Eleven years ago I became sick almost overnight after having a get together with some friends. That night I had two glasses of homemade wine, several cigarettes and a sexual encounter with a 16 year old girl(I am male and was 17). This was 1993. The next morning I felt ill with flulike symptoms. I used the bathroom upon awakening and felt the feeling I would feel 99 percent of the time during future bathroom visits, the feeling of incomplete evacuation. I have been unable to eat with feelings of uncomfortable fullness after only a few bites. About 5 months later the back pain started almost always in the second half of the day(midline to low shoulder blades and vague). Shortly after the back pain started a sharp stabbing pain inbetween anus and testes lasting only seconds started. The sharp stabbing pain only happens a couple times a month. About two years later I noticed through pushing with my fingers a deep tenderness right underneath that little thing in-between ribs. All of these symptoms including a handicapping malaise are part of my everyday life. The feeling of constipation, malaise(sense of dying), back pain, and almost complete inability to eat have been with me everyday since 11 years ago. Some less bothersome symptoms include very hard abdomin, intolerance to alcohol, intolerance to cold(shivering), sometimes oily(white and yellow)
stools still coupled with the sense of incomplete evacution. About Six years into my illness I developed acute pancreatitis after drinking two beers and eating a bologna sandwich. I may have also taken 25mg of sinequan that day. I spent three days in the hospital and that has been only episode of its kind since I have been sick. Had gallbladder removed 6 months later as precautionary measure. About a year after the episode went to mayo and had complete workup done which showed only elevated amylase(317)lipase(180) alt(34)and iron(158) and low Ceruplasma 22.2(22.9-43.1)Cortisol 6.7(7.0-25.0) and also slightly elevated hdl cholesterol(72). Immunology, Endocrinology, Hematology and everything else was normal as well as cort stim test and urine chemistries. All Ct Scans(4), MRI(3), EUS(1), Endoscopy(4), Colonoscopy(3) Plain film(1) have been normal except for a simple cyst in left kidney(midpole) that first measured 2cm in 1998 and then 3cm in 2001 and I believe last ct measured it at about 4cm(2004). The elevations in amylase and lipase I think may correlate with the amount of tramadol I take for abdominal discomfort and muscle aches. When I had my episode of pancreatitis I don't believe I took tramadol that day but I do think I did the day before. If I did it wasn't more than 100mg. Although everything since I have been sick affects me 4 times what they did before(from alcohol to sugar). I am trying hard not to believe this is pancreatitis.I might have the cyst cut out or biopsied to rule that out(pheo or parasite?). The question is- How concerned about this kidney cyst should I be?