mike-uk
12-03-10, 12:27
Hi
I discovered this board only this morning so I thought I would join up with people who understand health anxiety. Seems like a great, caring place!
My problems all started 5-6 years ago when I started to experience mild abdominal pain most days and I would get the occasional agonising episode followed by diarrhea. Yes, thanks to google I thought I had bowel cancer! Eventually I had a flexible sigmoidoscopy which was all clear and the diagnosis was IBS. However I was not totally satisified with this as a flexi Sigmoidoscopy does not check the entire colon. So I put up with it until I spotted a little blood. Oh no, back to the doctor where I insisted on a colonoscopy. Well that was all clear too, great, must have been piles.
Then oddly enough I remember the very next day after the colonoscopy I started to experience mild pain and discomfort under my rib cage, mainly the left side. Occasionally it would also be felt in the centre and the right side and into my back. I then developed horrible burning sensations in my stomach and throat. At times I would burp up acid too. Yep, google again convinced me that I had stomach cancer! Various medications did nothing to help so my doctor decided on a series of tests consisiting of an ultrasound and ulcer breath test which were both normal. So that rules out gallbladder. Then finally an endoscopy which turned me into a nervous wreck. The procedure was ok overall and that turned out ok other than having some inflamation and a hiatal hernia. Was put on Lansoprazole and the acid problems and abdominal pain for the most part subsided. Occasional pain related problems would show up but nothing to prevent a normal life overall. Free from HA yay!
So, fast forward a year or just over until 4-5 days ago out of the blue a deep pain started in my upper back and the upper abdominal pain came back with it. It was more of an intermittent stabbing pain and not constant, Generally I have aching back most days anyway. Ohhhh great! The pain seemed to move from centre, to the left and right of my upper abdomen at different times. It isn't constant but frequent and at first when it started and for a day or so after the pain only made me cringe a little, not intense pain by any stretch of the imagination. Mainly uncomfortable. Other than the pain, I was generally ok and was eating fine with a normal appetite. My next step was just plain stupid. I googled my symptoms and other than not being jaundiced and loosing weight (not sure as I don't have scales) I have convinced myself I have pancreatic cancer and am now in total mess. I am a total nervous wreck and since I googled it I have no appetite. Why do we do it??????
Well, I am not able to get to see my doctor until next tuesday as they are fully booked so I went to an NHS walk in centre last night and a doctor examined me an listened to my symtoms and he said I need to see my GP and discuss the pancreas because the pain going from the abdomen straight through to the back was a cause for concern. Not experienced this kind of pain for a day or so now so Im hoping it was just acid or my hernia etc. He did try to reassure me that it was unlikely pancreatic cancer due to me not being jaundiced but I took that with a pinch of salt as not all pancreatic cancer sufferers have jaundice. Still, he was convinced that it was my hernia causing this but needed to rule out the pancreas. I am in a flap. I was not aware and have read little to no evidence that hiatal hernias cause this kind of pain, especially into the back as well.
So thats my story in a nutshell, missed out loads of other health problems but don't fancy writing a book here! I am really trying to convince myself that if it was a pancreas problem I would be in a lot more pain and considering I had these pains well over a year ago and if it was cancer or pancreatitis I would be experiencing a lot more by now. Well, im am trying to atl east but failing!!! Ahhhh.
I discovered this board only this morning so I thought I would join up with people who understand health anxiety. Seems like a great, caring place!
My problems all started 5-6 years ago when I started to experience mild abdominal pain most days and I would get the occasional agonising episode followed by diarrhea. Yes, thanks to google I thought I had bowel cancer! Eventually I had a flexible sigmoidoscopy which was all clear and the diagnosis was IBS. However I was not totally satisified with this as a flexi Sigmoidoscopy does not check the entire colon. So I put up with it until I spotted a little blood. Oh no, back to the doctor where I insisted on a colonoscopy. Well that was all clear too, great, must have been piles.
Then oddly enough I remember the very next day after the colonoscopy I started to experience mild pain and discomfort under my rib cage, mainly the left side. Occasionally it would also be felt in the centre and the right side and into my back. I then developed horrible burning sensations in my stomach and throat. At times I would burp up acid too. Yep, google again convinced me that I had stomach cancer! Various medications did nothing to help so my doctor decided on a series of tests consisiting of an ultrasound and ulcer breath test which were both normal. So that rules out gallbladder. Then finally an endoscopy which turned me into a nervous wreck. The procedure was ok overall and that turned out ok other than having some inflamation and a hiatal hernia. Was put on Lansoprazole and the acid problems and abdominal pain for the most part subsided. Occasional pain related problems would show up but nothing to prevent a normal life overall. Free from HA yay!
So, fast forward a year or just over until 4-5 days ago out of the blue a deep pain started in my upper back and the upper abdominal pain came back with it. It was more of an intermittent stabbing pain and not constant, Generally I have aching back most days anyway. Ohhhh great! The pain seemed to move from centre, to the left and right of my upper abdomen at different times. It isn't constant but frequent and at first when it started and for a day or so after the pain only made me cringe a little, not intense pain by any stretch of the imagination. Mainly uncomfortable. Other than the pain, I was generally ok and was eating fine with a normal appetite. My next step was just plain stupid. I googled my symptoms and other than not being jaundiced and loosing weight (not sure as I don't have scales) I have convinced myself I have pancreatic cancer and am now in total mess. I am a total nervous wreck and since I googled it I have no appetite. Why do we do it??????
Well, I am not able to get to see my doctor until next tuesday as they are fully booked so I went to an NHS walk in centre last night and a doctor examined me an listened to my symtoms and he said I need to see my GP and discuss the pancreas because the pain going from the abdomen straight through to the back was a cause for concern. Not experienced this kind of pain for a day or so now so Im hoping it was just acid or my hernia etc. He did try to reassure me that it was unlikely pancreatic cancer due to me not being jaundiced but I took that with a pinch of salt as not all pancreatic cancer sufferers have jaundice. Still, he was convinced that it was my hernia causing this but needed to rule out the pancreas. I am in a flap. I was not aware and have read little to no evidence that hiatal hernias cause this kind of pain, especially into the back as well.
So thats my story in a nutshell, missed out loads of other health problems but don't fancy writing a book here! I am really trying to convince myself that if it was a pancreas problem I would be in a lot more pain and considering I had these pains well over a year ago and if it was cancer or pancreatitis I would be experiencing a lot more by now. Well, im am trying to atl east but failing!!! Ahhhh.