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How it all started


The most common question I get is “How did you know something was wrong”.  So, here’s the story. 

When I was pregnant with my son I began having excruciating pain in my lower, right abdomen.  It was May of 2010 and I was about 21 weeks along. The first time it happened it was in the middle of the night and it lasted about 30-45 minutes. The pain continued to occur intermittently throughout my pregnancy, would always only last about 30 minutes and was assumed to be pregnancy related pain.  On a scale of 1-10 it was a 9.9999999. 

After I gave birth the pain continued to come intermittently.  It was always in the same spot and it was very, very painful.  I had an exam and a pelvic ultrasound in April of 2011.  Everything, including blood work was normal.  I also scheduled a physical around the same time and was told I was healthy and it was probably muscle cramps.  I was put on vitamin B-12 injections and continued to put up with these monthly, painful episodes.  At my next annual GYN visit I mentioned that something wasn’t right because the pain was still going on and always in the same spot.  She checked me out again and again nothing seemed wrong. She referred me to a Gastroenterologist.  Upon meeting with him in May 2012, I was told that it was either gas, IBS or maybe even a UTI.  I point blank asked if it could be my appendix and was told it was not. As the summer went on, the pain seemed to be occurring more frequently.  I went back to the GI Doctor and my GYN in September 2012.  I was scheduled for a HSG (http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/guide/hysterosalpingogram-21590)   and a colonoscopy.  The HSG revealed that my right fallopian tube was completely closed.  This was alarming because I have had two children and I know it was open in July of 2009 because I had an HSG after an ectopic pregnancy.  The very next day I had the colonoscopy and it was completely normal.  After talking more with my GYN we decided it was time to do an exploratory laparoscopy.  On November 13, 2012 I had the surgery and also had an unscheduled appendectomy.  I had NO idea that something was wrong until I was told on November 19, 2012.

Moral of the story….
If you are experiencing pain, in the exact same spot…. IT IS NOT NORMAL.
If you feel like something is wrong…… GET IT CHECKED OUT.
And finally, make sure you trust your doctors.  

2 comments :

Maria said...

Isn't if funny, how we know our own bodies, yet the medical profession keep telling us it is 'nothing'? I have a similar story to you, but won't go into details here (would take a month to explain!) but know that what you say is the same as I have experienced. Get it checked out!

ambernicoleross44 said...

I've been experiencing lower abdominal pain in the same spot for about a year now. It goes away when I'm on vacations though. I had a colonoscopy 2 years ago that was clear (with a polyp biopsied). I've had a few abdominal x-rays and CT scans, too. My pain never wavers though, regarding where it stems from. It's always 2-3" below my navel. I've talked to gynos, I've talked to GI, I've talked to PCP - no one seems that worried. They tell me I'm anxious (which I am), and I've had constipation issues for the last 3 years or so that came on gradually.

Part of myself has scared myself into believing I have pseudomyxoma peritonei cancer. But I've also convinced myself I had ovarian cancer, bowel cancer, something else sneaky in my body. If a million doctors tell you it's nothing to worry about, and symptoms continue, do you continue to worry?

My pain has never been excruciating. If anything, it's just really uncomfortable. I get skin pain where it feels sensitive to the touch. I have some bloating but it always goes away overnight. Otherwise, I don't know what to think anymore. I'm always self-diagnosing myself all the time and that's not healthy. But I also don't feel well, which is exhausting.

I have lots of abdominal scar tissue leftover from a surgery I had as a baby. Part of me wonders if it's just that mixed with stress/anxiety mixed with IBS. Or it's something deadly...

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