Update on my Excruciating Rectal Pain
From: Jayne McHugh (spiregen@webcomcreations.com)
Mon Jan 19 13:21:51 2004
I know it's been a while since I posted my last message but I've been
all over the place since in regards to my rectal pain.
In that message I posted the following (snipped version):
"For about two years now I have been experiencing excruciating rectal
pain high up in my rectum. The pain is also felt behind my abdominal
incision and when I sit down it feels like something is being pushed up
into my lower pelvic region and makes both the abdominal and rectal pain
worse.
Sitting is unbearable and the episodes last about 3 – 4 days. They then
disappear and return a few months later. It feels like I’m constipated
but I’m not, my stools are soft and the pain is even unbearable when
passing gas."
Since posting this message I had a spell at the ER with pain so bad I
could barely walk, stand or sit. As I have recurring kidney stones I
was given an IVP but the results were negative.
I was sent home with "You have IBS" ringing in my ears and to see my
family doctor. I did this and was referred to a GI. This resulted in
my having a colonoscopy.
It was my first and last! I was sedated and given painkillers via IV, I
wasn't nervous and quite relaxed. The doctor didn't get too far though
because adhesions stopped him! No sooner had the tube been inserted I
screamed out in pain and hung onto the bed railing for dear life. The
doctor ordered the nurse to increase the sedation and painkiller while
trying to push the tubing further into my colon. Nothing worked! I was
shouting at the doctor to stop but he ignored me telling me I was a
"naughty girl" for frightening the other patients in the waiting area.
Huh! I turned over, looked him straight in the face and sceamed "TOUGH!"
The nurse (God bless her) insisted he stop the procedure because it was
obvious I was in a lot of pain. So he yanked the tube out of me
(literally) and ordered a barium enema instead, to be done that day so I
wouldn't have to go through the preparations again. How considerate.
:-}
To cut a long story short the results were adhesions in my lower bowel
where the rectum and colon/bowel merge (is that correct?) and a
redundant bowel. He sent me home with instructions to make sure I have
a bowel movement EVERY day! He said that if I haven't had a bowel
movement by the evening then I'm to force myself to have one by drinking
prune juice, using Milk of Magnesia or a laxative. It didn't matter
which I used as long as I had a bowel movement each day.
He says my rectal pain comes from the adhesions and the upper
right-sided pain is from the redundant bowel and that's all he said.
Then he dismissed me saying if I run into any further problems to have
my family doctor refer me back to him.
Now I'm curious as to what a redundant bowel actually is. It was
explained to me that the horizontal portions of my colon are fine but
the vertical portions loop over and there's more there than there should
be. Interesting. ;-)
I'd appreciate it if someone could advise me on what to expect from a
redundant bowel? Should I be avoiding certain foods/medications and if
this can lead to other complications what symptoms should I be aware of?
Thanks for listening.
Take care
Jayne
Ontario, Canada
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