Morning all!
Testing is still not back from Friday. They took several biopsies and I can expect the result back within 2 weeks.
Warning...medical mumbo jumbo ahead!
They did find out a few things. I have a Hiatal Hernia which is a main root of the pain and problems I have been experiencing. I have known this for maybe 10 years but nobody has ever said it has some serious side effects. I think because I have kidney issues, they often look at that as a cause and stop looking farther. I am not a medical expert but here is some copy and pasted explanations to help you guys understand what I will never be eloquent enough to explain.
Hiatal Hernia has often been called the "great mimic" because its symptoms can resemble many disorders. For example, a person with this problem can experience dull pains in his or her chest, shortness of breath (caused by the hernia's effect on the diaphragm), and heart palpitations (due to irritation of the vagus nerve).
Hiatal hernia is a condition in which the upper portion of the stomach protrudes into the chest cavity through an opening of the diaphragm called the esophageal hiatus. This opening usually is large enough to accommodate the esophagus alone. With weakening and enlargement however, the opening (or herniation) can allow upward passage or even entrapment of the upper stomach above the diaphragm.
Hiatal hernia also causes symptoms of discomfort when it is associated with a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly called GERD. This condition is characterized by upwelling of stomach acids and digestive enzymes into the esophagus through a weakened sphincter that is supposed to act as a one-way valve between the esophagus and stomach. Hiatal hernia is thought to contribute to the weakening of this sphincter muscle.
Pain: At times, a hiatal hernia causes chest pain or upper abdominal pain when the stomach becomes trapped above the diaphragm through the narrow esophageal hiatus.
I have had this my whole life and the symptoms were there at 115 pounds but way worse now. I had horrible heartburn with all my pregnancies but again a lot of pregnant women do so it was never looked at as anything more than a pregnancy issue. The doc said I had bloody spots in my stomach lining and they biopsied them but she thinks I have such bad acid reflux and never done much about it besides Pepto or Tums from time to time that there is just a lot of wear and tear. For me this is nothing new. I may take Pepto 1-2 times a month and she could not believe I was not doing more for it. So because it goes rampant for so long, the huge pain episodes are because even if I can take it, my body can't anymore.
I feel better that i am not crazy. I know I am overweight but after I eat anything, small amounts even, my stomach would balloon out and become hard as a rock. I would look 8 months pregnant on top of being fat. It does make me mad though at some levels because I have been explaining these signs and symptoms for at least a year. Thanksgiving 2009 I went to the ER with pain like this and followed up with docs but nobody took me serious I think. I just gave up after a few months and until this past October when it was becoming more frequent, I thought I was just going to have to live with not knowing what causes it.
Or self researching thinking it was a food allergy but nothing was always consistent on what made it happen or not. One day I could eat a piece of bread and the next I had ramifications. Never thought amount and what I was doing before or after would make a difference.
Also, I was on some antibiotics for kidney infections since October and I had to take with food. Some were a few times a day including bedtime. So here I was taking meds for one issue and helping create problems for another.
Looking back, I had some minor episodes when Baylor was hurt but again, I was sleeping in a chair for 2 weeks at a hospital and I just thought it was stress induced.
There are things I can do to help limit the complications and if I want to avoid surgery, if that is possible, I need to step up taking care of myself.
Lifestyle changes are often necessary to avoid symptoms of hiatal hernia.
* Modify your activities:
o Minimize heavy lifting, straining, bending over.
o Improve seated posture; don't slouch.
o Exercise more.
o Lose weight.
o Sleep on an incline, with head of bed raised 4-6 inches on blocks.
o Choose standing activities after a meal rather than sitting or reclining.
* Modify your diet. Avoid the following:
o Caffeine
o Chocolate
o Fried or fatty foods
o Peppermint
o Alcohol
o Meals within 2-3 hours of bedtime
o Large meals (eat smaller meals more frequently)
So the good news is, I am excited there is things I can do and is in my control to change. I know it may not mean there is no symptoms but it does mean I can help minimize them. Hopefully avoid surgery. There may be a time I want a piece of chocolate or fried food but it will be a whole lot less than now, even if I can have it on WW because feeling like I do is not worth it at all!
A huge issue for posture is my office. I have a desk that is an antique and originally meant for a writing desk...not a computer desk. I also sit on a typical folding chair...cheap and not the right height so I know I am slouching here all the time but it is the only thing that will fit legs under the desk due to the scalloped design of the desk....so I need a new desk and actual office chair! I just assumed it hurt my back but never linked that it could be the cause of the stomach issues.
It also makes sense because in October on the way from Atlanta when it happened, I had been in an airplane seat, then car, bending over a ton to get things out of my bags, and crunching in an odd way to do so. No lifting heavy things until this gets better and a lot of that is due to the movement.
There is other odd things I have always experienced and it makes a ton more sense now. If I do stairs - my heart beat is so fast it feels like I am going to pass out and it feels painful. Same on the treadmill with an incline. I can walk 10 miles at Disney and no issues but 8 steps and I am done for. I always assumed it was due to weight but again, looking back and talking with family, I have complained about this heart palpitations/shortness of breath since I was in middle school. Our family was just one that said, if you are not dying and no blood, you are fine! I am not that way for my kids but totally am for me.
Okay...that is what I have for now. Updates will resume again tom!