somehelp2121
01-02-18, 21:47
Hello all. First post here. I've read over several threads and it seems like a good community. Thank you for your encouragement and support to one another.
So, a brief history. I smoked a lot of pot when younger (18-23). Eventually I was getting panic attacks while high, then when sober, then all the time.
I self medicated with alcohol. Drank all day to push back the feeling. I eventually quit drinking and used xanax/klonopin to treat my anxiety and panic disorder. I eventually quit those too. Since then I've had short episodes but they never really grew out of control. I've learned to just ride them out, not to get in a thought spiral...basically just got used to that sudden jolt of adrenaline, chest tightness, numb arms, can't breathe type feeling. I rarely get bad anxiety anymore...well...I didn't
My issue now is a sore abdomen that I can't explain. Started about 5 weeks ago with 3 days in a row of very mild nausea. Didn't think much of it. My upper abs felt sore but I hadn't done any exercises. I chalked it up to sitting on my daughter bed while she fell asleep for hours using the laptop. Odd sitting position and all. Well anyways, the soreness never really left. It just stayed. Sort of under the ribs but also dead center above the belly button. The above the belly button soreness feeling deeper.
When I'd stand up it'd mostly go away or lessen, but sitting and lying down made the feeling stronger. Like a mixture of fullness/pressure/bloating...but also when I layed down like there was a weight tied to the middle of my abdomen pulling down towards the mattress.
Next part might be TMI
This past weekend I decided to start monitoring my stool. Never done it before. Seemed ok, just what I assumed were peanuts and normal brown looking. Second day of monitoring the morning bowel movement was a bit tougher. The first part that came out had yellow mucus almost rolled into it (it was hard balls that floated). The rest sank and was normal. Well the soreness in the center of my stomach seemed to just be getting worse and not going away.
Unfortunately I live in the US without health insurance besides what is called Medically Needy Medicaid. Basically I have to pay the first $650 of medical service each month, then I have Medicaid (actually not bad insurance though finding Dr who takes it is hard). Basically this means I have to go to the emergency room because just walking in the door will cost more than $650, which crazy enough, means I don't have to pay since I passed my "share of cost". Crazy system, but yeah, I went to the ER for a stomach ailment. I just didn't want something bad happening since I have a wife and small children. Also I don't want to die haha.
Obviously reading Dr google had me with pancreatic cancer. Pain in abdomen, yellow floating stool...
I know it's extremely rare at my age (early 30's) but so is winning the lottery, and someone wins almost every month.
So they actually didn't brush me off, they drew blood and did a catscan with an iodine contrast. Said the catscan seemed normal and blood looked ok but wanted me to go to the digestive disease clinic. I just went and after showing pictures of my stool with mucus (haven't seen much mucus since that one time) they want to do a endoscopy/colonoscopy. If nothing shows they want to do an ultrasound of the gallbladder. Her opinion was stomach or gallbladder.
Anyways, since the IV iodine contrast injection I seem to have nothing but diarrhea. The day I went to the ER I started the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce,toast) just to see if something was setting my stomach off. It's been 4 days now since the IV iodine and I'm still having nothing but diarrhea. I'm hoping it was just the iodine coming out but it's worrying me that it hasn't gone away. I had a loose bowel movement before the iodine contrast IV but nothing like this.
Anyways, just wanted to vent. I know no one here can tell me what it is but I just needed to talk to someone. I'm trying to comfort myself with the castscan results but I know that pancreatic cancer is hard to diagnose can easily be missed or miss diagnosed. Obviously I'd hope something that was causing pain would be big enough to be seen.
My worrying isn't helping anything and I'm having a hard time concentrating in school. I really need to be focusing as it's tough material and lots of memorization.
Hope everyone here is doing ok today. Sorry for the rant.
So, a brief history. I smoked a lot of pot when younger (18-23). Eventually I was getting panic attacks while high, then when sober, then all the time.
I self medicated with alcohol. Drank all day to push back the feeling. I eventually quit drinking and used xanax/klonopin to treat my anxiety and panic disorder. I eventually quit those too. Since then I've had short episodes but they never really grew out of control. I've learned to just ride them out, not to get in a thought spiral...basically just got used to that sudden jolt of adrenaline, chest tightness, numb arms, can't breathe type feeling. I rarely get bad anxiety anymore...well...I didn't
My issue now is a sore abdomen that I can't explain. Started about 5 weeks ago with 3 days in a row of very mild nausea. Didn't think much of it. My upper abs felt sore but I hadn't done any exercises. I chalked it up to sitting on my daughter bed while she fell asleep for hours using the laptop. Odd sitting position and all. Well anyways, the soreness never really left. It just stayed. Sort of under the ribs but also dead center above the belly button. The above the belly button soreness feeling deeper.
When I'd stand up it'd mostly go away or lessen, but sitting and lying down made the feeling stronger. Like a mixture of fullness/pressure/bloating...but also when I layed down like there was a weight tied to the middle of my abdomen pulling down towards the mattress.
Next part might be TMI
This past weekend I decided to start monitoring my stool. Never done it before. Seemed ok, just what I assumed were peanuts and normal brown looking. Second day of monitoring the morning bowel movement was a bit tougher. The first part that came out had yellow mucus almost rolled into it (it was hard balls that floated). The rest sank and was normal. Well the soreness in the center of my stomach seemed to just be getting worse and not going away.
Unfortunately I live in the US without health insurance besides what is called Medically Needy Medicaid. Basically I have to pay the first $650 of medical service each month, then I have Medicaid (actually not bad insurance though finding Dr who takes it is hard). Basically this means I have to go to the emergency room because just walking in the door will cost more than $650, which crazy enough, means I don't have to pay since I passed my "share of cost". Crazy system, but yeah, I went to the ER for a stomach ailment. I just didn't want something bad happening since I have a wife and small children. Also I don't want to die haha.
Obviously reading Dr google had me with pancreatic cancer. Pain in abdomen, yellow floating stool...
I know it's extremely rare at my age (early 30's) but so is winning the lottery, and someone wins almost every month.
So they actually didn't brush me off, they drew blood and did a catscan with an iodine contrast. Said the catscan seemed normal and blood looked ok but wanted me to go to the digestive disease clinic. I just went and after showing pictures of my stool with mucus (haven't seen much mucus since that one time) they want to do a endoscopy/colonoscopy. If nothing shows they want to do an ultrasound of the gallbladder. Her opinion was stomach or gallbladder.
Anyways, since the IV iodine contrast injection I seem to have nothing but diarrhea. The day I went to the ER I started the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce,toast) just to see if something was setting my stomach off. It's been 4 days now since the IV iodine and I'm still having nothing but diarrhea. I'm hoping it was just the iodine coming out but it's worrying me that it hasn't gone away. I had a loose bowel movement before the iodine contrast IV but nothing like this.
Anyways, just wanted to vent. I know no one here can tell me what it is but I just needed to talk to someone. I'm trying to comfort myself with the castscan results but I know that pancreatic cancer is hard to diagnose can easily be missed or miss diagnosed. Obviously I'd hope something that was causing pain would be big enough to be seen.
My worrying isn't helping anything and I'm having a hard time concentrating in school. I really need to be focusing as it's tough material and lots of memorization.
Hope everyone here is doing ok today. Sorry for the rant.