Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group ER visit last night -Yikes

Nothing on the ground in BA tonight. Might get a smidge overnight, but I'm not worried, though there are two appts tomorrow, 11:00 and 2:00. PCP and pain mgmt. Feeling okay, but wanting to get this show on the road and get a firm diagnosis on the cysts.

Saw my primary care doc today and will be getting a referral to GYN to evaluate the ovaries. If that turns out to not be the issue, next step would be referral to GI. PCP didn't think it even resembled cancer, but said it was pretty strange to have pain from an ovarian cyst 5 yrs after menopause. I'm a little more at ease, but would still like this referral to be sooner rather than later. A couple of hours later, saw my marvelous pain doc. She looked at CT results and didn't think the bowel findings (poop in the large bowel) was anything to worry about if my usual elimination was doing normally. Keep on doing what I'm doing in that regard with fiber. No changes of meds. And the pain has returned today, but not to the extent of the night I went to ER. Hope that doesn't return. And I'm looking around online, with the caution to not scare myself. Wonder what the world record time for a smouldering appendicitis is? Because the CT report stated they couldn't see the appendix. What sort of test is that???? I paid good money for that CT. LOL.

As mentioned in the other thread, I'm holding off starting the Cimzia till something is determined about this pain, which returned today after being off the radar since the ER visit. Don't want to mess up things before knowing what caused the pain. And in winter, off my TNF-inhibitor, it's fairly miserable.

((Rumble)) Been thinking of you. Hope you are feeling better and that you had a good Thanksgiving. Let me hear from you.

Hugs.
Joyce

((((Joyce))))
Thanks for the hugs. I'm finally feeling a little better. Geeze, a whole week later, too. Had a few slightly better days just after the ER visit, then on the day I went to see the PCP, pain all came back. Went back to work on Tuesday, but struggled after the percocet wore off in 4 hrs. Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty rough, but Thursday was quite a bit better. Instead of only feeling my gut pain, the other familiar pain spots (feet, legs, hands, neck) started screaming at about the same volume as the gut. Today (Friday), the foot, ankle and leg pain (enthesitis, mostly) is much more prominent, though if I sit and think about it, I can feel the gut pain in background. This is going to be hard to explain to the GYN doc, most likely.

I've done lots of reading about ovarian cysts and not feeling as worried, but there is still SOME worry. It is what it is and I'll deal with whatever comes along. (Like I have a choice, huh?) I'll be calling the PCP's office on Monday to see what the status is on the referral and proceed to bothering them daily if I have to. Next Tuesday, I'm getting a friend to draw a tube of blood for me and getting another friend to run the CA125 for my own peace of mind. Knowledge is power, regardless of the result. Remember, I found my own husband's prostate cancer by doing a PSA test when our (now ex) PCP wouldn't order it. As many people here know, sometimes you have to take the bull by the horns yourself.

It helps to have friends in high places!! I am so sorry you are having so much pain all over. I hope your cyst in one of those that "takes care of itself". This time of the year is not the time for all of this "stuff".

I think when we have to deal with so much stuff, we become much more accepting of life. Just one more thing. I always think when I get a new diagnosis that I already had it when they diagnosed it and hanging a name on it didn't change anything except that now we know what to treat. I think you have the same attitude.

How is your husband? Mine is doing pretty good right now. I suppose we will all sing a different tune when this next Arctic front gets here. I am glad I didn't have plans to go to Bedlam!!

Hope you have a good week. Let us know what the GYN says.

Hugs and Blessings.

My appt with the GYN doc is tomorrow. I won't get the ultrasound that day, but hopefully it won't be too much longer. I asked a friend to run some tumor marker tests for me, which eased my mind a bit. All were low. That doesn't rule out ovarian CA, but it reduces the risk a bit. It's been a few days since the abdominal pain cut past the usual pain I have daily, but it is still lurking at times. I feel it now, but only since the percocet is wearing off. Have gathered the results of my scans, my own questions and a brief history of this pain. The office provides a copy of their paperwork online, so I typed out those tonight and printed it off. Seems that I'm ready. It's what happens when you see a lot of doctors for new issues....you get good at filling out the forms and providing the details in a succinct manner.

Good Morning Rumble. I am glad your appt. is here. I hope they can figure it out soon.

It sounds like more snow especially for your part of the state. Things have basically been shut down here since about noon Thursday.

Take care.

rumble
are you feeling better?

Well, it would have been so easy if the dang ultrasound would have shown what the CT alluded to. Alas, it didn't show anything amiss. GYN is puzzled. I hate it when my doctor is puzzled. Grrr. He's asking the radiologist to re-read the CT scan in hopes of getting some more information that would help. The CT report mentions cysts, but doesn't mention sizes. Then doesn't mention those cysts in the 'impression'. So I'm waiting another week for an answer. (wish he was getting a DIFFERENT radiologist to read it.) Pains are down to intermittent and less intense than the night of the ER visit. Some days my usual pains from PsA scream the loudest. Some days the gut pains are screaming louder, but only for an hour or so. But most of the pain is from my usual spots: enthesitis, feet, hands, and a few jolts of nerve pain here and there. And it is nearly always covered by my percocet. So it's better in that respect, but no answer as to the reason for the gut pain. And I was about 75% ready to have my ovaries yanked out before I got the US report. Now not so much. Phooey.

And now I wonder if it's gut inflammation, given I've been off a biologic for 3.5 months. It's taken more care to keep the poop moving along pretty well. Had to add a lot of fiber supplements around the clock, as opposed to a nightly dose that worked overnight. I was holding off on starting the Cimzia till I found out if I was going to have to have surgery (yanking out of the ovaries). Now I wonder if I should just go for it. If it's gut inflammation, maybe the Cimzia would help that.

Discussion anyone? Yes, I should ask the rheumy, too, probably. Right? Or am I over-thinking a little too much?

I personally think you should talk to the rheumy. :o) I have been thinking of you. Have a good weekend.