MrsFychan

since I have been in NZ, 2 years January just gone, I have never been so ill.
first there was the stomach pains, initially thought it was a touch of food poison from some cakes someone had made us, then thought it was the water so bought a filter but nope still get them, worse now since the mishap with the pain killers the Dr prescribed for my elbow after a fall on a dog walk that now my stomach lining is practically shot. I mean I was up again in the night with abdominal pains so bad it had me in tears.
then there's the vertigo, which I have never had and still suffer from now
and there's the aches and pains which I just put down to age.

for the stomach pains I have a form for an xray but really just cannot afford the $200 odd cost to get it done and then the $48 for another consultation to find out if they actually found anything. but will have to steal from peter to pay paul if this continues much longer

Veritgo, they have given me some exercises and anti sickness tablets so is manageable at the moment.

But seriously
Someone tell me this is just me being a lady of a certain age

BEVS

Mate ! I know the cost is prohibitive but please get that checked out.

I've been a 'lady of a certain age' and am out the other side with all that.

Stomach pains was not one of the issues I had even though I had decades of paralysing endometriosis pains .

You know. Next time you have an episode, go to A&E. They will be seeing the symptoms first hand and can test and act on that. We ended up doing that with Mr BEVS chest pains & then following, an onset of nausea. GP treated for a pulled / torn ligament in the rib cage. He had pneumonia.

What has been discounted so far?

MrsFychan

Celiac disease - but then lots of people have told me that you can be intolerant even if the test come back negative. Try telling MrF that

Don't think the weight I have put on since being here has helped.

Dr put me on the pill for ladies problems but think that has been more trouble than it has cured so stopping them after this packet and see what happens.

Hopefully in the next few weeks finances will be a bit better, husband changed jobs and missed out on 3 wks wage as holiday was booked and he put the date he left for the holiday rather than the last Friday before he started new job (bloody man) and as its back to school now I will start to get paid again.

Selling, well trying to, the house is adding added pressure which could be another factor, why on earth did we agree to closed tender rather than a straight forward negotiation is beyond me

jmh

Sounds like a food sensitivity to me - could be wheat, maybe something else. I would try to go on a strict meat and veg diet** for a couple of weeks and then start adding other food back in. Often people will feel really bad for the first week after ditching food that is high in carbs (e.g. sugar) because your body is used to getting fuel from the glucose produced when you eat them. The body does adjust and then you should feel fine. Give it a try. Keep a diary of what you eat and how you feel. Give it a good two weeks, even if you feel worse to start with. Sadly many people give up too soon and don't find the solution.

The only other thing I can think of is a toxin in your environment: cleaning products, pesticide in the garden, new furnishings that release fumes.

** You may get away with some tea/coffee if you can't bear to be without it. I know I can't.

Edited: Sorry I should have said, the restricted meat and veg diet should be unprocessed food. You will be able to add back some of the things you like which don't mess with your tummy in due course. Eat as much as you like though. If you stomach is shot you are not absorbing enough nutrients from you food.

jmh

Sometimes underlying food sensitivities can be exacerbated by stress. It may have always been there but you didn't notice it or got used to it.

MrsFychan

I think I shall do the food intolerance test as suggested.
will cut our wheat first. gonna be hard as I love toast and most cereals
So bacon and eggs for breakfast

Hokey-pokey

Please get that scan/X-ray done promptly. Or at least inform your GP if you decide to go public. You'll need to get your name down on the waiting list. It's about a 6 week wait here.

bearskin

It might be nothing, of course. But since it has been two years of feeling like that, and it not going away… my advice is to get it checked out ASAP.

I know people who work in A&E and they would not appreciate having someone turn up there who is not in an immediate life-threatening state. It should be your GP and then a referral on for a scan and test of some sort.

Not to panic, but I have known people who have died of cancer who started out with a persistent pain in the tummy.

MrsFychan

I have called the radiology department/ sorry not xray but scan.
waiting on them to call me back to discuss.

Yes have been worrying myself about something like bowel cancer so rather stupid for me not to do anything about it until now.

I do think the cost has been putting me off to perfectly truthful with you all but nothing going to get done unless I sort it, I have a feeling that the scan won't show anything, again something else putting me off spending the money but until it is I'm not going to get anywhere going forward with this.

Hokey-pokey

Good on you for phoning radiology. It's scary but the relief once you've had the scan done will be huge. Statistically it's more likely to be a niggling gallbladder then anything sinister, so try not to worry ps: take a pal or two along to the scan then hit the town for a respectable post scan drink. Their treat!

BEVS

Could have worded my own post better. I was more thinking of the abject agony side of things at an odd hour of the night when I suggested A&E.

MrsFychan

Now that post scan idea sounds like a plan.

all booked for next Wednesday, 26th, just have to get the Credit Card out for the $245 privilege.

Thanks for listening and being supportive, I knew deep down there was no getting away from having the scan really. Going to still cut some foods stuff and see if that helps.

jmh

Any excuse for a yummy bacon and eggs breakfast!! I'm sure you'll feel more relaxed once the scan is out of the way.

Can I suggest you keep a diary to see if you can identify when you feel worse. It might help to identify the problem (fingers crossed it's not a major medical problem)

scrubbedexpat094

I've been here 7 years & never felt quite right. I had problems with right upper quadrant pain, vomiting & nausea for quite some time. On one occasion I was admitted to A&E with ??gallstones and was put on IV fluids over-night & was nil by mouth until I'd had an ultrasound scan. All the symptoms went away whilst I was NBM & nil seen on scan. I was discharged the next day undiagnosed.

It settled for a while & then started up again & eventually I went back to see my GP. Had another ultrasound scan-NAD. Bloods all normal bar high cholesterol. Referred on to a gastro guy. Had a HIDA scan to check my liver & gallbladder, again it was NAD. I'm getting a bit fed-up by now!

Next step was gastroscopy & colonoscopy (oh great joy!) and at last a diagnosis. A gastric ulcer No sign of helicobacter pylori though, so I was put on omeprazole 20mg for approx 6 months. A gastroscopy a year later showed that it had gone.

It's not likely to be anything sinister but it's always better to get these things checked out.

MrsFychan

Glad you got it diagnosed eventually and all sorted.
GP did put ulcer out there but that was only since the mishap with the tablets for the tennis elbow after my fall.

There is also something going on with the kids, not just my own. they seem to come out in blemishes round their necks, slightly brown looking and can be raised away from the skin, like a birth mark, can only seem to be removed by hard scrubbing, with no ill affects. It's not dirt and quite a few kids at the school get it so must be environmental ?