Another sleepless night of stomach pain last night, means I'm feeling absolutely knackered.I get stomach pain every few months, and it hurts! The best way to describe it, is that it feels like I have been skewered right through my stomach to my back with a javelin that someone keeps turning and twisting.
I can't remember when it started, but I know that when I was fed up of it, I started a food diary, in the hope that I would see a pattern, be able to attribute it to a certain food, or type, and do without. Unfortunately, the first date was back in Feb 2014 and now we're 5 years later, with no rhyme nor reason to it. So, up til now, I haven't been to the GP about it, because I don't know what they'll say. The pain only usually lasts for a max of 24 hours, and then I can go months without a recurrence (usually, though sometimes it does come back within a week). Coincidentally, I booked a GP appt yesterday for something else, so will talk about it then, even though the appt is not for another FIVE WEEKS because, as you've read before, since a takeover, getting an appt at my surgery is crap. I predict at the appt, I'll be asked if I'm currently in pain? No. The doc'll examine my stomach and find nothing wrong. I'll show my food diary, and they'll be no pattern, and eventually it'll be my fault I'm in pain because I'm obese and don't always eat well.
When I'm in that much pain, I can't sleep, and curling into a ball helps a little, but not that much, even when taking paracetamol. Last night, I decided, yet again, to see what NHS online says.WARNING: Please do not try to self diagnose yourself at home. Whilst Dr. Google knows a lot, he cannot replace going to a real GP.
That said, that's exactly what I did.
I did try to go to reputable websites, such as the NHS, rather than randomly searching the internet and getting horror stories, so it's not all bad. I've come up with two reasonable diagnoses, one less common, and two much rarer, but possible because of my history, diagnoses.
Firstly, I went through the questionnaire on NHS online of current symptoms. Their advice was to see a GP, asap so they can examine you when you still have the pain. Not much help to me, when the first available appt isn't for 5 weeks. I didn't make an "emergency appointment" this morning (ie to be on the phone on hold for a couple of hours, in the vain attempt of securing a same day appt, before being told there are none left and try again tomorrow) because both DD1 and DD2 have Modern and Tap exams today, at separate times of course, spread throughout the day, so I have no free time for an appt, even if I wanted one. If the pain flairs up again tomorrow, I might try and get an appt, but both those scenarios (1. still being in pain, and 2. getting an appt) are unlikely.
So, my five self diagnoses are:
1. Stomach ulcer.
NHS says "The pain caused by a stomach ulcer can travel out from the middle of your tummy, yo to your neck, down to your belly button, or through to your back. It can last a few minutes to a few hours, and often starts within a few hours of eating. You may also wake up in pain during the night."
That pretty much sums up what I've been experiencing, though I've never had it last only a few minutes. In order for it to be diagnosed, I might need to give a breath or blood test, or even have a gastroscopy in hospital - which doesn't sound fun. I've only recently (well, now I think about it, it was 7 years ago, but still feels recent) learned how to swallow tablets, so don't relish the thought of swallowing a camera.
2. Gallstones
NHS says "Gallstones can cause sudden, sever abdominal pain that usually lasts 1 to 5 hours, although sometimes it can just last a few minutes. The pain can be felt in the centre of your abdomen (tummy); just under the pribs on your right-hand side - it may spread from here to your side or shoulder blade. The pain is constant and isn't relieve by going to the toilet, passing wind or being sick. It's sometimes triggered by eating fatty foods, but may occur at any time of day and may wake you up during the night. Biliary colic doesn't happen often. After and episode of pain, it may be several weeks or months before you have another episode."
Again, this seems to describe what I've been experiencing. The main thing that thinks it may not be what I have, is that a friend suffered with this recently. She is someone who has given birth 5 times, without anything stronger than gas'n'air, and said the pain was worse than child-birth.
NHS says "The most common symptom of chronic pancreatitis is repeated episodes of severe pain in your tummy (abdomen). The pain usually develops in the middle or left side of your tummy and can move along your back. It's different to acute pancreatitis, where the inflammation is only short term. Most people with chronic pancreatitis have had one or more attacks of acute pancreatitis": "This aching pain often gets steadily worse, and can travel along your back. Eating or drinking make make you feel worse very quickly, especially if you eat fatty foods. Leaning forward or curling into a ball may help to relieve the pain, but lying flat on your back often makes it worse. Acute pancreatitis caused by gallstones usually develops after eating a large meal."
Not only this, my paternal grandmother died from Acute Pancreatitis, and there is suggestion that a tendency for pancreatitis can be hereditary.
4. Pancreatic Cancer
NHS says: "Pancreatic Cancer is caused by the abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells in the pancreas - a large gland that's part of the digestive system. It's uncomon in people under 40 years of age. In the early stages, a tumour in the pancreas doesn't usually cause any symptos, which can make it difficult to diagnose. The first noticeable symptom of pancreatic cancer [is] often pain in the back or stomach area - which may come and go at first, and is often worse when lying down or after eating. In about 1 in 10 cases, pancreatic cancer is inherited. Certain genes also increase your chances of getting pancreatitis, which in turn increases your risk of developing cancer of the pancreas."
Guess what having the BRCA mutation is good for?! According to the National Centre for Biotechnology Information, "Germline mutations in the tumour suppressor genes breast cancer antigen gene (BRCA)1 and BRCA2 have been proven to portend a drastically increased lifetime risk of breast and ovarian cancers in the individuals who carry them. A number of studies have shown that the third most common cancer associated with these mutations is pancreatic cancer."
Yey for me!
5. Peritoneal Cancer
This is a much rarer type of cancer, so I can't find it in the info pages from the NHS site I was using previously. It is a cancer of the peritoneum, and full details can be found on this Target Ovarian Cancer link: "Many women are told that primary peritoneal cancer is a type of ovarian cancer and is usually treated in the same way. However, it does not originate in the ovaries but in a different part of the body called the peritoneum." And yes, having the BRCA1 mutation does mean I'm at a higher risk of getting this type of cancer too. Cancer Reasearch UK says: "Symptoms for primary peritoneal cancer can be very unclear and difficult to spot. Many of the symptoms are more likely to be caused by other medical conditions.
The symptoms of PPC include:
- a swollen tummy (abdomen)
- abdominal pain
- feeling bloated
- loss of appetite"
Now, because I have been running around all day (well, back and forth to the dance studios) because of the girls' exams, it has taken me a long time to finish writing this blog post. My stomach finally feels nearly back to normal. I managed to eat chicken, rice and salad at lunch time. I bought the girls a cake to celebrate the end of their exams, but the smell of it makes me wary about the effect it will have on my stomach, so though I probably will have the thinnest of slices (I'm a sucker for butter icing), my appetite isn't quite there yet.
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