Monday, May 25, 2009

Tuesday

Tuesday, I am having a little medical procedure done that, if you don't mind, I would appreciate your prayers for.
It all started in August of 2007 with a dull stomachache. For months, I would have a dull, burning sensation in my upper stomach. I self medicated with Tums and Pepto Bismol and that seemed to help everything. But, by early December things got worse. The dull, burning stomachache turned into sharp stomach pains. I was nauseous and nothing seemed to help. I missed 5 days of school that week (and if you know me--I hate to miss work). I finally ended up going to my favorite doctor and they determined I was dehydrated. I was so dehydrated that it took over an hour to find a vein for an IV. I spent 2 hours hooked up to an IV just to get enough fluids to satisfy the doctor to send me home (with strict instructions for me to go to the emergency room if I felt worse). I remember just lying in bed crying because of my stomach. Many tests later (including a parasite test, gallbladder test, feces and urine tests, and appendicitis evaluation) it was later decided that they couldn't quite figure out what was causing my stomach to hurt so bad. But after about 8 days, the pain started to subside. I was put on an antacid and would be continually monitored. I would have stomach pains pretty regularly but nothing like the pain I felt around Christmas. I thought all was well until about March 2009.
This past March, I noticed that I was starting to chew Tums again like candy and was going through a bottle of Pepto Bismol almost every 2 weeks. While at a routine doctors appointment, I mentioned that my stomach was starting to have the dull burning pains again. My doctor examined my stomach and I had 3 distinct areas of pain. She gave me some trial packs of Previcid and had me schedule an appointment with a gastrointestinalogist (I think that is what he is called--a stomach doctor). My doctor suspects that I might have a stomach ulcer.
Since my appointment in April with my doctor, I took the Previcid and had great results, but once the medicine ran out, my stomach pains have returned. I still have 3 distinctive areas of pain which I will admit worries me.
Tuesday I will be going in to have a esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) performed. The doctor will sedate me and put a lighted tube down my throat to look at my esophagus and stomach. I have heard that this is a very minor procedure and will be virtually painless, but yet (I am human) and I am still anxious about it. I pray that I can get some sleep tonight and that tomorrow, I will finally get some answers to why my stomach hurts like it does. I will admit, that at times the pain scares me because at times it is so intense. At other times, it is not there at all. I cannot pinpoint any triggers (food, stress, ect.) that set it off. I just want answers. I really have never had to have any big medical procedure/surgery before (other than my wisdom teeth and my Lasik surgery).
Please pray that the doctors have a successful procedure and that we can finally get answers and take care of the pain. Pray that I can get some sleep tonight. Pray that this anxious feeling will subside.
I am sorry if this is too much personal information for a blog, but it is on my heart tonight.

1 comment:

JC said...

Praying for you! I hope it all goes well and they find answers. I have had the same procedure done. You womt remember much of anything afterwards. I understand your apprehension, though. Sending good thoughts your way--