gronksnorf
03-30-2005, 11:59 AM
Hello board, I'm hoping some might have some thoughts on some symptoms that I've been developing now for some months and which I'm very scared about.
Probably a full 6 months ago, I noticed a slight asymmetric bulge in my right abdomen, slightly above hip height. It seemed entirely symptomless and I wasn't worried by it. Roughly 4 months ago my pretty much perennially sore lower back became noticeably more painful for no apparent reason and a few weeks later I started having a degree of digestive disorder accompanied by a certain degree of discomfort in my right abdomen roughly but not exactly around where the bulge is. The digestive disorder has continued to a greater or lesser extent since then, veering between borderline diarrhoea and constipation in a fashion fairly similar to IBS but any abdomen discomfort I've experienced has always been limited to the right side.
Over the last 3 months, the abdomen discomfort has increased and feels, well it feels like I'm full or have solid mass in there and in the last month or so spread up to the point where I now have pain under my right ribs and round my right back severe enough that I have to take painkillers to sleep. A physio has also poked and prodded me and, entirely of her own volition, volunteered the information that I seem to have a small but noticeable asymmetric bulge in my right costal ligaments.
During this period, I've also lost between a stone and a stone and a half (probably about 17lb) despite trying to eat two large meals and a breakfast a day, in the face of increasing nausea. Historically, my weight has always been very stable with perhaps a slight tendency to put on weight, never to consistently lose weight in this fashion.
The various doctors and GPs that've prodded me can't find any palpable masses, I've had a few ultrasounds and chest/abdomen X rays, which have all apparently been normal looking enough (though no one's ever really told me what they were looking for and they were done in A&E and only examined for a short time) and all the bloodwork I've had done has apparently been normal.
I've read most of the board and looked for similar symptoms and bar for solid but fairly mobile lymph nodes that don't seem to have grown in the last 3 or 4 months in my neck and the occasional aches and short lived itchy red rashes under my armpits, especially when showering, oh and a persistent, reasonably infrequent dry cough, I can't really think of anything.
I would very much appreciate any thoughts on this because I'm spending an awful lot of time deeply scared by this, especially by the possibility that it's lymphoma involving abdominal nodes and thus far my GP and the doctors that've examined me have been fairly dismissive of the whole thing.
Thanks in advance,
Paul,
Probably a full 6 months ago, I noticed a slight asymmetric bulge in my right abdomen, slightly above hip height. It seemed entirely symptomless and I wasn't worried by it. Roughly 4 months ago my pretty much perennially sore lower back became noticeably more painful for no apparent reason and a few weeks later I started having a degree of digestive disorder accompanied by a certain degree of discomfort in my right abdomen roughly but not exactly around where the bulge is. The digestive disorder has continued to a greater or lesser extent since then, veering between borderline diarrhoea and constipation in a fashion fairly similar to IBS but any abdomen discomfort I've experienced has always been limited to the right side.
Over the last 3 months, the abdomen discomfort has increased and feels, well it feels like I'm full or have solid mass in there and in the last month or so spread up to the point where I now have pain under my right ribs and round my right back severe enough that I have to take painkillers to sleep. A physio has also poked and prodded me and, entirely of her own volition, volunteered the information that I seem to have a small but noticeable asymmetric bulge in my right costal ligaments.
During this period, I've also lost between a stone and a stone and a half (probably about 17lb) despite trying to eat two large meals and a breakfast a day, in the face of increasing nausea. Historically, my weight has always been very stable with perhaps a slight tendency to put on weight, never to consistently lose weight in this fashion.
The various doctors and GPs that've prodded me can't find any palpable masses, I've had a few ultrasounds and chest/abdomen X rays, which have all apparently been normal looking enough (though no one's ever really told me what they were looking for and they were done in A&E and only examined for a short time) and all the bloodwork I've had done has apparently been normal.
I've read most of the board and looked for similar symptoms and bar for solid but fairly mobile lymph nodes that don't seem to have grown in the last 3 or 4 months in my neck and the occasional aches and short lived itchy red rashes under my armpits, especially when showering, oh and a persistent, reasonably infrequent dry cough, I can't really think of anything.
I would very much appreciate any thoughts on this because I'm spending an awful lot of time deeply scared by this, especially by the possibility that it's lymphoma involving abdominal nodes and thus far my GP and the doctors that've examined me have been fairly dismissive of the whole thing.
Thanks in advance,
Paul,
Sponsor
One-Cent L
04-11-2005, 08:45 AM
You DID have a CT scan? What about a colonoscopy?
gronksnorf
04-24-2005, 10:32 PM
No, I've not had a CT or a colonoscopy yet. I'm having real trouble getting most of the medical professionals I've seen to take my symptoms seriously, largely I think because of a lack of obvious signs of anything amiss in my bloods and a lack of anything like blood in my stools.
I have finally gotten in line for a CT at some point thanks to one doctor who seemed concerned enough to push things but I've still not had a date yet and it's been a number of weeks since I was referred.
In the month since I first posted, I've also started to get some sudden temperature changes including the odd night of waking up heavily sweating and then being almost instantly cold, I've also noticed that I seem to have a now permanent sort of flushing of my neck and to some degree my face and my underarm aches have been getting worse and the rash under one of my underarms is now permanent and at times very itchy.
At the moment, this is largely being pursued as a gastro problem as the weight loss and digestive dysfunction I've been experiencing have been the most readily demonstrable symptoms but from what I've heard of inflammatory bowel conditions and especially ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, my symptoms thus far are at best a pretty loose match.
Again, I would appreciate any thoughts.
I have finally gotten in line for a CT at some point thanks to one doctor who seemed concerned enough to push things but I've still not had a date yet and it's been a number of weeks since I was referred.
In the month since I first posted, I've also started to get some sudden temperature changes including the odd night of waking up heavily sweating and then being almost instantly cold, I've also noticed that I seem to have a now permanent sort of flushing of my neck and to some degree my face and my underarm aches have been getting worse and the rash under one of my underarms is now permanent and at times very itchy.
At the moment, this is largely being pursued as a gastro problem as the weight loss and digestive dysfunction I've been experiencing have been the most readily demonstrable symptoms but from what I've heard of inflammatory bowel conditions and especially ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, my symptoms thus far are at best a pretty loose match.
Again, I would appreciate any thoughts.