Is it just me

I've had an interesting 2 weeks. For most of August and Sept. I was having spells of bad, real bad, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, chills. With the first one I figured I had a intestinal flu thing. But it kept coming back. A couple of times I just laid on the bathroom floor, too weak to go back to bed. In between episodes I would run a low grade fever. I had a week of itchy hives. The cramps, diarrhea lasted well over 6 weeks. I had normal blood work in between episodes, even had a fever when I saw my GP doctor. He thought it was a bug sinde blood work was all ok. It continued but slowly got better. I was watching if it was food related - couldn't pin-point anything. Then I started passing blood. Went back to doctor. Tests in office were negative so came home with stool sample kits. They came back with obvious blood but no infection, no parisites, nothing else. But, thought a colonoscopy was next step since last one was 6 years ago.
Fine with me. PROBLEM. I'm on Plavix because I had a stent placement in December. Cardio would not ok taking me off Plavix. (I've been on it for 9 months.) I understand that and agreed. But, what to do? GI guy gave me 2 options: #1 - diagnostic procedure with no intervention. If found something would have to have colonoscopy done again at later date. #2 - Be admitted to hospital and have an IV Heparin Bridge.
I called GP's office and they said do IV Heparin because they want whatever COULD be wrong taken care of at that time. No reason to do colonoscopy twice.
Cardio would not ok IV Heparin. sigh. I was so confused.
FINALLY, cardio actually talked to me tonight and said he talked to GI doc and they agreed the diagnostic is necessary but no intervention. He kept explaining how important it was to stay on Plavix; how this comes up all the time; but if I INSIST on going off Plavix I certainly can do that. When he finally let me talk I told him the GI doctor suggested option 2, the IV Heparin bridge. Why can't that be done?
Lightbulb moment for the cardio - oh, he says, that explains the confusion. The IV Heparin DOES NOT work with Plavix and he explained why.
I do not I think it was my fault that I got WRONG information FROM the GI people. It took 2 weeks to get all this straight and worked out with a zillion calls from me, and to me, from 3 sets of doctors offices.
I just pray I don't have to do the colonoscopy again. I think they gave me the most harsh prep they could find. (I honestly don't know if it is - I'm just whining.) I start 5 days before, which is tomorrow. Yea!! I think its going to be a shitty week. (I'm sorry - the devil made me type it.)

4 replies   

I'm always amazed at the drama caused by lack of communication. Guess what, doctors aren't perfect. We suffer through it all.

Isn't there a scan of some sort that they could do, it's kinda new but better than getting no information of the condition of your colon.

Do you take probiotics? Your colon can't function well without the right amount of good bacteria. Too little and the bad bacteria take over.

It might be a coinsistence but I got sick the first time after taking a probiotic for a week. After this is all over with and I find out what is going on, if anything, I will try the probiotic again. Thanks for your reply.

I would wonder why they are not using the camera capsule that travels ALL from mouth to exit. 2nd, how bout a virtual colonoscopy? You have to prep with either of these, but there is no intervention. If there were a blockage of any sort, obviously, the capsule could get stuck, so maybe that idea is limited.

Another thing: when I had extensive GI workup, the Gastro had me (believe it or not), eat breakfast at the hospital, read paper, etc etc. till time to "go". His instructions were for the lab to take "FRESHLY (underlined twice) voided stool sample for examination" Hot off the presses you might say. ...Man, that poor lab technician. Hope that person made the big bucks. Apparently, some things can only be identified IMMEDIATELY. There ya go. How fun, huh?

xoxo Mary

I've started my prep and so far so good. I never heard of the virual colonscopy. But it sounds like they are all diagnostic only. I've decided that nothing serious is wrong so the diagnostic will be just fine. Positive thinking and all that.
Thanks.

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