Undiagnosed Illness - New Doctor

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.

Costochondritis

Also called Tietze's Syndrome
Costochondritis is a form of inflammation of the cartilage where ribs attach to the breastbone.

Pain caused by Costochondritis may mimic that of a heart attack or other heart condition.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mystery Diagnosis

Living With an Undiagnosed Illness

New Doctor

The search for a diagnosis continues

I made an appointment with the new Doctor my general surgeon recommended.

Doctor

I took my library of images and test results from every other doctor/specialist I had previously seen, and he went through the whole lot. My MRI scan didn't show anything of concern, mild disc problem, that apparently if most people have an MRI would have this, it's just wear and tear on the body, shall post the report later on through my saga.

My Description of Pain.

My pain was all left sided at this stage. Up high near my rib cage, and at the side of the rib cage and extremely tender to touch.

My stomach was very distended, and just below the left hand rib cage you can see a lump that measures roughly 10 cm x 10 cm . Inside this lump I can feel small hard pea shaped lumps which are also extremely tender. This area oozes a watery substance (no where else on my body does this) only where the pain and tenderness is. It's like a cold sweat.

It feels like something is trying to push itself out of my body, like a kick in the left rib, which is excruciatingly painful, it feels like it's hitting a nerve, similar to when you eat cold ice cream and you have a sensitive tooth. I also have spasms in this area where the lump is, which can radiate through the back, again only left sided pain. It's constant pressure and and feels bruised, like I have been run over by a bus. It pitches me, and makes bubbling, gurgling sounds, the pain is the worse pain I have ever experienced.

More Specialist

Even though the pain is high up the new Doctor recommends we go back to the beginning, where did the pain originally start. It started in my pelvic area, so he recommends we start back there and find another Gynecologist as there could be something missed, perhaps endometriosis higher up, or more cysts (perhaps larger ones) developed. So on this Doctors recommendation I make another appointment with a Gynecologist who usually practices in Sydney but has appointments locally twice a month.

I wasn't that happy about this decision as the pain was higher up, but the new Doctor said lets start from scratch and work our way up. I had nothing to lose.

Time for another Gynecologist

The Story Continues ....... If you would like to continue reading: New Gynecologist

Medical Procedures

Colonic Transit Study

CT Scan /Abdominal / Pelvis

MRI / Chest / Spine

X-Ray Lungs

Colonoscopy

Gastroscopy

Sigmoidscopy

Bone Scan

Hida Scan

Barium Meal

Laparoscopy x 3

Abdominal Ultrasound

Pelvic Ultrasound

Abdominal Wall Ultrasound

Infrared Imaging

Cholecystectomy

Intravenous Pyelogram (IVP)

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 Forum

Thank you to all members of the forum for your continued support, encouragement and guidance.

Mystery Diagnosis

Just over 5 years now and Im still undiagnosed. I'm extremely exhausted.