Re: MRI question-Ginny
From: Christine M. Smith (smithy@maine.rr.com)
Fri Jun 18 20:00:06 1999
At Fri, 18 Jun 1999, Ginny King wrote:
>
>At Thu, 17 Jun 1999, Christine M. Smith wrote:
>>
>>Hi Everyone:
>>
>>I have a question for all the MRI veterans out there. Does the fact
>>that I have not heard anything yet (procedure done Monday night) mean
>>that it is most likely normal? It probably wasn't read until Tuesday. I
>>would think that they would call the doctor's office if it showed
>>anything, no?
>>I left a message on the office answering machine to be sure and call me
>>with the results either way so that I can discuss with the doctor what
>>I'm going to do next. Normally I'm not so impatient (well not quite
>>anyway) but I would think with such a high tech, expensive test they
>>would treat it a little differently. In the hospital, results are
>>usually on the charts by the second day after the procedure and in some
>>cases, the next day. Sometimes I dream of being a doctor's office staff
>>member and dream about the wonderful way I would treat patients. Like
>>calling them immediately with results when I know they've been through a
>>long diagnostic ordeal, and just asking them how they are doing. HA,
>>dream on Chris.
>>Although the back discomfort is not gone, I am feeling much better. I
>>have been sitting around the house basically doing nothing, although
>>yesterday I weeded the garden a little. For those of you who have
>>adhesions that affect your back, do you get this response? If you rest
>>and not exert yourself, do you consistently have less pain?
>>I posted on another forum and the doc told me that Crohn's can sometimes
>>present with only "extraintestinal" symptoms. Eye inflammation, joint
>>discomfort (he mentioned sacroiliac, spine and hips) , rashes/lesions
>>Two GI docs have told me no. One, by punching on my abdomen and saying
>>"Nah, doesn't feel like Crohn's" and a negative colonoscopy (which tells
>>him it wasn't in the colon or terminal ileum) and the colo-rectal
>>specialist who didn't consider it at all. (he was into joints) But so
>>far I have had no responses from docs on several forums (ob-gyn.net and
>>a neurological forum) about back problems causing only abdominal pain.
>>Looks like something they don't even want to get into! Adhesions is
>>another topic they seem to avoid.
>>
>>Chris S.
>
>Hey Chris,
>
>I don't know how to answer all of your questions but I do know that when
>I recently had an "emergency" CT scan on a Monday, I did not get a call
>back from my Doctor until the next Monday. The CT did come back normal
>with the exception of what "looked" like a cyst on my ovary. I had
>called the Doctor's office several times during the week to check on the
>results and still it was a week before they called me back. It is
>especially frustrating to go through a weekend wondering. I did go to
>another GI on Thursday to re-evaluate my problems. He wants to repeat
>the colonoscopy and do an upper endoscopy?. Because of the blood, pain
>in the right side and back problems I have (spondylitus) he is back to
>thinking that my problems may be Crohn's complicated by intermittent
>bowel obstructions caused either by Crohn's or adhesions or both. As my
>back problems are arthritic in nature, it seems to tie in with an
>auto-immune disorder as opposed to a back problem causing bowel
>problems. With your symtoms I would have to wonder if your back pain is
>caused by arthritis then it would seem logical that further
>investigation of an auto-immune disorder should be revisited.I seem to
>have back and side pain when I rest and when I try to continue my
>activities. When I spend a lot of time in bed my back problems tend to
>get worse. According to the Doctor its because of the way I may be
>resting on my hip that is causing inflammation of the sacrum and that is
>pressing on the nerves, in particular the sciatic. However, when I am
>active, I tend to have more of the blinding, ripping pains in my side
>that wrap to my back, maybe agravating the adhesions? I hope you hear
>soon about your MRI. Try and have a good weekend. Thanks. Ginny
>
>--
>Ginny King
> Hi Ginny:
I found your post very interesting and encouraging. First, I still
haven't heard about the MRI but I decided that doesn't mean much, which
you confirmed. I know I don't have anything really bad because I don't
have a lot of neurological symptoms. And I don't think it would vary in
intensity if it was something really bad.
It's good your doctor is willing to investigate other possibilities and
not just blame your pain on the adheisons.
The only thing I worry about in your case is the negative CT. I assume
you had one of your abdomen as well as pelvis. They usually do it
together and with gastrograffin. Did you have to drink a fruity type
drink? I think CT is *the* test for diagnosing crohn's, although
sometimes they do a GI series with small bowel followthrough. Iguess
that wouldn't pick up crohn's in the colon though, where the CT would.
But you are right about the arthritic symptoms. I just had some blood
tests done for some of the rheumatology diseases and I was told it was
normal. I plan to ask more details next time I go. I think the
treatment for crohn's is pretty successful in most cases these days.
They have several drugs that are supposed to work well. When you've had
bowel obstructions, can't they tell what is causing the obstructing? I'm
glad your doc is working this up because I don't think blood from the
intestines is normal and crohn's does present this way.
I also found it interesting that your back problems are made worse when
you spend a lot of time in bed. Not many people have told me this. Bed
rest is usually the thing for back pain, although not as long as it used
to be. I don't have more pain when I am active at the time I am being
active, it is later that I pay for it. In March I started a step
aerobics program and I felt great while doing it and for the rest of the
day. But at night I started to have these attacks of severe pain. I
haven't had one of these attacks since I stopped aerobics the last week
of May. It is very weird! In your case, if you have spondylitis, you
are going to have pain from that aside from your adhesions, I would
think.
Thanks for the encouragement.
Chris