Tag: PSC

A pendulum between two diseases

Between Ulcerative Colitis and Endometriosis

Where did I leave off?

Oh yes. So I kept you hanging with the MRI results, and still no word from either doctor.

On Monday morning I called to make an appointment with both my GI and my endo specialist. My GI had just returned from holidays and I was kind of expecting to hear back from her about all that had happened while she was away – and the pile of files she must have obtained from the various tests I had done – but instead they booked me in to see her later this week. My endo specialist doesnt have an opening until the end of August!!!

Monday and Tuesday were much like all the other days. Even keel pain, and some flickering of something down below (near my ovaries). The biggest thing though was intense (INTENSE!!!) exhaustion. I could barely stay awake. Monday I woke up at 7:30, did some work, and then fell asleep from 10am to 4pm in the evening. Tuesday, a similar pattern (shhh… dont tell my boss).

Wednesday was starting out to be like the others, but my boyfriend was sadly due to fly back to Ottawa, and mom was flying in shortly after to take over the ‘sicko’ shift. I coaxed myself to get up and do some things in the house; some real work, some chores, etc. Greg walked out the door, I had this shooting pain in my pelvic area, went pee, and… started bleeding. Spotting only, but then my ovaries were on fire. Great! Arent I freed from this burden by taking my Visanne every day? As the hours progressed before mom showed up, the bleeding remained a slow dribble but the intensity of the pain got worse, and with it so did the abdominal pain. This was quite the lose lose situation. Mom showed up finally and we somehow mustered up the strength to gab for hours until I called mercy and had to go to sleep. A restless sleep at that.

A pendulum between two diseases

Thursday morning (today) I prepared for my appointment with the GI. Here is what we concluded:

  • the pancreas and liver, and their associated markers, all look normal
  • my colon is happy as can be; no word of ‘remission’ yet but my CRP, Calprotectin and all other markers indicate that my colon is not inflamed, and that without diarrhea and bleeding the entyvio appears to be working.
  • so this further supports the notion that this could be endo, which is out of my GI’s expertise and hands.
  • Oh, and I still have what they consider early stage ‘possible’ PSC which calls for a colonoscopy and an MRI once a year to check on any emergence of odd cells or inflammation.
  • As a last effort on her behalf I am to take Dexilant for two weeks to address whether this is acid based (ie an ulcer or something related). If the drug works we see if there is time for a scope and if the drug doesnt work it further supports that its not a colon issue and more an endo issue.

 

The one good thing out of this is that I am able to try Neproxin for my pain, which was my saving grace before my excision surgery. The downside to this is the drug is advil-based so it may cause bleeding and diarrhea. So I am to monitor this very carefully and see what happens. Again, I will keep you posted.

by Categories: endometriosis journey, Ulcerative Colitis JourneyTags: , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

My body is attacking itself

Having multiple autoimmune diseases

I was born a fantastically healthy baby, with no jaundice, asthma, or abnormalities that would see me through to adulthood. Until I was 14 and the much raved about menstrual periods started.  I was overjoyed by the fact that I was part of the club that I didnt bother mentioning to anyone else the pain and flow that accompanied mine. At the age of 14, I was sent to the hospital with period pain and was pre-diagnosed by a brilliant doctor, a disease called Endometriosis. At the time we didnt know much about it but several years later the industry learned that it was an autoimmune disease. Up until recently it was believed that endometriosis was endometrial tissue that escaped back inside the body – outside the uterus – onto organs. But now, we have learned that endometriosis is endometrial- LIKE tissue that forms on organs out of bloody nowhere, and acts like your endometrium – blood, pain and all. WTF!

Starting around my 25th birthday I started having very rare, intense pain in my upper abdomen. It would strike out of nowhere, often accompanied with alcohol, and would send me to the hospital. The pain was followed by throwing up, blacking out, and waking up with a doctor telling me I drank to much and sent me home. This happened about once a year for 4 years. Doctors came up with everything from alcoholism to anxiety to phantom pains. Nah…. didnt add up.

Just shy of 2018 I was diagnosed with severe ulcerative colitis. Ok this one threw me. I mean I had no idea and apparently I have had it for years. I just assumed the diarrhea and wrenching pain was from my endo. Ive since been treated with Entyvio and so far so good. Well,… until last week.

Right after Canada day – no alcohol in site – my upper abdominal pain kicked back in. I had remnants of it when they tried to give me a 5-asa back in November. And it kind of feels like my diaphragmatic endo. But its not. I assure you. This pain has lasted 9 days and counting.

At first they thought it was pancreatitis but they ruled that out with a CT Scan. They are still exploring PSC which they think they found back in November. That should be ruled out on Thursday with an MRcp. And its not my gallbladder which was taken out back in 2007 which later was hypothesized was due to endo and not gallstones.

Which organ is next? Why is my body attacking itself? What is the cause and are they all linked? IS there one cure to fix it all?

by Categories: endometriosis journey, Ulcerative Colitis JourneyTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment