Living With an Undiagnosed Illness

Medical History
Irritable Bowel Syndrome

IBS
Irritable bowel syndrome IBS is a syndrome, meaning a group of symptoms. The most common symptoms of IBS are abdominal pain or discomfort often reported as cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and or constipation. IBS affects the colon, or large bowel, which is the part of the digestive tract that stores stool. IBS is not a disease. It's a functional disorder, meaning that the bowel doesn't work, or function, correctly.
Endometriosis

Endometriosis Symptoms Endometriosis is a common medical condition characterized by growth beyond or outside the uterus of tissue resembling endometrium, the tissue that normally lines the uterus. In endometriosis, the endometrium (from endo, inside, and metra, womb ) is found to be growing outside the uterus, most commonly in the pelvis.
Picture Endometriosis
Costochondritis

Also called Tietze's Syndrome
Costochondritis is a form of inflammation of the cartilage where ribs attach to the breastbone.
Costochondritis
Pain caused by Costochondritis may mimic that of a heart attack or other heart condition.
Neuropathic Pain

Neuralgia
Neuropathic pain is a complex, chronic pain state that usually is accompanied by tissue injury. With neuropathic pain, the nerve fibers themselves may be damaged, dysfunctional or injured. These damaged nerve fibers send incorrect
Nerve Pain
signals to other pain centers. The impact of nerve fiber injury includes a change in nerve function both at the site of injury and areas around the injury. Symptoms may include shooting and burning pain, tingling and numbness or electrical pain.
Adenomyosis

Endometriosis of the Uterus
Adenomyosis is the growth of uterine tissue from one particular layer of the uterus (the endometrial glands) into the wrong layer (the muscle layer, called the myometrium). It is a benign condition, but it can enlarge the uterus presenting as a growth.
Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction

(SOD)
Sphincter of oddi is situated in the upper intestine, or duodenum, at the site where the pancreatic and bile ducts enter. Normally, this sphincter functions as a one-way valve to allow bile and pancreatic secretions to enter the bowel, while preventing the contents of the bowel from backing up into these ducts.
Sphincter of oddi
When the sphincter malfunctions, it becomes overly tight and does not allow adequate drainage of the pancreatic and bile ducts. The result is a pressure build-up in the ducts, leading to recurrent episodes of pancreatitis or biliary pain mimicking gallstone disease.
Anal Sphincter Dysfunction
Significant Cause of Constipation

Anal Sphincter Dysfunction can result from nerve damage as well as from lacerations of the sphincter. Tears are an important risk factor for long-term anal sphincter dysfunction.

Bladder Health

Bladder conditions can be embarrassing and some conditions can be hard to diagnose. Come to Waterfall D-Mannose for some expert advice.

Medical Negligence Claims

If you need information on medical negligence claims then visit the experts at Alexander Harris, they specialise in Medical Negligence Claims and are sure to have the right advice for you

undiagnosed

Mystery Diagnosis
 
Living With an Undiagnosed Illness

My Personal story of living with an undiagnosed illness I decided to start my own website because I needed to express my anger, frustration and suffering. I know there are lots of people going through similar health problems.

Left Sided Rib Pain

I searched the internet over the years and most of the time people writing about their mystery diagnosis only wrote once or twice, so it was rather frustrating not knowing what happened. Did they finally receive a diagnosis?.

I've gone from being diagnosed with one condition, then another specialist un-diagnosing it. My general surgeon asking why my Gynecologist didn't follow up with the adhesions found during my first Laparoscopy, explaining they usually only form after surgeries, not common for someone who had never been operated on.

Endometriosis was discovered during my first Laparoscopy, 12 months later, more tests performed, including a Sigmoidscopy and my new Gynecologist states I most likely have Endometriosis in the bowel. So a joint operation was organised with the Gynecologist and a General Surgeon for bowel re-section and to check the state of Endometriosis.

I wake from surgery with nothing touched, my pelvis and bowel are crystal clear no sign of Endometriosis at all. A very expensive and unnecessary surgery

I've been referred to one specialist after another. Diagnosed with Costochondritis, Splenic Flexure Syndrome, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Neuropathic Pain and more recently Fibromyalgia.

I understand and have researched what Costochondritis, Splenic Flexure Syndrome, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Endometriosis and Fibromyalgia involve, the pain, the symptoms and treatments. I truly believe and physically feel there is something else going on with my health. I keep developing more health problems, which I've posted on the forum. I've been misdiagnosed I'm positive of that. Most are diagnosed to shut me up in the hope I will go away and stop harassing the medical profession. I never recovery, symptoms remain the same despite trying recommended treatments and medications for each condition, which include lifestyle changes, diet, exercise etc.


My current Doctor is very supportive, I'm extremely lucky I've finally found one who hasn't kicked me out the door !. He listens and is happy to hear my theories after research efforts online each month.

I must warn you this story is a very long one. If you'd like to read from beginning to end Undiagnosed Illness How It All Started



Rib Pain

This is where my pain stems from. The picture shows the lump just below my left rib


If you've seen anything like this or have any ideas what could be causing it please contact me, email address is at the bottom of the page.

You can read updates on the forum. I try to post often, it's a form of therapy for me.!

Dealing with an undiagnosed medical condition is often difficult. Connecting with others who are going through the same thing can make a world of difference.

Rib Lump

Another Picture of My Left Sided Lump. This lump starts right below the breast

Updates
I've recently discovered some interesting literature that I can relate to, my symptoms and the fact a few small Lipomas were discovered during an Ultrasound about 1 year ago which the Medical profession said nothing to worry about.

Some rare forms of lipoma can be found around nerves neuro-lipoma and may also be associated with blood vessels angiomyolipoma. Also Dercum's Disease in which painful fatty growths that do not resolve with weight loss, it's a rare disease characterized by multiple painful lipomas that arise in adult life.

It's been some time now since I've had any form of testing, so it may be time to go back and investigate again with my new theories in hand.

Medical Tests
Colonic Transit Study
CT Scan /Abdominal / Pelvis
MRI / Chest / Spine
X-Ray Lungs
Colonoscopy
Gastroscopy
Sigmoidscopy
Bone Scan
Bone Scan
Hida Scan
Barium Meal
Laparoscopy x 3
Abdominal Ultrasound
Pelvic Ultrasound
Abdominal Wall Ultrasound
Infrared Imaging
Infrared Imaging
Cholecystectomy
Intravenous Pyelogram (IVP)
Splenic Flexure Syndrome

Muscle Spasms of the Colon
Splenic flexure syndrome refers to the trapping of gas at the splenic flexure causing distension and bloating. Pain can be felt up under the left ribs. When the pain is really bad, it can enter the left armpit.
Splenic flexure syndrome
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Predominantly Affecting Females

Pelvic floor dysfunction, or obstructed defecation, results when the external anal sphincter and/or puborectalis muscles do not relax appropriately when defecation is initiated. People with pelvic floor dysfunction strain excessively in a feeble attempt to eliminate stool from the rectum.

undiagnosed illness

This website is therapeutic.. A place for me to vent and express my feelings. When problems bother you in real life your always advised to talk about it but with an undiagnosed illness your often told just live with it and carry on with your life. Easier said then done.

undiagnosed



Mystery Diagnosis

undiagnosed illness forums

Just over 8 years now and Im still undiagnosed. I'm extremely exhausted.

Medical Resources

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