Could use some advice...

Hi to all my May Sisters (and brothers)... It's been a little while since I've posted... and Nat, I promise to add on to your postings and updates... I've lost 169 lbs. so far!! I do have a question to pose to you all though... About a month ago I got the most horrible pain in my lower abdomen (think the entire area below belly button) and it lasted ALL night... and in fact, went on for almost 15 hours... I did go to Kaiser (clinic only) the next morning and they ran some blood and urine tests, which all showed everything normal... and there wasn't really anything else that could be done as they didn't have any ultrasound equipment, etc... The pain had subsided a lot while I was at the clinic and of course, I was sent home to rest... Now, this is a funky pain, let's call it "the alien". It's a real sharp pain, it comes on VERY strong and almost doubles you over... then it subsides for a few minutes and then wham, it's back... and it lasts... It's funky! I can't really explain it...all I can tell you is it hurts! I didn't have any problems with it for about a month...then yesterday morning it hit again... while I was at work (how convenient is that?) and I was doubled over again... and it lasted for a couple of hours... it wipes you out!! I didn't go to the ER (call me stupid!) and I still don't want to go to the ER... This morning I was sitting in the office, and of course, "the alien" decided to make another appearance and I started to get the pains again... Yesterday, I took a Gas-X and it seemed to help (or so I think) and so, I popped another one this morning when it was happening... and I guess that helps... I mean, perhaps this is just gas... but I'm not sure... I was having some pains like this at around 6 months and beyond...but they would only last a few minutes... and then go away... then last month when the big ole alien decided to take up residence in my lower abdomen... I started to get a bit more concerned... and now, with it starting up again... I'm scared... BUT HATE TO GO TO THE DOCTOR... I mean HATE HATE HATE it... How do I really feel about it??? I HATE IT!! It's always like they think you are having some phantom pains or whatever... But, I can tolerate a lot of pain... didn't even use my happy juice after the surgery... (OK, I did for about 5 hours... then they took it out!!) I talked to a friend of mine, who had his surgery at Kaiser here in Hawaii... and he had some MAJOR stuff go on with him afterwards and ended up with ulcers and a lot of problems... I was afraid maybe something like that was happening with me... he suggested that I take stool softener every day and a gas x every day... which I did for a while, and now I'm getting kinda lax on it again... and perhaps that's all it is... Has anyone else had anything like this... does anyone have any wonderful words of advice??? Has anyone had anything similar to my little alien wreaking havoc on their lives????? I'd appreciate anything anyone has to say on this... THANKS!! EVERYONE... keep up the GREAT work!! YOU ALL LOOK MARVELOUS and should all be so dang proud of yourselves!! HUGS, Loree

Hi Loree, First congrats on your amazing success! Second.... get your "little" butt to the DR. Pain like this cannot go undiagnosed. Make sure they know you have WLS, make sure they rule out any kind of Blockage .... that can be life threatening! Don't depend on your "friends" advice, as well meaning as we all are, we are not Drs, and we are not talking about a minor discomfort here, but major Pain.... that cannot be ignored. PLEASE... take care of yourself. Wishing you only the best, Pam

Hi Pam, THANK YOU SO MUCH for responding... I did call Kaiser yesterday... they are having me go in to see one of the PA's today at 1:00... they think it may be a kink in the intestines... and will be doing a CT scan and whatever else they feel like doing, I guess... I SO HATE going to the Dr.'s.... especially since I'm a big ole scaredy cat... and I'm just really not looking forward to it... I haven't had any pain today...just some discomfort that almost just feels like I have to have a bowel movement... and I haven't eaten anything today either... so I think maybe that is helping... I'll post later, when I get back from the Dr.'s... THANKS for your compliment... and for calling my butt "little"... gotta love ya for that!! LOL Thanks again... and you keep up your great work too!! YOU LOOK MAH-VE-LOUS!! Aloha, Loree

Hey sweetness.. OMG like I posted earlier to Melissas post .. I am a wreck.. pains.. vomiting .. I just do not get it .. still loosing .. and God forbid if I eat carbs.. the gas is so bad I run out the entire city of Colonial Heights LOL . Please email me to let me know how you are doing .. maybe our bods are going thru something .. and adjustment ???? I may just pack up and come over there with you and we can be sick together LOL . Hugs and love ya .. Nat PS .. So proud of you .. you look amazing !!!!

Hi Beautiful... So sorry to hear you are going through all that!! Thank God I haven't had the vomiting... although at times I have been VERY nauseous (SP?) ~~ Anyway... I went in for my Cat Scan last Thursday... and it turns out that I have gallstones (about the size of a nickel) and they want to take that out (no problem with this... and they don't think this is what is causing the pain either... this was just a "find" in the cat scan)... they think that I have a hernia and an intestinal kink which is getting aggravated in the hernia... so they are going to do an "exploratory" while they are in there to take the gallbladder out... and if necessary, fix the hernia and the kink in the intestines... AND, in the process of looking at the Cat scan, they also found water around my reproductive organs, which they think might signal that I had/have ovarian cysts that have either ruptured or are infected or "whatever"... so, they are going to do a trans-vaginal ultra sound (doesn't that sound like fun??) tomorrow... my gyno has ordered that "stat"... they think that this might also have been causing the "alien" to attack my abdomen... (just for the record, the "alien" has been asleep for a day or two now... and I've not had an attack... but I'm also not really eating anything, for fear of waking "him" up!! LOL) I do, have gas BIG TIME... which they told me is a good sign, cuz it then means that the intestine isn't kinked (at the time of the gas) and that gas can get through... I haven't had a bowel movement in about a week though... so, I don't know what's going on with that!!! Probably the fact that I'm not eating too much... and really...nothing sounds good, looks good or tastes good at the moment.!! I'm not losing any weight... I'm bloated... AND also in the process of them doing the Cat Scan... they found something else... a spot on my lung!! WHICH HAS ME FREAKED OUT BIG TIME... I mean, I don't even care about the alien anymore... I don't care about the gallbladder... all I can think about is the stupid spot on my lung... The doctor has ordered another FULL CHEST CAT SCAN... and again... it's a "stat" order... and I'll be going in tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM for that... prayers are certainly welcome my friend(s)... I'm a nervous wreck... I smoked for 15 years... and when I quit (10 years ago) I was smoking 4 packs a day!!! So, that is why I'm a little freaked out... (did I say a little... I meant OH MY GOD I'M FREAKING OUT!!!!) So, although I don't think this helps you with figuring out what is going on with you... I will say this... get your skinny little ass to the doctor my beautiful friend!!! I don't want to see anything bad happen to you and I know now, that we HAVE to listen to our bodies and when something like this happens... it means something is not working right in there... and since we don't have a see through window into our bod's... we have to go in... as unpleasant as it is... (and will be tomorrow!!) I hope that your problem is just gas or something like that... One thing that has helped me is I take a gax-x every morning and every night... along with a stool softener (when I take all my vitamins) and that really seems to be helping!! I don't know if you've tried that yet!! It seems that carbs are all I want to eat now... I'm physically craving them... and it seems that that is all that wants to go down too...but then I find myself getting all cramped up too... so, what's the answer??? I don't know... BUT, you are more than welcome to pack yourself up and get your skinny little ass out here... and we can go be in misery together on the beach... and hopefully some cute cabana beach boy will bring us tropical drinks and rub our bodies down with oil!! (Told ya... I've got to think about something besides the spot on the lungs!!) Keep me posted darlin'... I really want to know that you are OK... OK?? Love ya and BIG HUGS!!!!! Lor