i need some answers

[boribabe41]

I'm  a 41yr old mom of six children. I worked in a manufacturing company for 4yrs i did alot of heavy lifting about my second yr there i was experiencing pain just below my ribs and i seeked medical attention after many session with surgeon he could not find anything un ...  til he did an exploratory surgery and was amazed to find that my stomach mucles were stuck to my stomach wall he told me he pushed them down to were they belonged but immediately after the surgery i kept experiencing pain i presumed it had to do with the healing process but til this day i still have the same pain i've been back to this doctor and he can't find anything wrong i'm at my wits end i've lost my job and still in pain and no other doctor will see me due to liabilty..i need help i no i'm not crazy just like the beginning when the doctor couldn't find anything until he did the exploratory surgery...i need some answer and don't know where or who to turn too....

[Mollyrae]

Hello boribabe:

Sorry for the things you're going through. Like I have told others in your situation, you must keep at the Doctors until they do find something that's causing the pain. The pain is a way of telling us that something is wrong.

Have you seen a Gastroenterologist? They are experts in the area of the stomach. Also, have you had an MRI with contrast? When the contrast is introduced, it helps the Doctor see things that they normally wouldn't see on a regular MRI. Keep it in mind if you haven't already had one.

Also, sometimes a good blood workup may help. I was finally diagnosed after I saw a hemotologist. I had one blood test that was elevated and this led the Doctor to do more research. A few weeks later, I was finally diagnosed.

I hope this helps.
My best,
Mollyrae

[Tuckamore]

Hello Boribabe,

I am so sorry that you are having extreme undiagnosised chronic pain. Many, including myself have been where you are, searching for answers. My heart goes out to you. I am glad that you found the Pain Mangement Forum, Welcome.

I am not sure why another physician will not see you. Liability for what? Are you in litigation? If that is the case than yes, physicians will be less apt to see you or treat you. It's sad but true. Physicians are leery of ppl that are involved in legal action. If you are not in litigation then I am unclear as to why they would refuse to see you.  

If you have pain it needs to be diagnosed and treated. I would assume if you went out of the area network for a consult a physician may try to help you. It's just a thought and I am far from an expert in any field.

Have you been to a clinic that is associated with a large teaching medical facility? If not you may want to call for an appointment. I would begin with a gastroenterologist. I assume that is the type of physician that performed for exploratory surgery.

There are so many reasons for pain in the abdominal area that I could not guess what it may be. If it is just below your rib cage it may be your stomach. Have they ruled out GERD (yes it can be very painful), a hiatal hernia or chronic esophageal spasms?  It's possible that another exploratory surgery may give you some answers. If they could not find the problem before surgery they may not be able to find it now until or unless they take another look.

I am sorry that I do not have better answers for you. I do encourage you to keep searching. I hope that at the very least your pain is managed. If not then a PM Clinic may be another option.

I know it took me years before I had a diagnosis. I was not crazy, like you I had real pain. It was not how my mind perceived the signals, as so many physicians told me or assumed. I had and have good reason for pain. So please know that you are not alone.

I hope that you will be active on our forum. It has helped me to share my chronic pain and challenges that come with this journey. Our members are informative and supportive. Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing. Hopefully our members will have additional suggestions or information for you. I wish you the very best and will look forward to hearing from you again.

Take Care,
~Tuck