I'm pretty new here and I'm removing an earlier post of mine from another thread because it didn't seem to have any visitors recently. I was hoping for some input on my situation. I have been reading about Haleywren's situation and have been so curious as to the results of her colonoscopy.

I have had the same symptoms she has described as long as she has, since Jan '05 when I was treated for a urinary tract infection with Cipro. I have also had little luck getting my doctor to see any urgency in my situation. They have done several urinalyses, blood tests, pelvic ultrasounds, intrauterine biopsy, and CT scan. For ten years, I have had frequent menstrual migraines and very difficult periods (PMS, heavy bleeding, cramps, etc.), so along with my more recent symptoms of LLQ pain and seemingly related back pain, it's been confusing to try to sort out where to look for the source of this pain.

I'm also a 16-year cancer survivor. I had a sarcoma in my right forearm that was taken out with followup radiation (which coincidentally had the same intermittent pain symptoms of this LLQ pain). My mother died from colorectal cancer at age 60...I am in my mid 40's. None of these things have seemed to send up red flags for my doctor.

In addition, I have anxiety issues and occasional panic attacks, so my doctor diagnosed me as having depression, and says that my pain could be psychosomatic. I tried Paxil for a month and it made me feel awful, and the withdrawal was a nightmare (literally and figuratively). I told him I didn't want to take any more SSRI's, so he told me to find a psychotherapist for my depression/anxiety. I wasn't depressed until this ordeal had gone on for so long and I got the sense that my doctor was no longer taking me or my pain seriously...now I do feel somewhat depressed. It's tough living with pain every day.

The last time I saw my doctor (July 21), he told me to increase my fiber and agreed to authorize my OB/GYN to do a laparoscopy to look for endometriosis, adhesions or other things that cannot be seen in the tests we've done. I've hit a snag in my progress, with having to change insurance because my husband changed jobs. I'm looking into finding out if waiting for the new insurance would be better, or taking care of it now under COBRA would be better (financially speaking).

With this pain, I have not been able to perform my normal daily routine without great discomfort. The pain is worse in the afternoon and evening, after I've been on my feet for awhile. I can also sometimes feel a hardening in that area, kind of like a muscle cramp. Of course it hasn't been there during my visits to the doctor. My heating pad is my best friend. OTC pain meds don't work at all. I have Vicodin for my migraines and I take that for my abdominal pain when I need to be more highly functioning. It does help, but I think that it could be the cause for my occasional bowel changes, or it could be the fiber supplements. Since my CT scan was normal and I don't have any rectal bleeding, there has been no talk of a colonoscopy for me, but I feel exactly the way Haley describes she does. I'll be anxiously waiting to see how she's doing and any other thoughts from all of you would be welcome.

Thanks for taking time for me.
Sincerely, SR

Hi SR,

I do not suppose you can get a different GP dr., can you? This one sounds a little uncaring. I think, if I were you, I would go ahead with the laparascopy. That would get the female part checked out good.

And I would definite ask (push) your dr (family) to refer you to a gastroenterologist, if you do not already have one. He would do a upper endoscopy and a lower colonoscopy. It sounds to me like you should be having the latter, at the very least, every 5 yrs. Can you not go to a specialist without a referral? If so, that makes it a bit harder and longer to get things done!

My gastro and gyno drs. always think any lower left or right abdominal pain that I have is the other ones territory! Because it could be bowels or it could be ovaries. Everything is very close down there.

It is no wonder that you have anxiety/stress. What with health problems and a not listening dr. That would make anyone stress.

Hope you get other answers in the am. And I hope you get to go to your specialists and they fix you up or at least find out the problem(s).

Take care. Wannabe

Wannabe:

Thank you for your kind support. It really helps me be strong, so I can go back in to my doctor and not let him make me feel like I'm bothering him.

To answer your question, my insurance is an HMO and any specialist I see has to be a referral made by my primary care physician. I think what is happening is they check out one system at a time. They have started with gynecology and after they've done all they can do there, then they'll move on to gastroenterology, and so on.

It's taking so long partly because sometime in the spring, my husband was having rectal bleeding, abdominal pain (his was on the right) and bowel changes. I suspended my medical care so that we could focus on his. I did that because I felt the bleeding may have been a very serious problem and we both couldn't have surgery at the same time. He had a CT scan and colonoscopy. They found out he had internal hemorrhoids, diverticulosis, and AVM's (they were the source of the bleeding). We were assured that he was fine and needed no further treatment at this time other than increasing his fiber intake. When I finally decided to go back to the doctor for myself, my husband had to change jobs.

I'm still waiting for my COBRA paperwork. I don't think I can go to the doctor and have it be covered by insurance, before I make my first COBRA payment. Does anyone know anything about that? I may end up waiting the 90 days until my husband's new insurance starts. Either way, I will have the laparoscopy as soon as I can. If there is something wrong with me, I will be changing doctors.

Thanks again.
-SR