Doctors Havent diagnosed my pain yet, should I be concerned about cancer?

[vegaX]

Hello Everyone, I'm posting here because I am starting to worry about my pain, even though my doctors dont seem incredably worried about it. I am a 28 Male year old non-smoker, non-drinker. Last November I noticed pain in my upper right abdomen, a constant fever feeling, and extreme shooting, constantly moving body pains. After four months of my local doctor scratching his head taking SEVERAL blood tests that all came back normal, and just prescribing pain medications that had no effect, I decided to go to my parents doctor, where, within 5 minutes had a probable diagnosis of gallbladder malfunction. A radiological test was schedualed a week later, and they said my gallbladder was only working at 20%. A week after that, I had it removed. The day after the surgery, I finally felt normal. Better than ever. I was still having the uncontrollable diarreha, but otherwise felt fantastic. However, exactly one week after that out of nowhere, the pain in my abdomen returned with a vengance, and on the way to the ER, worsened, then continued to radiate across my right side, then to my left side until i was in pain across my entire body. At the ER I was told that you can still have pain after gallbladder removal and to be patient, and to follow up with my family doctor. I went in to see the doctor, and he said pain was normal and so was the diarreha, and in a month I wont even notice. A month and a half later, no change. It does seem to get worse when I eat some things, but there doesnt seem to be any reason, sometimes a higher fat food will instantly cause pain, sometimes water will send me running to the bathroom. Well i went back into the doctor, and he prescribed me an antibiotic, thinking it might be a colon infection, apperently even though Ive been feeling this way for eight months, and the severe pain has always been in the same spot. Well, the antibiotics did absolutly nothing, as I figured they wouldn't, and I returned to the doctor who said all the blood test seemed normal, and then referred me to a specialist. I am frustrated because he dosn't think the fever feeling, (I haven't run a noticable actual fever this entire time) and the body pains mean anything. However, I can't get into the specialist for a month, and im starting to worry because nobody seems to care about half my symptoms, and no one has done a scan, or scope, or any other test that could graphically show the area I have been having pain. Ever since Ive started having these pains, Ive felt exactly the same 24 hours a day 7 days a week for 8 months, the best I can describe it is I have been very fatigued, I have a fever feeling all the time especially on my eyes, and upper forehead, Ive had stringy green, ocassionally yellow diarreha, and ONLY diarreah for 8 months, never pasty or firm. I have to stay near a bathroom at all times, most of the time I have to run to the bathroom immedatly after a meal, no matter what I ate, and sometimes have little or a dull pain in my abdomen, sometimes have constant severe pain, sometimes right after I eat, sometimes when I havent eaten for a day. Ive also noticed that even though im having crazy digestive trouble, ive had little or no gas. The body pain ALWAYS follows the abdominal pain, i never have it with out the abdominal pain. That pain is located right around the bottom rib on my right side, ocassionaly, i will also have pain about two inches above my belly button, slightly to the right. The reason I am getting extremly worried, is because in 8 months no one has a diagnosis, my body feels like its shutting down, and its very hard on my wife and kids. Because they havent figured it out yet, im beginning to get VERY scared, because around the same time i got sick my 69 year old father was diagnosed with a rare HERIDITARY small intestinal cancer, and by the time they found it it was stage 4. I did ask my doctor four months ago about the location of the pain and the symtoms being very similar, and he informed me that it was VERY rare to develop that cancer at my age, and that i was just being a little too paranoid. I then put it in the back of my mind, and figured they would figure it out and fix me up. But now yesterday has been the worst I have felt in a while, and it started two days ago when i had a meal, I havent had anything but about 20oz of grape juice and a little water this morning. Im kind of freaking out because I still feel terrible, and in the last few hours I've had diarreha twice, and both times its been VERY dark green or Black. Could that simply be the grape juice, since thats all ive had, or should I contact the doctor. Also should I be worried about the possibility of it being the cancer my father has? Im worried because the symptoms are very similar, and no doctor in 8 months has used any kind of test that would show a problem. My doctor is also my dads doctor, and I would think he would have my dads condition in mind, but he hasnt even brought it up. Should I relax and wait for my gastro appointment, or should I go in asap? Thank you for all your help.  -Ralph Jr.

[mammo]

You truly need to see a Gastroenterologist ASAP!  They deal strictly with the digestive system and with your symptoms I think this is where you can find help.  Black stool is a symtom of bleeding in the stomach or small intestine.  We have hereditary cancer in our family, and my children have had to get yearly colonoscopies starting at age 10.  Your father's cancer sounds like one that shows up at a later age, do you know what it is called?  I've been dealing with FAP in our family for 30 years, have lost 4 people to it, a husband 32, brother-in-law 38, my son 31, and his son (my grandson) this past Dec. at 18.
I don't think anything you are going thru is normal under any circumstances.  Call your GI doctor that you have the appt with and tell them you are in unbearable pain and feel you cannot wait any longer, as you are unable to function.  Ask if you can see the doctor sooner.  I've worked for GI doctors and always, if your sysmptoms have worsened, we get you in!  Please do this, and keep us informed on how you are doing.  Good luck to you.........

[Matthew007]

hey ralph,

well I can totally relate what you're going through, I also had my gallbladder removed and felt great after..then after like oo.. a week I felt like the same I had before...totally crappy.

It's taken me years to figure out what is causing my severe IBS/nausea abdominal pains and i'm still trying to figure it out..mine are mostly on my left side and below the belly button and every doctor i've been to has said "eat more fiber" (which I do and feel worse..)

with a family history of cancer that def. could be it, usually that's confirmed by some imaging and a blood test looking for white blood cells or a low WBC count of some kind.  Uuuuusuallly that can be spotted on a ct scan...but my grandfather was too late when they spotted his (passed away) so yeah :S but usually your blood counts would be all over the place.  That would cause a stricture/diareera and could explain some of your symptoms.  A upper GI barium series would probably show it if it was there so that's one test i'd think about..

I've just recently noticed that even after being tested for a million time negative for celiac i'm now gluten/soy/lactose inotlerant.  I went off all 3 for a little over a week now and screwed up accidentally with soy this morning so I feel like **** but there is no test to test for food intolerances so it's worth a shot if you are sitting around waiting for you gi to at least try a trial of lactose/soy/gluten free (and follow it to every ingredient).  My grandfather has had colon cancer so that was a worry for me.  They found a polyp..could have gone to cancer so I have to have a colonoscopy every 10 years (joy) and with you having cancer history you probably need one as well.

On the diarrea that's dark.. that very well now could be an ulcer or some infection especially if it's diarreea.  Usually dark colored stools indicate ulcer.  You could test for h. plori if you haven't already but that sounds like it just came up..usually causes nausea/upper gi pain and in back/insomnia...in the short term you can take tums to improve the diarreera at least and see if you improve (causes constipation..)

In your case you've got more testing to do, I would avoid all 3 those things you could be possibly intolerant I listed while sitting around, and it's best to go to a GI who is an expert in GI related things..i've had doctors roll their eyes and just say "eat fiber" when I was throwing up/severe nausea/anxiety..so it depends on how good of a doctor yours is.  If it's freaking you out..you could see your primary doctor and ask for a blood panel checking for cancer/h.ploryi but most likely you need a GI and you're looking at stool studies/colonoscopy/endoscope/ct scan the whole bit so be prepared.

Hope it's something stupid and simple - good luck :S