NursingLink

I just returned home from hospital after my 4th admission in 3 mos.  It all started when one day I was having severe lower abdominal pain and started having diarrhea which then led to me have pools of blood from my rectum.  I went to ER they said that the CAT showed that my intestines were inflammed as well as my rectal wall and I was losing some blood internally.  They diagnosed me with C. Diff. Colitis and sent me home w/Flagyl well 3 mos. later and I still have occassional bleeding, abdomin pain, and joint pain w/low grade fevers, fatigue, and just in general feeling like I am getting a flu its horrible and it happens at least 3 times weekly.  I was just released from hospital yesterday after a colonscopy which was negative except for internal hemorriods but that was it I still have many tests out right now that are pending.  But after first the specialist was convinced I had Crohn's Disease until the colonscopy which looked good but I am still sick!!  Any guesses as to what this could be??  I do not know anymore now than I did 3 mos. ago. HELP!!  I have a f/u w/my PCP but not until Monday!

I just read my discharge papers and it states as a diagnosis the following:

hematochezia

eleveated CRP.

What does that mean????

MrBrown says ...

Hematochezia simply means passing maroon colored stool. It can be from a variety of causes including hemorrhoids or inflammatory bowel disease. Elevated CRP is an indication of an inflammatory process going on in the body. Elevated means elevated C-reactive Protein is high and the test is used to rule in or out an inflammatory process in the body.

Hmmm thats interesting.  I have an appt. for a f/u w/my PCP Tues. but I am curious what you all suspect could be going on.

MrBrown says ...

Have they mentioned having you swallow a camera for a small bowel follow through? The symptoms you describe cover a lot of stuff from colon cancer (which your colonoscopy obviously ruled out) to inflammatory bowel problems to diverticulitis and more.

No they didn't mention the camera thing at all but I am to follow up immediately w/my PCP.  Also, when I was admitted this week they told me my white blood cell count was elevated too.

yes...good luck to you

hope all will be well with you

okay so i finally get my doc's office to call me back only to have them tell me that the covering physician wants my doctor to discuss this matter with me especially as i am seeing her tomorrow.  but it *** me off that i can't get my results so i don't have to obsess on this anymore.  and now i am more concerned because i have never been told to wait for my pcp to give me results i have always been told over the phone when i have asked never a problem so why wouldn't they tell me this time????  errrrrrrrrr!

It could still be C. Difficile. There are variants that are drug resistant, even to Flagyl. Additionally, anitbiotic therapy is a leading contributor to C. Difficile as that bacteria remains viable after antibiotic therapy wipes out the rest of the normal flora in the intestinal tract. The C Difficile then overpopulates the gut and makes one ill. My sister has had this for almost a year now. It subsides at times only to return. Try to be patient until your PCP can talk to you and see if they have a new game plan or something different to tell you.

And good luck!

I went to see my PCP today and I am even more confused now then I was before.  My PCP has no idea whats going she said that believes its colitis but the colonscopy was negative so she isn't sure unless she said its higher up in my stomach in which case I should get an endoscopy???  WHAT THE HELL IS SHE TALKING ABOUT??!!  Then my GI doc called because I got on them and they said I have IBS w/a spastic stomach and I asked him if that would explain the low grade fevers, weight loss, flu like symptoms including joint pain as well as the elevated C-Reactive Protein and he said "you know that is what is puzzling to me because IBS wouldn't explain these things I don't your a mystery right now" and then proceeded to tell me to have another f/u visit a different GI specialist in a few weeks!!!!!  I am so frustrated I could cry!!

P.S. They said I was negative for C. Diff.

MrBrown says ...

OK first off C. Difficile should not be considered negative until 3 serial tests come back as negative. A single test result of negative does not totally rule out that illness. Secondly, I worked endoscopy for a few years. Hematochezia does not indicate a disorder in the stomach or duodenum. That type of bleeding indicates the source is below the reach of digestive juices and enzymes. However a EGD would be good before they have you swallow the camera. Too bad they did not do that the day they did the colonoscopy while you were already prepped and sedated.

Now some questions they probably already asked:

• Have you drank water from an unprotected source? Like camping out and drinking untreated water or swallowing lake water after unloading from water skiing etc? Or even well water at a farm - in other words any water that is not city water treated with chlorine?


• Have you been out-of-country traveling to any other place? Or even traveled within the US or Canada anytime recently?


• Did they screen stool for O&P in general?


• Is the stool foamy and foul smelling?


• Have you reported this malady to your local city/county health department to see if any cases like yours are reported?

And so far at least it seems to be mostly bothersome and not more serious in terms of your long term prognosis.

They never asked me any of the above questions. 

-No I have drank from an unprotected source.

-I recently traveled to Georgie in May

-I don't think they screened the stool for O & P what is O&P?

-Stool is not foamy but very foul smelling

-No I have not reported this....should I?

Thank you!