I Have A Mass In My Lower Left Abdomen

[Angelika_23]

So, I went to the OB/GYN yesterday out of sheer desperation because of the constant horrible pain I'm in and the terrible nausea, not to mention the other "Potsy" things that are going on. My PCP pretty much said my bloodwork was fine, but when I got a copy it said my segs were elevated. Not sure what that means.

Anyway, the OB?GYN did an exam, asked me if the pain was running down into my left leg and I said, "Yes! How did you know that?" He said I had a mass the size of an orange. He said my nausea was because I was in so much pain. He debated putting me in the hospital right then, but let me go home. He forbade me to travel, told me to stay in bed and take Vicoden. He scheduled an ultrasound at the hospital today, I went at 2, but haven't heard anything yet. I'm guessing it will be tomorrow before I hear anything.

I'm not sure what is going on, but I'm honestly in so much pain I'm not even scared. I just want this fixed. I'm wondering if this issue is causing my Pots symptoms, and when it is resolved, they will die down again.

My holter results came back. Avg HR 68, way down from 104.

lowest HR 46

highest HR 129

2 single rare premature supraventricular ectopic beats

1 premature ventricular ectopic beat.

I don't know if these things are anything to be concerned about.

Anyway, that is what is going on.

Angela

[Sophia3]

I think the holter found some things we often all have.

HATE you are in so much pain. You can't take the vicodin and not an answer if you need surgery now!!!

DO call your doctor in the morning as HE NEEDS to know how much pain you are in. Clustered growths of cysts on the ovary can cause twisting and severe pain !!!!!

Frankly, I think you need surgery ASAP to help get this removed! The sooner the better.

Keep us posted.

Mama Sophia

(sounds like a Pizza parlor!)

[Sunfish]

hi angela -

i'm so sorry to hear that you're hurting so much. i've had (& still have periodically) times of bad abdominal pain & it's truly horrible. there's no way to ignore it, work through it, or anything else for that matter. but i'm telling you something you already know. and while i know that it's not the underlying issue, i'm confused though re: why you can't take the vicodin if your doctor told you to do so? sophia's post references your not being able to take it.....

i of course hope & pray that your testing today will result in some answers asap as well as a ready solution & pain relief. there's no reason that you shouldn't have your pain at least semi-controlled in the meantime though so if the meds you have don't even touch the pain &/or if there's a reason you can't take them you need to let your doctor know that via a call to his/her office asap. i definitely know how it feels to only want relief regardless of the answer & without any consideration of any "bad news" or whatnot that comes along with it. when you're hurting that much it's next to impossible to even consider anything other than wanting & needing the pain to decrease at least even a little bit. i've had times wherein, if someone had convinced me that cutting off both my arms & legs would decrease my pain i would have signed on the dotted line in a heartbeat!

oh, & regarding "segs"....segs on blood work is short for "segmental neutrophils" which is one of the types of cells used to fight infection. depending on how elevated your number is/ was it may or may not mean anything. if it's just a bit elevated it probably doesn't mean anything. a significant elevation indicates infection though doesn't indicate the type, location, etc. i'm not sure whether an elevation can correlate with inflammation rather than infection. some infection-markers in bloodwork have some overlap with indications of inflammation but i'm not sure if that's the case with segs. if your PCP saw your seg values though & wasn't concerned i'm guessing they weren't too high and, as such, probably aren't related to anything else that's going on at the moment.

hang in there the best you can. i know it's easier said than done. and do keep us in the loop the best that you're able....

melissa

[Angelika_23]

hello,

I guess it's that I am scared to take the vicoden. My HR has been getting low, and when I was in the hospital last year, they accidentally gave me too much meds and my HR plummeted. The pain killer (I don't remember which one) was I guess the last straw. So now I'm just afraid to take it. I've been weathering this with no pain med. Now that I'm typing this I guess I sound kind of stupid, huh?

Re the holter, did you mean things all PEOPLE have, or all people with our issues have?

Guess I'm going to look into that pain med filled now

Angela

[cardiactec]

hey girly,

sorry you're going through all this.

i have an ultrasound today to check my ovaries. i had a laparoscopy in may for endometriosis. i had an endometrioma the size of a plum that they had to remove. during my laparoscopy a month ago for my device insert (enterra therapy for my gastroparesis) the surgeon found a "cyst" on one of my ovaries and told me it was a common thing in many women. i followed up with my GYN about it, they did a CT and saw that i had a few cysts on both ovaries. today i have to go in for an ultrasound to determine if they have resolved (as my GYN said they are common in women, but if they do not resolve on their own, they need surgical attention).

i have a lot of problems with narcotics. someone posted somthing about only being able to take phentanyl. this is the only pain med i can take but only comes in IV form or patch, and generally they dont prescribe it in patch unless you are terminally ill. (there are a lot of people who get easily addicted to this type of pain med, so rarely is it prescribed). yeah, vicodin i used to be able to tolerate, but not i cannot - makes my nausea 10 times worse.

i have been really nauseous the past several weeks, but thought the majority of it was from my gastroparesis, but like you, my GYn feels that a lot of the nausea is also due to pain and the large ovarian cysts.

i hope you get some answers today about what is going on and hope you have an ok time with taking the pain meds.

keep us posted.

-angela.

[EarthMother]

Keeping a good thought for you that your pain susides and your health journey finds you at a more comfortable place very soon.

I have vicadin in my medicine cabinet -- havn't taken it, but I occasionally get unbelievable trigeminal pain, and will consider it if it occurs again. As the nurse said in the ER when she handed the script to me (in a lovely southern drawl) "These are mighty strong pills, hun. You should try just a half, unless you are in so much pain and need a whole one just to make it back down here. Actually sweetie, lookin' at you, I'd suggest you just take a quarter of one!"

And she's right. For me and my chemical sensitivity, I need only a tiny dose of what a typical adult would require.

Feel better sweetie.

~EM

[Angelika_23]

just got the meds. He prescribed 750 mg of Vicoden! I only took half a pill. Now I am nervous.

Doc just called, said ultrasound did not show much, couldn't see too much. He thinks since I am still in pain he will have to do a lap (whatever that is). He will call me back later and let me know what is going on.

Angela

[Megan]

Did he mean a laporoscopy? I had one a couple of years ago to look for endometriosis. My gyno went into my abdomen through my belly button to look for problematic areas. With this surgery he can see better what's going on in the inside. That'd be my best guess at what he meant. If that does turn out to be what he wants to do, I might be able to answer some questions for you.

Meg

[Sunfish]

hi angela -

sorry that the scan didn't give you (& your doc) much in the way of helpful info. bummer. and yep, by "lap" it's quite likely that he was referring to exploratory laparoscopic surgery, which is of course surgery & by no means anything to be taken lightly but also on the lower/ less-severe end of the specturm as far as surgeries are concerned. and if it's the only way to figure out what's going on & to start you on the road to some relief then it sounds like a very reasonable thing to consider.

but moving on to the pain med issue. i would NEVER say that you sound stupid. you don't. on the balance i find it much wiser & more respectable to be cautious & a bit hesitant to start popping pills than to be overly excited for them. but that said, without wanting to sound melodramatic, you have a somewhat significant acute issue going on that is pointing your doctor toward surgery. if any time is an appropriate time for the reasonable use of pain meds your situation definitely qualifies. i can relate a bit to what you're dealing with. i had some really rotten experiences with pain meds myself over the years during hospitalizations &/or just after surgical procedures. so much so that, in combination with my pride & determination to "tough it out" no matter what, i was sort of scared of taking them. i had a history of them making my nausea skyrocket, my BP drop to the point of my dizziness & syncope going through the roof, etc. essentially side effects that were just as bad or worse than the pain i was supposed to be taking the pain meds (narcotics) for in the first place. but - that said - they have there appropriate time & place and when used appropriately should be able to bring some degree of relief with little or no unmanageable side effects. all in all what i'm getting at is that not taking/ using pain meds appropriately can be just as bad as using them inappropriately. being in such severe pain is a huge stressor on your body & can itself cause additional problems. it literally took several years for my PCP to convince me that it was okay for me to take the pain meds that were appropriate to my situation & i still have a tough time doing so at times but, on the balance, my quality of life & functioning is better for it. and you're not having to make a permanant decision at all....only one that's temporary until you figure out what's going on & are able to resolve the underlying issue. so....obviously it's your decision but i would encourage you to at least try at least a small dose of the meds your doc prescribed. it's totally reasonable to start small, as long as you make sure that the pills you have can be split. do make sure that you don't have an extended release formulation b/c, if you do, splitting them will actually give you a larger dose at once than taking the whole pill, which is obviously NOT what you want to do (& can be very dangerous). it's likely that you were given a higher dose of whatever you were given in the hospital & you had a lot of other issues going on at the time so i would hate for that bad experience to be the reason you're suffering so much now, ya know? as my doctor likes to tell me, "are you trying to be a martyr?" and just as a point of clarification, your prescription is not for 750mg of vicodin but rather most likely for 750mg of acetominophen (aka tylenol) combined with either 5 or 7.5mg of hydrocodone. vicodin is a combination of hydrocodone (an opiate/ narcotic) & what we're all used to calling tylenol. the combo is not anything to be taken lightly but is a very reasonable dose, either in full or in half, to be taking for an acute surgical issue. as long as you don't take it more often or in a higher dose than your prescribed you'll be able to stop taking it when the underlying causation of the pain is resolved. i by no means want to sound like i'm pushing drugs but as someone who was extremely hesitant to accept them myself i know what it's like to be unreasonably opposed to them as well.

hope this helps,

melissa

p.s. i just realized that you said you already took half a pill. hopefully it brought you some relief but if not don't hesitate to try a full one - assuming that's what you prescribed of course - when you're due/ able to take your next dose, especially if you didn't have any adverse effects from the half dose. something else that is helpful for some is to take it with a bit of something in your stomach, i.e. some crackers, a banana,etc. let us know how you're doing!

[Angelika_23]

Thanks Melissa You made me feel better about the meds.

The half pill did take the edge off the pain. I can still feel something, but not as bad as it was. It is manageable now. I suppose now I just wait. He had indicated it could be next Tuesday before he could schedule me. That seems like a long time away. My littlest has his birthday party tomorrow at a skating rink. I never intended to skate, but I did want to be there. Now I'm not so sure I can. I am falling quite a bit and haven't been getting out of bed much at all. My POTS is surely working overtime with me lying down so much. Makes being upright that much harder.

I am aggravated with my doctor, my friend suggested I go to the ER and I'll get quicker attention. My experience with the ER is they do bloodwork, keep me around for several hours, tell me I'm okay, then send me home. But, all that experience is with POTS related stuff and this is different. Anyone have any suggestions?

Angela

[coloredblood]

I have a lot of similar issues....actually I have an ultrasound on Tuesday. I have a lot of trouble with pain meds too. I find that, for me getting into a hot bath and just resting helps. and then often times I ice my abdomen after so that I don't swell. As far as the ER goes I really don't think they know how to help us. POTS is something that just makes a doctor hesitate to do anything Except blood work and watch you. I hope you find some relief soon.

<3

Nancy (I'm new)

[Angelika_23]

My doctor never did call me back yesterday. I called his office about 4:30 and his answering service said, "He's gone for the day". How do you like that? He was so concerned Wednesday that he almost put me in the hospital, then yesterday tells me I need surgery, then doesn't call me before he leaves for the weekend. I was so upset I cried for an hour. The pain got so bad last night that even with the Vicoden I didn't know if I could stand it. Somehow I got through.

I called my PCP crying after I found out the other one had left me hanging for the weekend, and I go see him later this morning. Hopefully he will listen and pay attention. Hopefully I won't get hysterical from the pain and being upset.

Angela

[lalalisa]

Angela,

Hello. Wow! You have been through a lot lately and have had an intense week! Were you able to see your PCP before the weekend? Please keep us posted. I'm sure it's really hard to wait with so much pain and so many questions!

Praying for you,

Lisa

[Sophia3]

just got email she is going into the hospital

!^#&!^#&!^##&!^# doctors.

She needs a surgeon to go in and SEE what is going on.

[cardiactec]

Angela, you poor girl, I am praying for you hun! I hope they figure out what is going on and that someone starts to truly INTERVENE on your behalf and not put you and your very OBVIOUS medical needs on the back burner! so sorry you are going through this.

Please keep us informed and let us know how you are once you are out of the hospital.

***HUG***

-Angela (cardiactec)

[Sophia3]

just spoke with her briefly...just got in her hospital room..nobody has come in yet..her poor husband woke up with stomach flu and having his own bad day!!

the plan so far is a CT scan, blood work and she is going to talk with a surgeon.

Sending prayers and healing thoughts.

[Maxine]

My thoughts and prayers go out to you Angela.

Those docs need to help you---I can't believe how much you have been though with this already.

BIG HUGS,

Maxine :0)

[juliegee]

Any news? My thoughts and prayers are with you, Angela. I pray the docs help you figure out what's wrong and resolve it! Big hugs are being sent your way.

Julie

[delphicdragon]

Angela-

Oh my Goodness! I hope you feel better soon and am sending warm thoughts and well wishes your way.

Sara

[Sophia3]

update

she is home..apparently she had a huge cyst (I am thinking more like a cluster to be the size of an orange) but it ruptured causing her worst pain Friday night.

The CT scan showed this and the liquid drainage from it...so she will not need surgery. YAY.

They gave her way too much pain med and double her HR the IDIOT nurse would not listen but we know how that goes.

So that's the scoop.

[Angelika_23]

Hello,

I just woke up. I came home and collapsed. There was a woman next door who talked and cried for help all night long. So, no sleep for anyone. Even with the door shut I could hear her...

As Sophia posted, I did have a large ovarian cyst. It must have ruptured Friday night when I was in all that pain. The CT showed where it had been, and that the area is still inflamed, and it showed the fluid from it still in my pelvis. So, while the pain is less it is still there to some degree.

I don't think that nurse will ever again doubt someone who tries to deny a specific pain medicine. My HR at least doubled, maybe more. It scared the wits out of her. She said she'd never seen anything like it, it went from lower to so high within seconds. Duh.

It took them about 8 tries and 3 nurses to get an IV in me because I was so dehydrated. That has not happened before. I am usually very easy to stick. My poor arms are so bruised.

My poor husband is doing better with his stomach flu. Poor guy.

This has been a bad weekend all around, I guess.

Thanks for all the support,

Angela

[goldicedance]

Oh, Angela, you have been through the wringer. I sure hope that you will be feeling better each day.

Lois

PS I have the same problem with IV's. Sometimes they have had to use pediatric size catheters.

[firewatcher]

God bless you with rest and healing sweetie. Take care and get better!!!!!

Jennifer

[juliegee]

Oh Angela,

I'm so sorry for all you've been through, but awfully glad you will avoid a surgery.

I can relate to a noisy next door hospital patient. During my last 3 day stay, I had a looney old fellow next door who screamed all night. Rather than wake his doctor for a sedative....they called a "code grey" (first time ever) and all available personnel as well as local law enforcement were called in to restrain the poor old guy. It sounded like a hostage situation will bullhorns. Sleep was out of the question. Funny thing, I never heard a peep out of the guy again. Guess they found the sedatives for the rest of his stay :-)

I'm so glad you're home, Angela. Rest and heal.

Hugs-

Julie

[lalalisa]

Angela,

Oh, wow! You've been through a lot! I hope your recovery goes really smoothly. I'm glad to hear you are home!

Take care and hope you recover quickly!

Lisa