Emergency room visit

[kingrat]

For ten years or so, I've been having occasional stomach pains that are quite extreme. Occasional as in maybe 4 or 5 times a year and sometimes quite a long time between. So last time it happened, I made an appointment with the doc. He ran tests. It wasn't an ulcer which is what I had thought it would be. No pilori bacteria. Doctor's idea was that it was muscle spasms, where the muscle in question being the lining of the stomach. Nothing to say one way or the other though.

He told me that the next time it happens to go to the emergency room so they can conduct tests, while it is happening. Monday, it happened. So I dutifully bussed my way to Swedish E.R. Waited only an hour to get in. Waited longer for a doctor. Shortly after I donned my required hospital garb that shows off my fine backside, someone wheeled in a kid who injured himself at Rainer Beach H.S. football practice. Kid screamed every time they touched him, he was in that much pain. Luckily for him, looks like nothing broken. (And then his mom and dad got to have a custody battle in the hallway! Whee!) Anyway, back to my story. Drew blood eventually. First time a phlebotomist has drawn the blood from the back of my hand. Usually they take it from the inside of my elbow. I liked this better. Waited several hours. Everything turned up pretty much normal.

Except one protein level. I can't remember the name offhand, and I've kind of avoided looking it up online for a couple of days cause it's scary. Anyway, the pacreas secrets the protein, which is then activated in the small intestine and digests food. Only sometimes it can get activated early. Essentially the pancreas starts digesting itself. My levels of this protein were high. But just over the range. Of course, by the time they drew blood, my pain attacks had subsided.

So I could have a pancreas that's eating itself. I don't know yet. It's not yet life threatening if that's the case. I don't know the treatment, if there is one. And it could be something totally different, like the muscle spasm thing I mentioned, or stress manifesting itself in odd ways. I'll find out more later, I spose.

No big deals about it. A ton of my friends have had more serious issues lately and this doesn't compare. What's a pain in the stomach, even a bad one, compared to emergency kidney removal (Debbie, you should tell people you woke up in a tub of ice in Vegas), lung surgery to remove growths, and freaking brain surgery (M.R., did they take pictures of you with a hole in your head? That would be so cool.)

Comments

[the1pony.livejournal.com]

Holy crap.

Well, life-threatening or not, that's not exactly a happy fun time. Sheesh.

I hope it turns out to be something very minor that's easy to fix. Keep us posted, will you please?

(I'll be thinking good thoughts your direction whether you like it or not.)

[my-poison-apple.livejournal.com]

Nope, but they did get a photo of the big nasty tumor itself. I should be getting a copy of that photo soon. Upon retrieval, of course I'll be posting it in my journal ASAP.

I have big metal staples in my scalp. And titanium too!

[my-poison-apple.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I meant to say --- I'm sorry about your stomach troubles and subsequent ER visit!

[assassinpandora.livejournal.com]

I used to have occasional stomach pain that sounds very much like what you're describing. It wouludn't happen very often, but was quite painful when it did. Basically it was diagnosed as spastic colitis, in the section of the colon that comes across the top of the belly near the diaphram. So I thought it was my stomach, but it wasn't really. Kind of like, a sensitive spot that gets irritated by acids, then starts to spasm. Once it got going, it didn't stop easily. They would give me a smooth muscle relaxant to make it stop.

[emmrldize.livejournal.com]

"So I could have a pancreas that's eating itself."

Ahahah I found that very funny. I am morbid, sorry.

Hoe you feel better!

I have random gallbladder attacks that sound similar... if it occurs after a heavy or fatty meal that can trigger it... mine is hereditary and is due to a 'lazy sphincter' (sooo... HAWT!) the muscle that tels the GB to squirt out bile acids to break down fats... sometimes it just doesn't open and then it fills up and badness happens...

Anyhow, they might check you out for that too... but along with pain is usally vomitting, so maybe it might not be what you have...

G'luck!

[faerieburst.livejournal.com]

::hug::

Stop getting sick to get out of work. Slacker.

::hug::

~Aramada

[kingrat]

Darlin' I toughed it out and didn't head to the E.R. until after work.

[faerieburst.livejournal.com]

Yet another reason why you are a dumb ass.

Or my hero.

Or both.

::blows him a kiss::

Don't die.

The end.

~Aramada

[thugg1ns.livejournal.com]

"First time a phlebotomist has drawn the blood from the back of my hand. Usually they take it from the inside of my elbow. I liked this better. "

Sooooo much nicer when they do that.

[dreina.livejournal.com]

Sorry about the pains :(

I hope your pancreas isnt trying to eat itself. Tell it to stop it.

[magdalen93.livejournal.com]

I hope there's not a next time, but if there *is* a next time you're in the Swedish ER, you should call me. Depending on the day, I'm two floors below, and I'll draw blood out of your hand if you insist.

I hope they figure out what's wrong and you feel better soon.