# Get Laporoscopy and Cystoscopy!



## timandsveta (Feb 20, 2003)

Hi, IBS is supposed to be a diagnosis of last resort, or so-called diagnosis of exclusion. But unfortunately, more often than not, IBS is the first line of diagnosis. In fact, I start to believe that doctors suspect that you have IBS as soon as you walk into the doors of their office. Here's my story: Since about 1997, during my first doctor appointment, I was also diagnosed, or should I say now misdiagnosed, with IBS. I had diarrhea, pain, cramps, nausea, vomiting, low-grade fever (between 99-100.5, which BTW, some doctors deemed absolutely normal). Since sometimes diarrhea occurred after meals, which is considered a characteristic of IBS, I was immediately, without any further testing, diagnosed as having IBS. I changed my diet and several doctors, but my diagnosis stayed the same. I was progressively getting worse. One time, I got so dehydrated, I couldn't even walk to the bathroom anymore! I felt that my life was going downhill with no hope... I was crying almost every day, and slowly was losing my will to live. Luckily for me, after having gone to the ER for terrible abdominal pain, I was finally taken seriously by my OBGYN and in October 2001 underwent diagnostic laparoscopy that showed Endometriosis. What a relief it was to finally get a definitive diagnosis! Now, after my second surgery with a specialist and knowing the extent of Endo (III stage), I'm not surprised that I had extensive GI troubles. For instance, I had adhesions in the small intestine and my descending colon was stuck to the left abdominal wall. That would cause you cramps! But, you don't have to have disease present on the colon or intestine in order to have GI symptoms. I was also diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis. All and all, it took 14 years for me to receive the correct diagnosis, and during those years, I was made to feel like a hypochondriac and left without help more times than I can count! Now, you don't have to go through this. Here's what you can do: 1. Go to http://tinyurl.com/7ts and learn more about proper parasite testing. Get tested! 2. If you're a woman, and in addition to IBS, have any of the following symptoms very painful periods irregular periods ovulation pain diarrhea and other stomach upsets (nausea, etc.) during your periods painful bowel movements low-grade fever painful sex pelvic and back pain throughout your cycle infertility- contact Endometriosis Association at http://www.endometriosisassn.org/ for more information and a kit that will help you to determine possibility of having Endo. Talk to you OBGYN about possibility of having diagnostic laparoscopy. Now, recent study showed that it takes on average of 10 year for women in USA and Canada to receive the correct diagnosis since the onset of symptoms, so you would have to educate yourself and be persistent. If you live in the area where one of their advisors practices, go straight to him/her. 3. If you have the following symptoms in addition to IBS: pelvic pain frequent and painful urination difficulty urinating feeling of full bladder after urination- contact Interstitial Cystitis Foundation fat www.ichelp.com for a list of preferred physicians in your area and get a cyctoscopy. It seems that the majority of doctors, and especially Gastroenterologists, are completely ignorant to the fact that non-GI tract conditions can cause diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and abdominal pain, i.e. IBS-type of symptoms. But in fact, 79% of women with Endometriosis report the same symptoms! And, as I have just recently learned, Interstitial Cystitis patents also often have IBS-type of symptoms. If you read up on Crohn's disease, you will find out that many Crohn's patients have their symptoms worsen after meals as well. Worse yet, there are some parasite infections that are hard to detect with usual clinical stool testing. After I recover more after my surgery, I plan on updating my website with this information in order to increase awareness about often misdiagnosed conditions. So, if you know of any other condition mimicking IBS symptoms, please email to me about it. Thanks and good luck! Svetlana


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