Marjie's post re pain, etc.

February 18, 2003

Marjie, I have been having similar episodes, though not as long-lasting

as yours. Mine started in mid-December, with severe pain just below the

breast-bone, every time I ate. It didn't seem to be linked to a

particular food -- just food in general -- and eventually it was

triggered by everything, including protein shakes and clear liquids.

The pain would be horrendous for a couple of hours, and I would lie on

a heating pad till it got better.

Sometime in the middle of Dec., I started to notice that the gland on

the left side of my neck was swelling up...and up...and up....By the

time I got it to the doctor, he was totally freaked out by it, and sent

me immediately to an ENT guy, who merely said that it seemed to

indicate some kind of infection, not a cancer (phew!), and gave me some

Tylenol #3s for the pain. I went home, took 2, and within 15 minutes

the pain in my abdomen was back, this time worse than it had ever been.

I was doubled over on the bed, nauseated and crying out, it was that

bad. My husband, not knowing what to do, called an ambulance for me,

and they found me in the bathroom, hunched over the toilet and trying

to barf. Unfortunately, I can't throw up since my surgery, but my

stomach has apparently not received that important message yet, so it

was trying with all its might!

Anyway, long story short, they shlepped me off to the ER, and ran a

bunch of tests, including CT scan, ultrasound, blood work, etc. When

the doc came in, the first thing she asked me was how much alcohol I

usually drank. I am not a teetotaller, but next thing to it, and I told

her this. Well, apparently the reason she asked is that my liver

enzymes were through the roof, and it looked as though I had some kind

of severe hepatitis. I was a bit freaked out by this, as I'm not in a

high risk group for Hep B or C, and she said my enzymes were too high

for it to be A, which is the food-borne kind. After the fact, when I

went to see my own doctor again, we figured out that it was probably

something called cytomegalovirus, which is very common but usually

doesn't cause problems for most people.

In the middle of all this, I also have had some very severe lower

abdominal cramping, followed by, as you say, explosive liquid diarrhea.

I tend to think that this is also linked to the liver thing, though I

don't know the exact mechanism.

Since then, I've had a few similar episodes -- pain, nausea, etc. --

and was pretty worn down and tired for most of January, but a couple of

weeks ago my labs came back normal for liver enzymes. I have to go get

them checked again soon, but I'm crossing my fingers. The episodes of

nausea, etc., have lessened since January, except when I overdo it in

the food department, so I'm hopeful that it was just a liver virus, and

has gone away now. Good thing about liver problems is that the liver

regenerates itself quite quickly, and is very resilient.

I can't say that you have the same thing I do, but it's interesting how

our symptoms seem to match, isn't it? Makes you go Hmmmm....

I.

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RNY September 19, 2001

Dr. Freeman, Ottawa General Hospital

BMI then: 43.5

BMI now: 22

-152 lbs

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PLUTO RISING

JUPITER'S DAUGHTER

MARS ECLIPSED

http://www.infolink.ca/pluto-rising

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February 18, 2003