the ER. It is just a mess for me bc both of my parents have to go to work tommorow (friday) and the drive is about an hour to get there. I was still at the DR at 4pm so by the time I would have been able to get to the ER and they would have most likely had to call in the ultrasound tech. If I was alone I would have driven down there for sure. I am going in the am now. i will have to bring my daughters with me, but at least hopefully they will be able to hang in there since it wont be late at night. And if they do have to admit me for some reason or it is going to be awhile then my dad can just pick my girls up on his way home. I really have a suspicion after seeing the DR that my pain is possibly being caused from scar tissue or adhesion from where I had my appendix removed. Because I was pregnant when they removed it i just wonder if the likely-hood for and adhesion or something to have formed from my belly growing and stretching where I recieved stitches. She mentioned that it could be attached to my ovary or my intestine. I have been told before that may be it but no one has really checked it out. I am leaning towards that more and more bc I realize that the pain is ALWAYS in the EXACT same spot. It Never changes angles or anything. The most change I notice is pain that radiates higher in my abdomen or into my back. This has been happening since the pain has become so much more severe in the last 2 weeks. I know it sounds odd but I really hope that is what the problem is! I just want it to be some kind of problem. bc then there would be something to treat!!! I am so at the "end of my rope" and I hate going to Drs over and over and having them think I am "crying wolf" or being a hypochondriac. It is frustrating bc "normal" people (people that dont have UC or something similar) dont realize how much it effects so many aspects of your health. It is so much more than discomfort that makes you have to go #2 alot. I dont think people fully understand that an auto-immune diseasetake such a huge toll on you physically and mentally!!! and to have any kind of pain/issue on top of it sucks!!! Especially when it looks like it overlaps with my reproductive or urinary tracks. I have heard that a couple times. "Sorry, You know it is just so confusing bc it can be so many things...here are some steroids, or an anti-b, or pain meds...hope you feel better and it clears up." and when you go back again bc it isnt getting any better they act like, oh she just wants pain meds, we cant help her so that means nothing is worng....It is never (for me at least) oh, this girl/patient is serious and she is not doing well. Maybe we should really listen and try to eliminate things at the least. I did overhear a male nurse stick up for me for this exact reason during another trip to the ER in KY. I had began crying bc I over heard the nurses talking about how almost all the people on the post have maybe, if it all been to the ER maybe one time and this was like my 5th trip. It was so hurtful bc if they had taken the time to diagnose better, I wouldnt need to keep coming back!! I mean it took me bringing my daughter to that very ER 4 TIMES IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS with her lung collapsing on the 4th trip and she died. They had to bring her back to life! She was intibated for 7 days after that at Vanderbilt Childrens Hospital in Nashville that she was life-flighted to. While I was pregnant, 2 weeks after having my appendix out and a short time from me being dignosed with UC. UMMM can you say stress!!! I am so depressed over this.

So, ANYWAYS, this is so long and I will not be offended if no one reads it all or at all! The NP said she would do whatever I felt like we could do as a family. She made me look her in the eye and promise to call an ambulance or go to the ER if any symptom gets worse or a new symptom pops up. She gave me a pain med shot along with some nausea meds. It really helped take the edge off and she gave me a script to get through the night until I can get this ultrasound done. At this rate the meds are not really working. The pain is too much. I have started seeing spots. and the pain is radiating into my back more and more. My walking is getting worse and "waddlely" :( I just hope I can stay calm and have patience with my girls as I subject them to another trip to the ER for hours. We are in a very remote area and do not know anyone that we could leave my girls with. I feel bad for them. The dr knows this and told me I need to not worry so much about everyone else and try to focus on myself so that this doesnt get worse. UGH.

Oh yes, my appendix was inflamed for sure they said. I barely remember them showing it to me as I was being wheeled out of the surgery suite. They said I was lucky it didnt rupture especially since I was pregnant, it could have made me really sick and my baby :( and I did try a prescription laxitive. with no relief from the pain. Not really much change in my frequency of BMs or the pain associated with "forced/encouraged" by the laxative to "go." It all just seemed like the bad flare-up I was already having.

OK< OK< OK!!! I am so sorry that I went on for so long. I didnt mean for that to happen. I am just trying to cover all my bases so that hopefully helps shed some light into this problem so that maybe it will trigger someone to say " oh, I had the same thing...Here is what I did."