There’s a little, teeny, tiny piece of me questioning whether cancer might once again live in my body. The question stems from a year’s worth of undiagnosed tummy trouble manifesting itself sometimes in simple discomfort and other times in downright pain. Some days, my stomach is tight as a drum, pushed out so far I think it’s going to pop. Other times, I feel bloated, full, and cramped. It’s all so unpredictable, and I have yet to pinpoint anything specific that is twisting up my insides. Doctors have not found any real answers, either. They did diagnose pelvic floor dysfunction, but apparently, the gut issues are a separate beast. The good news is that a battery of tests have revealed that my esophagus, cardia, pancreas, gall bladder, and a few other organs are in fine shape. That brings me peace. Really, it does. But I kinda wish the professionals could spot something, anything that might help me fix what ails me. One doc thought maybe chemo drugs were to blame, but another said it’s unlikely — if chemo drugs were to muck up my system, it would have happened at the time of treatment, not almost 8 years later.
Tomorrow, I meet with my GI specialist for a round-up discussion about all of my normal test results and about what the next step will be. I fear there will be no next step, that I will just live in this state of blah, eating only minimally because it’s the only thing that makes me feel better but is surely not a healthy remedy.
Cancer is not my main worry — it’s just that I’ll never totally excuse its possibility since it’s happened to me once already. Not knowing what’s wrong is my No. 1 concern.
Jojo on 8/26/2012 at 11:19 pm said:
Sounds like irritable bowel syndrome for which there are no clear cut answers. I found extra fiber really does help me. Seriously – give it a committed effort. Oh yeah – and less stress
Susie on 8/27/2012 at 10:59 pm said:
Best wishes for a continued clean bill of health and some answers.
Jacki on 8/28/2012 at 11:34 am said:
Thank you, Susie!
Jacki on 8/28/2012 at 11:34 am said:
It is not IBS, but thanks for your two cents, Jojo.
Karen on 9/11/2012 at 12:28 pm said:
Just want to make sure that during all those tests, you got your ovaries checked out. (Vaginal ultrasound is really simple) Although it’s NOT likely to be ovarian cancer — don’t want to scare you — ovarian cancer does produce those symptoms. Hope all is well and you’ve gotten some answers.
Jacki on 9/11/2012 at 12:49 pm said:
Thank you, Karen! Of course, my very first worry was ovarian cancer, so my OB/GYN was my first stop. He was not concerned, although there was no ultrasound done. Maybe I will go back for one.
Assisted Living Directory on 9/12/2012 at 6:53 pm said:
After a number of years of off and on tummy trouble…i am zeroing in on gluten. I am learning that 30% of our population cannot digest it. Try to go a week without any gluten to see if you feel better…
Jacki on 9/12/2012 at 6:54 pm said:
Tried it and was tested for gluten intolerance. Not the issue for me, though. Thanks for the tip.
Assisted Living Directory on 9/13/2012 at 3:01 pm said:
Glad it’s not that. My wife found out after years of issues that she was intolerant to cornstarch, which is in almost everything. Lots of weird things out there that our bodies are historically not used to processing. I hope you figure it out.
David