# Doctors new answer for 'I don't know' is CFAP



## Heartprnts (May 4, 2014)

I will try to organize my story so that it is easy to follow. Any advice is welcome. A lifetime of pain is not acceptable to me. The following is over the course of 4 years. I am presently a 37 year old female.

Started with blood in my stool which increased over time until it was daily.

Standard blood work and stool samples taken.

Colonoscopy ordered.
Findings: proctitis (irritation of the bowel)
Treatment: foam suppository 
Symptoms not alleviated.

Blood in stool continued along with serious amounts of mucous, sometimes only mucous. Occasional aches begin on my upper left side.

Severe upper abdominal pain presented while I had pneumonia (caught pneumonia due to breathing tube used while congested during colonoscopy)Left quadrant. Pain was constant and increased to excruciating at times (like a water balloon filled with molten lava and expanding) Doctor diagnosis is pleurisy. Pneumonia goes away with treatment. Pain stays.

Pain was not daily but increased steadily until it spread to left shoulder blade and became daily. It felt like I had an arrow stuck in me from my left abdominal quadrant to my left shoulder blade.

I begged the doctor to help. Doctor treats for H. Pylori diagnosing ulcers. Pain gradually decreases while on a high antibiotic regime. Treatment discontinued due to sudden allergic reaction to the antibiotics. My PCP sends me to a GI for endoscopy and GI refuses saying it's not ulcers. H. Pylori confirmed gone. I stop seeing the doctor, dejected. Pain begins to return. One day a coworker asks about it and the pain is barely noticeable at the time so I press on the spot to show her the area and yelp from the tenderness. I am convinced I have a horrid bruise there but when I check I see nothing.

Heartburn symptoms begin to the point of a hoarse cough after eating lunch every day. I take Prilosec for two weeks and the heartburn with cough disappear.

Upper left quadrant pain persists and is constant. One day after lunch the pain is so severe I consider calling an ambulance but continue working and it calms to a dull ache after a couple of hours. I promise myself if it is ever that bad again I will go to the hospital.

Months go by with daily pain that is not high enough for the hospital visit I promised myself. I wake up with the pain across my entire upper abdomen early one morning. Excruciating and I think maybe I have a stomach bug. I use heat on my stomach and lower back and fall back to sleep. I wake to ready for work but find the pain begins to increase with movement. I finally drive myself to the hospital. Am diagnose with appendicitis and have it removed.

Upper abdominal pain does not go away and even on oxycodone returns to the hot burning and expanding pain. My surgeon orders an endoscopy. My GI tried several ulcer treatments prior which cause me physical stomach pain and I stop them. Doctor prescribes Bentyl and I have my first pain free weeks in years. Bentyl is no longer as effective but the only thing that helps. Daily pain is like a bad bruise with a 'source' that aches in intensity often just slightly to the left of my center under the rib. Recently I've had twinges on my if right side and some tenderness as well.

I proceed with the following tests:
Endoscopy
Fluoroscopy 
Capsule endoscopy 
MRI
Ultrasound
HIDA scan

All unremarkable. The only thing found is a 4.4 mm liver hemangioma which my doctor says is unrelated and liquid in the stomach which is diagnosed as gastritis but dismissed as the cause of the pain.

Now the doctor says Chronic Functional abdominal Pain. A fancy way of saying 'I don't know what's wrong and you now have to live with this'.

Your thoughts and experiences are welcome. I have asked about SOD and she's dismissed it.

Thank you.


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## Heartprnts (May 4, 2014)

I can't believe it but I left a couple of things out.

1. I have been experiencing extreme thirst. Typically toward the end of the day and no amount if water can quench it. This has been throughout the entire ordeal.

2. Before the appendectomy I had a bruised feeling at the base of my spine for months. After the surgery the same pain moved to my lower back on the right side. It aches like a bad bruise every day and has not changed since the surgery.


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