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Barium revealed thickening of stomach lining!! :(

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Posted 5/28/2010 3:21 PM (GMT 0)
Hello Everyone!

I am new here. I was just recently "diagnosed" with gastritis based upon symptoms. Just recently I was very sick for two weeks with severe stomach pain and I could not eat. I had burning, tenderness,nausea,gas pains, and weakness but prior to that had some occasional burning and burping etc over the last couple of years..I took ibuprofen very regularly for my TMJ and drank wine in excess and ate spicy food so I am not surprised to be in this boat now. What did surprise me and scared me is that I just had an upper G.I done last week and they saw thickening of stomach lining. My results were given to me over the phone, from the doc's secretary. I am terrified as I have read online this could be stomach cancer. I was refereed to a G.I doc and have to wait 3-4 mths!!! for an appt.

Well I called my doc today and the secretary arranged an appt with another doc (GS I think) to have an endoscopy done in 2-3 weeks so I am relieved with that, but its going to be a very long wait for the diagnosis..

I am scared. I am only 31 and have two children 10 and 6. I have read that stomach cancer has increased by 70% in people aged 20 to 39 in the last 40 years and they don't know why. I am mad because for years I would go in to my doc and ask for a h pylori test and she refused. I know my diet was not great but I usually felt o.k. My great grandmother died of stomach cancer at 44 and since I have always had some issues I am worried. They also say I have GERD, but I have NO indigestion or heartburn???

anyways just looking for some support..

thanks for listening...

Sarah
Posted 5/28/2010 6:46 PM (GMT 0)
anyone have some words of support?? or anything??? am I in the wrong place?
Posted 5/28/2010 7:15 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to HealingWell and the GERD/Heartburn Froum.


I am sorry you are upset but it is very unusual to have a secretary call you with the results of your test. I would suggest that you talk with your Dr. that did the tests and ask him all your questions as we are a support forum and not professionals.


With this being a holiday weekend many of our regular members are not around.



Kindly,



Kitt
Posted 5/28/2010 7:36 PM (GMT 0)
You can get the test results from the hospital within 3 days of the test. Just go down to the medical records and request a form for a copy of your test results. Fill it out and they mail it to you as soon as it is put in the computer.

I got polyps from the PPIs I was on and it scared me to death. My surgeon said the polyps would fade after I was off the meds. Maybe this will happen to you...

Hang in there.

Joy
Posted 5/28/2010 7:44 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Kitt,

Yes I agree it is unusual but not for my doctor. She is not very good and has left me with fear and worry and resorting to online searching. Radiologists performed my barium, I cannot call them. I understand that you are not professionals, but I did not ask for a medical opinion just some support.

kindly,

Sarah
Posted 5/28/2010 8:45 PM (GMT 0)
You could get a copy of your tests and visit your PCP, or if that was your PCP, you could see a GI specialist. Good luck.
Posted 5/28/2010 10:41 PM (GMT 0)
You have our support and I felt your question was how to find out what your test result meant, sorry I misread.


I do know what it feels like to have fears of cancer from personal experience. Try not to read to much on the net although I know this is hard to do sometimes as we want information.



I have read that stomach cancer is uncommon in the United States, and the number of people diagnosed with the disease each year is declining.(Mayo Clinic).



May I gently suggest that you find a new primary physician if that is possible, one you can build a trust relationship with.



You have my support.



With deepest regards,


Kitt
Posted 5/29/2010 12:30 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Kitt!

Believe me I have wanted a new PCP for a very long time, but here in my hometown there are shortages and your lucky just to have one..though after this I will be looking for one!! I am from Canada and though our healthcare is "free" you have to wait a long time to see specialists and it is terrible. I am just so worried, even though I read inflammation can cause it, the fact that cancer keeps coming up has overtaken me. I also have anxiety disorder so you can imagine why I am so freaked out!!

I have two kids I need to be around for and stomach cancer is just so deadly, I will be praying quite diligently for the next month until I see the doc!!

Thanks for your support :)

Sarah
Posted 5/29/2010 12:34 AM (GMT 0)
lynn31-
Hello and welcome to the GERD forum. Please remember you don't have to have the feeling of heartburn and such to have GERD. A lot of people have "silent" GERD. For some reason some people can feel it and others can't.
Got to agree with Kitt also. Please try your best to stay away from looking up too much info. on the net. I about drove myself nuts a few years ago.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 5/29/2010 1:23 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you Bill!

Yes I believe I have had silent GERD then for quite awhile, but gastritis for a long time. I have REALLY worked myself into a panic state due to this result from the xray. I just wish my doctor would see me to explain it better, like how thick is my stomach, or anything indicative of cancer..She knows I have GAD for crying out loud, but even last year when I experienced a "nervous breakdown" and just needed to see her, I could not get in and got prescribed meds over the phone. Turned out to be generalized anxiety disorder and I had like every single symptom, thought I was losing my mind!! anyways no she isn't good and it makes me sad because you want your doctor to actually care about your wellbeing, after all they get paid enough to do so!!!

well guess I just gonna have to muster up some courage, keep taking my meds and wait and see..Talk about a killjoy for the upcoming summer tho!
Posted 5/29/2010 2:39 AM (GMT 0)
There is not enough evidence for you to worry yourself endlessly... Wait till you talk to a GI.
Posted 6/1/2010 7:21 PM (GMT 0)
Hey, just wanted to say hi and that I totally sympathize with the anxiety.. the meds they gave me for anxiety made my GERD 1000 times worse! I've convinced myself it's something more serious but I know it's in my head.

I'll be moving to Canada very soon so I know a bit about your healthcare and the waits and I believe that they would rush your appointment more than that if they truly thought it was very serious. :)
Posted 6/2/2010 1:05 AM (GMT 0)
Hi ep10,

An early welcome then! haha..yes our healthcare is free but you do wait!! at first they said 3-4 months!! I said I would travel far if I have too I cannot wait that long..anyways they found a doc an hour from me, said 2-3 weeks. I still haven't heard from them so I don't know what is going on and I do hope that they would send me sooner if they thought it was more serious..yes anxiety does suck, I wish I could be more calm about the whole thing, but it is soo hard. If it weren't for me being a mom to two little girls I would not care as much..really...:(

So what meds made yours worse?? I was thinking of going on an anti depressant just because I can't take the worrying anymore!! I have clonazepam (klonopin) but it apparently it reacts with the PPI I am on??! so I haven't taken it..

Sarah
Posted 6/2/2010 7:20 AM (GMT 0)
Assuming you're American and I'm in England so know this is a bit different, but I had a similar paranoia waiting for test results from hosiptal and when I told my GP about how worried I was, she assured me that "they'd be banging down my door if it was serious"! So I know its really hard but try not to worry about it.
Posted 6/2/2010 3:37 PM (GMT 0)
Lexapro is what killed me. The doc tried to tell me that it wouldn't cause the problems.. but it made it horrible when I took it and it got better when I stopped so I don't really see how it couldn't have been that. I'm not on any other meds besides birth control which I've used for years and the new PPIs that he's got me on.
Posted 6/2/2010 4:03 PM (GMT 0)
the ppi's come with their own host of problems as well. My arthritis is so much better, now that I am off all ppi's after my fundoplication. Waiting is the pits, but it is true that is something needed immediate attention you would know about it right away.
Posted 6/2/2010 6:51 PM (GMT 0)
Do you get bloating/gas with the ppis? I've never really experienced it before in any situation so I wasn't sure what was happening when I felt 'full' all the time and my stomach got a bit hard :p
Posted 6/2/2010 7:34 PM (GMT 0)
I cannot believe this! The appt that was supposed to be in 2-3 weeks as was told to my docs receptionist over the phone has now been put off for almost three months! hmmmmm..am I overreacting? is someone making a mistake? I type in thickened stomach lining and see cancer everywhere, but of course inflammation too..so unless I keep getting worse or start losing weight, I will have to wait for this endoscopy. Initally I lost 10 punds in one week! since then put back on 2-3 pounds...I am eating everyday and most of the time there is pain, but I am hungry so I eat..

The last two days I've had new symptoms..yesterday was constant burping, with nausea and today for the first time diarrhea (sorry TMI). This is my 3rd week on ppi, if thats what caused it, wouldn't that of happened already? I hate that gastritis/gerd symptoms are the same as stomach cancer..this is the pits..maybe i have a stomach bug??? maybe IBS??? I drank a big bottle of green tea, bad idea??....*sigh* lol...i just don't know..

I do need to go on something I think for me nerves...also anyone experience joint aches with gastritis, while not on ppi? when this whole thing really started i thought I had a stomach flu, but the knee aches have continued...
Posted 6/2/2010 11:47 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Lynn31, don't worry about TMI here or in any of these forums!
3 months does seem like a long time but I would not panic.

While I don't t know about canadian healthcare, I do know about worry and, as bill said, driving your self nuts on the internet (heart attacks!! cancer!! various blockages! imploding/exploding organs!! wow!) yes, I would read these things saucer-eyed, panicked, which most definitely did not help. slowing down has helped, focused breathing has helped, getting more sleep has helped, yoga was not my thing but really helped my mom who has barretts. When they did my endoscopy, the doc said he biopsied for barretts, so, with my family hx, i was on the internet, looking it up, all the treatment possibilities, my mom's experience, how to get referred to various specialists...then I found out I do NOT have barretts. Oh. So, totally agree, try not to self-diagnose and scare the crap out of yourself until you know something concrete!! I know that is so hard, but you really don't know yet what's up.

can't help with getting an appt sooner, but hope you have done all the lifestyle modifications in the meantime. They didn't cure it for me but did help me feel more comfortable. People here have some really helpful tips for managing your life with GERD, with and without surgery.

Have been on a ppi now almost a month, definitely gas (sometimes epic, has been sort of a "bonding" experience with my husband, who without his GB has plenty of that). My boobs, such as they are, are really sore and tender. still adjusting. not sure if this the right ppi for me but seeing what happens. And nausea if i eat the wrong thing, generally fats but also vitamins (who knew?). GB clear but I guess they can be necrotic (doc doesnt' think so) or dysfunctional or whatever. Am going to see about a hida scan. Or, I guess just live w/o fats....

I would stay away from green tea (and anything else with caffeine). I am really struggling with that but grudgingly agree I feel better.

and keep posting. Let people here know whats up! you won't have to wait 3 mos to get a response here!!
best wishes!
Lila
Posted 6/3/2010 12:30 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Lila!!

I know I am not going to bother searching anything anymore. I know my body, I will know if I need to see a doctor sooner. I really don't understand why a procedure such as an endoscopy is being put off for months and months after being told judging by barium results they would see me in two weeks, I don't know what changed their minds..My doctor is not very good and so I am worried they are going by her word( which of course they are!) I have an older family friend that ended up with late stage prostrate cancer because she ignored his symptoms for too long. Even the oncologist said her license should be revoked!...anyways this will be my last vent on her and the like. I can't do anything anyways...

Ya I haven't had coffee in sooo long and I miss caffeine. Why can't we have caffeine? I drink ginger tea everyday and it does help! Other then that, the ppis are working, but I wonder how long will i have to be on them? I know they have bad long term side effects and as women we can't afford those risks for sure!! I have a gallstone, I only react sometimes to fats, I really think my gb is fine and its something else..(my right sided pain) as I've never had a typical gb attack, but maybe I am wrong. So much going on in this upper abdomen of mine I am now left very confused lol...

Thanks again for your response! all the best :)

Sarah
Posted 6/3/2010 2:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Sarah,

I am sorry your scope has been put off for so long and I too wonder why the delay? I know our GI is booked way out but she would do a case that she felt needed immediate attention on the referral of another physician.

As for the gallbaldder, you have a stone, so this may be the cause of some of your right sided pain. Gallstones may cause no signs or symptoms. If a gallstone lodges in a duct and causes a blockage, signs and symptoms may result, such as:
Sudden and rapidly intensifying pain in the upper right portion of your abdomen
Sudden and rapidly intensifying pain in the center of your abdomen, just below your breastbone
Back pain between your shoulder blades
Pain in your right shoulder
I never had a typical gallbladder attack either but I had a nasty gallbladder with lots of sandy grit and had it removed years ago.

Just food for thought.

Kindly,

Kitt
Posted 6/4/2010 12:13 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Lynn,I live in Montreal and last year I went to a private clinic and did my endoscopy... it costs me $385.00 which I had my work insurance pay... If you don't have private insurance then try to get the money together and see to that you get it done...anxiety is tough to go through.....do it for your little girls..
Posted 6/4/2010 12:21 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Mike,

Thanks for the tip, I definitely will be saving and doing that!!..

wow I feel relieved, I wasn't sure how much it cost, but figured it was at least a grand or so..my anxiety is sooo bad, my kids are suffering. I need to take care of this sooner then later..actually Mike could you please give me the name of the clinic? My family is from Montreal and now I am only 2 hrs away..thanks!

Sarah

Post Edited (lynn31) : 6/3/2010 6:25:42 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/4/2010 3:20 AM (GMT 0)
This is the info>>> www.mdspecialists.ca/contact.htm


I am not sure if we are allowed to post urls .... if not I'll pm it to you.
Posted 6/4/2010 11:12 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Mike!
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