:( Embarrassing :( but SO painful! Help! - ThinnerTimes

so_gorjess · 02-07-2007, 10:03 PM

Okay...so...I've been home for the past two days. Honestly, I don't feel any better but since they got my potassium to 3.1 and they couldn't find anything massively wrong with my kidneys(except some swelling and what not - but I'm going to the kidney doctor for some more testing and blah blah blah)I said I wanted to go home and they had to let me go even though they wanted to keep me for another day...anyhow that's not the issue...

Problem is...my butt hurts! Lol. For the past month or two I've been having diarreah or really soft stools(supposedly that has something to do with my potassium issues...according to my dad...). Now, for the past two days I haven't been able to lay on my back because my butt(I'm not talking buttcheeks here...) hurts and I'm talking tear-inducing pain. Today it got really bad, I can't sit at all(therefore I can't drive...) and still can't lay down on my back and walking makes it hurt too!

There first thing I thought was "OMG, hemorrhoids!" "No way" and "eww" lol. I refuse to go to the doctor just for this, I mean what am I supposed to say "hey, I'm here today so you could check my butthole...please...". My dad's a nurse BUT I don't want to turn to him because next thing I know I will be going back to the ER knowing him. So I looked it up online but I can't really tell if it's hemorrhoids or not because I read the symptoms and I have no itching or bleeding and I haven't been constipated for a while so I haven't been pushing my brains out at all lol but I do have excrutiating pain and like two lumps in there(TMI, I know...sorry*cries in shame*).

I guess I'm just writing this hoping that someone with experience(whether it be medical or with my problem personally) could tell me if this sounds like hemorrhoids and if it goes away on its own. I went through my parent's medicine cabinet and found some hemorrhoidal(sp?) cream(at first I was like "yes! I don't have to go out and buy this!!" And then after thinking about it I'm like "eww.." Lol) and used it. I figured it couldn't hurt...but...it's been a couple of hours and it feels the same.

I'm trying to keep a sense of humor about this but I think it's BS that after everything I've been going through lately now I have to go through this. Ugh...

rainrain · 02-07-2007, 11:18 PM

Hey Jess,

Sounds like you are going through a lot lately.

As always you should call your bariatric surgeon.

In the begginning I was embarrassed to talk to Dr. C. about all these weird things that occured post op. Then Dr. Callery said to me, that talking to him about gastro stuff was like talking to my mechanic about my car engine. It is what he does.

With that said, I would call.

In addition, I would say that I have on occasion to have episodes of painful butt. Prior to WLS, I had severe IBS (irratable bowel syndrome) the main symptoms being diarhea. The constant irritation and acidic content of the bowel movements certainaly took its toll on the delicate tissue.

To ease the discomfort of which there was an amazing amount of, which I could catagorize as a 10 on the 1-10 pain scale, (and I have had babies) I used compresses that I made from tissue and whitch hazel, or a soak in the bath using tempid water.

Mostly my rescue came when the IBS got in control.

Try to determine what is causing the diarhea, remove dairy, sugars, yeast product things of that nature.

I hope this helps.

good luck,
be well!
Rain

Kattin · 02-08-2007, 05:10 AM

Sorry you're having problems. I haven't had my surgery yet, so can only give tips on what remedy was for babies sore bottoms.
I worked neonatal (preemie) unit for 30 yrs. Some of the babies had to have parts of their bowel removed due to tissue dying, and have colostomy. After a time when intestines had calmed they were able to be reconnected and have normal bowel function. The stools they had at beginning were very acidic and would burn their little bottoms raw. We'd leave diapers off and gently clean them but nothing really worked.
One day a fellow nurse said lets try Bag Balm. We use it on our cows and it really clears things up. We tried it, and it does work. You can buy it in drug store. Just pretend you have a cow.

Just kidding. It's used for lots of theng other than animals.
Hope you find comfort soon.

for_desi · 02-08-2007, 05:41 AM

It sounds like you have a fistula. I have Crohn's Disease, in remission several years now but 12 years ago when I had a bad flareup, I had the same symptoms you did. I literally laid on the couch with an ice pack on my butt for days and the doctor couldn't find anything wring but I knew that pain that bad wasn't good. I am talking starbursts in my eyes and almost passing out when I had a BM. Sure enough, I had a rectal fistula. And you aright, it is most embarrassing. Ask your doctor to check out this possiblility. If this is the problem and it is not addressed, it could turn into a vaginal-rectal fistula and then you are really in trouble. I actually hope you don't have this. Best of luck.
Dena

so_gorjess · 02-08-2007, 05:51 AM

Hey girls, thanks for the quick replies!

Rain - I actually ended up calling my PCP as soon as I 'woke up' this morning. I had one hell of a time last night, the pain and discomfort kept on waking me up every hour on the dot...I swear! And then...around three in the morning...*gasp*...I get the runs. I was "going" from three to five, of course that made matters worse. I wouldn't want to call my surgeon's office though cause I don't see what he has to do with this...really...

Kattin - Thanks for the advice(and the laugh). At this point I will try ANYTHING! I want to find something different from the cream I used last night though cause the smell was unbereable, I kept "smelling fish" all night and I'm like "uh?" so I look in the bottle and one of the ingredients was shark liver oil...GROSS! I will see if I can find your cow cream!

Once again thanks for the replies ladies!

so_gorjess · 02-08-2007, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by for_desi

It sounds like you have a fistula.

If this is the problem and it is not addressed, it could turn into a vaginal-rectal fistula and then you are really in trouble. I actually hope you don't have this. Best of luck.
Dena

Hey thanks for the input! Now, could you explain to me what a fistula is? Lol. Sowwy but it's actually the first time I ever heard the term.

Also, now that you mention it. For the past week I'd been having this weird lower belly cramping type of paralyzing pain that usually happened while standing and would hit me for like a minute and then go away(I didn't think anything of it because I thought it'd be period cramps since Aunt Flo hasn't paid me a visit since early December BUT low and behold she skipped her monthly visit again!) and then for the last couple of days the pain from my butt would kind of move to the front too. It only happened like twice though.

man, I never though I'd say this but I'm really hoping I got hemorrhoids now...I don't want anything too serious

Dyann · 02-08-2007, 06:38 AM

First, your dad is right....you lose a great deal of potassium in diarrhea.

I wonder if you have a perirectal abscess.

At Cleveland Clinics Weston, there is a female colorectal doctor. Her name is Dana Sands. She can take care of you for hemorrhoids or abscess. She doesn't work up diarrhea (that is a GI or primary care MD), but if there is something else going on, that is her territory. I recommend her without hesitation.

Check with your MD

so_gorjess · 02-08-2007, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dyann

First, your dad is right....you lose a great deal of potassium in diarrhea.

I wonder if you have a perirectal abscess.

At Cleveland Clinics Weston, there is a female colorectal doctor. Her name is Dana Sands. She can take care of you for hemorrhoids or abscess. She doesn't work up diarrhea (that is a GI or primary care MD), but if there is something else going on, that is her territory. I recommend her without hesitation.

Check with your MD

Hey Dr.Dyann! Thanks for the two cents. Well, I'll be damned if I lose potassium through diarreah, if that's the case I will be back to the 2's in no time flat

I actually have an appointment with a gastro-lalawigglyjigglywhatever-ologist(can't spell or say it, you know, the inners-doctor) on Monday so while I'm there I will look into the doctor you mentioned. Maybe he can direct me to her.

Oh and one thing, is treatment for hemorrhoids or absesses(don't know what that is either) painful?

Thanks for replying

Rachel · 02-08-2007, 08:36 AM

I actually have an abscess right now

The treatment for it involved having them numb the area and then cut it open to drain. You can actually feel if you have an abscess. Sounds gross here but reach back there and see if there are any hard lumps.

As for the pain level, it hurt when they gave me the shot to numb it and then the pain after is only slightly higher then it was before. They put me on antibiotics for 10 days and told me that after a day or two of draining that I would be feeling better. The pain is all of the pressure inside the abscess.

I hope that you get some relief soon!!

LyndasRoom · 02-08-2007, 08:48 AM

owww owww owww...I hope both you, Jess and Rachel get some relief sooon!