Yesterday was indeed a heavenly day as planned, but last night and this morning were spent mostly in the pit of hell. The cardiologist cleared me earlier in the week, the diagnosis for recurrent and often severe upper stomach pain is looking and feeling more like a hiatal hernia or some gall bladder issues, or both. Whatever it is I spent a hellish night doubled over for hours.
My diet resumed to more normal fare yesterday and that’s a leading candidate in my mind for why wave after wave of severe cramps and burning in the pit of my stomach hit me in the middle of the night. It took two 7.5mg Vicoprofen to ease the symptoms and I didn’t take those until way late because, if it’s an ulcer or if stomach irritation is involved, ibuprofen is the last thing you’d want. Between the painkillers and the rising sun, the symptoms have now backed way off. Now working with the PCP to see if I can get into a gastroenterologist or admitted for tests asap. I do not want to go through a night like last night again, not ever.
Thank you President Clinton for FMLA. If I had to try and work through these episodes, forget about working, just walking from the parking lot to my desk would have been an ordeal worthy of Pheidippides. Workout Girl said I was as pale as a ghost when she saw me this morning, not to mention almost crying. My manager would probably take one look at that and call an ambulance.
Ibuprofen-based pain meds are better for your GI tract that NSAIDS (aspirin, Aleve, Motrin, etc). Personally, I can’t tolerate a baby aspirin, so there you go.
If they haven’t already done an endoscopy, they should. As well as an ultrasound for gall stones (maddeningly nonsensitive — if they find something, the “yes” answer is definitive, but if they don’t, it’s not a rule-out).
If you have black “coffee grounds”-looking stool or vomit, go to the ER immediately. That means you’re having a GI bleed.
Good luck to you – I really hope you have some kind of health care!
nele
Ugh, I’m sorry you had to go through that. I have a hiatal hernia; but I don’t get that kind of pain form mine. I hope you get this under control soon!
This really sucks Steve. I hope that you get out of the woods on your health problems soon. And yes, Democratic policies really do improve peoples lives. Too bad the GOPhers don’t understand this!
Poor you! I really hope you can get this sorted out.
I’ve had gallstones. The pain depends on where it gets stuck. If you get a stone jammed below the outlet from the pancreas and just before the outlet into the intestine, that’s the worst pain I’ve ever had, far worse than childbirth. I couldn’t bare the thought of moving. I felt like a butterfly pinned to a board. I hope that isn’t what you had, because 20 minutes of it was 19 minutes and 59 seconds too long. I wouldn’t wish “most of the night” with that on anybody. Having a gall stone jam higher up was very unpleasant, but nothing like as bad as having it stuck lower down. I was constantly writhing around, trying to get comfortable, for hours.
Of course, if it is gallstones, the good news is that they can usually fix it with keyhole surgery.
Good luck.
And then tell you to clear out your desk because you were fired for “costing the company too much money because of your health problems.”
Kevin:
Ibuprofen IS an NSAID. Perhaps you were thinking of Tylenol (acetaminophen)?
Dude, if you are in that much pain you should not wait for the specialist. Urgent care clinic, emergency room, or similar facilities are made for such circumstances. They won’t be able to fix it, but they can ameliorate the symptoms while you await your appointment. Please don’t do this to yourself out of a sense of “it can’t kill me so I should just tough it out”. That is bullshit. Go see a doctor.
Sounds awful& very worrying. Hope you feel better and get well soon, “DarkSyde.”
Seconding #8 otrame too. Please do get medical help for this if its needed and you haven’t already. Although it sounds like you already have, maybe?
So, so sorry. I agree that with such pain, a visit to an urgent care clinic might be in order… but there is that goddamn issue of health insurance. I really hope that whatever choice you make is the right one.
If paying for health costs is a worry, put the tip jar out again. I’m sure many people who enjoy your writing would understand.