Re: MRI question-Ginny
From: Christine M. Smith (smithy@maine.rr.com)
Sat Jun 19 08:40:47 1999
At Sat, 19 Jun 1999, Ginny King wrote:
>
>> Hi Ginny:
>>
>>I found your post very interesting and encouraging. First, I still
>>haven't heard about the MRI but I decided that doesn't mean much, which
>>you confirmed. I know I don't have anything really bad because I don't
>>have a lot of neurological symptoms. And I don't think it would vary in
>>intensity if it was something really bad.
>>It's good your doctor is willing to investigate other possibilities and
>>not just blame your pain on the adheisons.
>>The only thing I worry about in your case is the negative CT. I assume
>>you had one of your abdomen as well as pelvis. They usually do it
>>together and with gastrograffin. Did you have to drink a fruity type
>>drink? I think CT is *the* test for diagnosing crohn's, although
>>sometimes they do a GI series with small bowel followthrough. Iguess
>>that wouldn't pick up crohn's in the colon though, where the CT would.
>>But you are right about the arthritic symptoms. I just had some blood
>>tests done for some of the rheumatology diseases and I was told it was
>>normal. I plan to ask more details next time I go. I think the
>>treatment for crohn's is pretty successful in most cases these days.
>>They have several drugs that are supposed to work well. When you've had
>>bowel obstructions, can't they tell what is causing the obstructing? I'm
>>glad your doc is working this up because I don't think blood from the
>>intestines is normal and crohn's does present this way.
>>I also found it interesting that your back problems are made worse when
>>you spend a lot of time in bed. Not many people have told me this. Bed
>>rest is usually the thing for back pain, although not as long as it used
>>to be. I don't have more pain when I am active at the time I am being
>>active, it is later that I pay for it. In March I started a step
>>aerobics program and I felt great while doing it and for the rest of the
>>day. But at night I started to have these attacks of severe pain. I
>>haven't had one of these attacks since I stopped aerobics the last week
>>of May. It is very weird! In your case, if you have spondylitis, you
>>are going to have pain from that aside from your adhesions, I would
>>think.
>> Thanks for the encouragement.
>>
>>Chris
>
>Hey Chris,
>
>I did not drink anything fruity when I had the CT. My PCP had ordered
>this test prior to me going to see another GI. I'm not sure what they
>were looking for. The new GI I am seeing says it's difficult to
>diagnose Crohn's and the best way is to do a biopsy of the tissue. That
>is why he is re-doing the colonoscopy and wants the upper endoscopy so
>that he can biopsy tissue in the small intestine as well, since my
>bleeding (because of color) may be coming from there. I don't know what
>the answer is as each doctor has a different opinion, I'll just keep
>plugging away. As for the obstrution, when one of my "episodes" starts
>I will suddenly be unable to move my bowels for a few days, my side
>swells, fever starts and the pain is intense. Then it well let go and I
>have the bloody diarrhea for several weeks. I have never been to the
>doctor or the emergency room during the first phase, only after several
>weeks of diarrhea. Since I have not had a lap since my hysterectomy, he
>is only guessing at this time that intermittent bowel obstructions is
>the cause. I guess I'll know more later this month when I have the rest
>of the test done. I to had to give up step and jogging. They both made
>my back pain much worse, not during the exercise but later. I still try
>to play tennis and walk, but those activities are getting difficult as
>well. Take care. Ginny
>
>--
>Ginny King
>
Hi Ginny:
you are right-a tissue biopsy IS the best way to diagnose Crohn's but it
is more invasive. I guess a CT is the most non-invasive way to
diagnosis it. The fruity drink (I've never tasted it, but it looks like
punch) is called gastrograffin and it is a form of contrast (like
barium) I've never heard of a pelvic/abdominal CT not using contrast,
but who knows. I guess it would depend on what they were looking for at
the time. The only question about the biopsy-what if the crohn's is
located say in the jejuenem, which is the middle section of the small
intestine. Would they reach this from an upper endoscopy? The woman
whose story I told (I think on this forum) had crohn's in the jejuenem
most cases are in the terminal ileum, but some are in the colon) which
showed up on CT. Her ONLY synptom was stool occult blood and pain. No
bowel symptoms at all, at least not that she admitted having.
I had the same experience with the back pain-the step aerobics felt fine
when I was doing it. It was *later* that I had all the discomfort
(always at night so I couldn't put 2 and 2 together) Tennis is
considered high impact so I would say that would give you back pain.
Walking is more gentle.
Well, I am certainly no doctor but I would say that bloody diarrhea
after what you're describing is not due to adhesions. The obstruction
possibly and also the diarrhea from what I've read, but the blood? I
don't know. Maybe you do have Crohn's!!! Anyway, a symptom such as that
has to be *thoroughly* investigated and not dismissed as "adhesions.",
which is what your doctor appears to be doing.I think you are on the way
to a diagnosis and that's half the battle (or more) in my opinion. Hang
in there and good luck. AS I said, if its crohn's they are treating
that successfully these days. Some people do have more problems than
others, but the majority do well. This is what the gi doc told me-that
the cases I see in the hospital are the worst ones and the majority are
out there, never in the hospital.
Chris S.