HIDA Scan Results

Ejection Fraction: 62%

The fact it took 2 hours for the contrast to enter my bowel? A non specific finding that occurs in approximately 20% of patients and merits further investigation with a Right Upper Quadrant ultrasound to rule out a bowel obstruction.

H. Pylori Test: Negative.

Liver Blood Work: Normal (which I am SO relieved to hear as the fatty liver thing worries me).


Number of phone calls it took to learn this? 6 back and forth over 3 business days.

Amount of time on hold with the doctor's office for the last call? Long enough to complete a work out.

So why does it hurt so much? I can live with pain, up to a point. The past month or so started to cross the line for me, especially with the GERD flaming high. It's hard to believe that level of pain is completely benign.

I also would be shocked if there's a bowel obstruction, everything seems to be moving along just fine in there.

Next steps will be the ultrasound, which will show nothing. Then the GI appointment and, if necessary, the PCP has offered a surgical consult to see about having the gallbladder yanked anyway.

On the one hand, I am relieved that there is no need to rush to surgery, especially with the HPA axis being so mercurial. On the other, I'm frustrated by this body that hurts for no good reason. Even less fun, I believe the test results put me in a category where even if I have the gallbladder removed it may not alleviate the pain.

Sigh.

At least now when I'm up at night due to the pain, I can do so with confidence that there is nothing wrong.

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With a Little Help from My Pills

Took 5mg steroids today because...

-exhausted
-weak
-no appetite for the last several days (ate only one meal yesterday and am forcing myself to eat)
-loopy
-BP trending low but not bottoming out per se, just feels like it is
-irritable
-muscle cramps
-HIDA scan was way stressful

Other possible solutions to explore include...

-Tinkering with BP med dose or discontinuing altogether
-Putting more carbs in low carb
-Staying far, far away from medical procedures of any kind
-Never seeing doctors again because they order said medical procedures
-Stop complaining about anything because that means I see doctors who order said medical procedures

Still can't say yet if the 5mg helped but I'm waiting for it to kick in aaaaany second now.

I also hit my head harder than anyone should this morning, which is known as NOT HELPING. We have a small house and the concession we made to have a dining room, (teeny) family room and (tiny) play room on the first floor was that we shoved our bed in the dormer nook upstairs, which has a vicious widow's peak.

Yes, we sleep in a hallway that occasionally attacks our skulls.

Note to self: Never jump out of bed.

The HIDA scan results are in. Just waiting for the doc to review them and call me back. Still time to place your bets. Yay or nay on gallbladder removal? Since I seem to specialize in symptoms that don't test well, I say nay. Also, I have learned that GERD meds totally jack up the gallbladder.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to self medicate with chocolate and then take something for my aching head.

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HIDA Scan That Would Not End

Thank goodness I have someone visiting who can just up and toddler sit for 5 hours because the two hour HIDA scan? Went on and on and on.

My gallbladder wouldn't dump the radioactive dye. They had me walk. And walk. Jump up and down. Go to the cafeteria and sniff food in the hopes of prompting the gallbladder to empty. I got in a full 30 minute workout trying to get that stuff to move.

Two hours later, it finally started to empty. Emphasis on started. They went back and forth trying to decide if the dye had really moved into my small intestine or not. The doctor said no. So I had to walk some more. Then three nuclear techs hemmed and hawed over the films (video?) and, finally, everyone agreed it had moved.

So they did the CCK thing so they could measure the gallbladder ejection fraction. For something that was previously so sluggish, it did manage to contract and move stuff along with the CCK.

I was released four hours later only to return because I bled through the band aid and all over my shirt. Of course I wore a nice shirt. Which is now ruined.

While it is not normal for the dye to take 2 hours to clear the gallbladder, that doesn't mean the HIDA scan is abnormal.

Place your bets. Will the HIDA scan show the gallbladder has to go? Or is it just a GERD gut motility thing?

I bet the HIDA scan will be normal. I think it's probably a gut motility issue.

On the upside, the test reproduced the appendicitis symptoms so now I know I feel that way when the gallbladder isn't emptying like it should.

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Make Up Your Own Title As I'm Stumped Pickle Time

Edited at the bottom of post.

Okay, this is just wrong. My body keeps trying to fall asleep on me. I don't feel particularly bad or anything, but my body wants to make like Rip Van Winkle.

I skipped one day of exercise. Probably will miss today too as the house needs to be cleaned and I will be too tired after that to do much.

There is the occasional flank pain/twinge, which let's hope it's just that those nerves have learned to fire that pattern and are doing it just for fun.

Maybe I should eat? I'm not hungry right now though BUT sometimes those sugar lows kill my appetite. Although I just had breakfast an hour ago.

I don't know. Feeling not too bad but not too good.

There was finally some weight loss after 6+ months of nothing. Just in time for me to eat birthday cake and mess it all up. Sigh.

The HIDA scan is tomorrow. I am crossing everything it helps find a solution. A few days ago, the gut kept me up and googling, until 2 am, trying to discern whether I needed immediate medical care or not. I voted for not and the gut calmed down eventually, but it's still there, ready to pounce at the slightest provocation.

Edited: I ate, it didn't help. My BP is low, not completely tanking but 100/60 ish which is low for me. I am also symptomatic of low BP and feel like I'm being sucker punched (aka adrenals are pissed). So drank 3/4 cup pickle juice followed by a square of toffee (12g carb). Let's hope that turns it around because I need to clean the house.

Just to make it more fun, the toddler is bleeding to death. She fell. (Of course!) She's phobic about band-aids. I finally got one on her after an hour of trying to soothe the hysterics (unsuccessful). She has now bled through the band-aid. (Of course!) Up next is the big sterile gauze pad which I'm pretty sure will cause her to hyperventilate and scar her for life.

Wish me luck.

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The Latest

I am tired today. Had a nice weekend. Worked out twice. Once on the elliptical, then went for a lovely walk. Saw lots of deer and deer babies up close and personal. Then my blood sugar crashed and I dragged myself around the rest of the weekend managing to get the groceries bought and keep the toddler entertained.

A hard core X-rated makeout session with some butter toffee helped. (Turns out grocery shopping + low blood sugar = toffee in the grocery cart.)

Today it was hard to get out of bed and get up. I'm still not feeling awake and it's almost 1pm. It could just be a toffee hangover.

I will go early to the endo appt later this week and get an am cortisol draw just to be safe ( I think I mentioned this, no?). Hopefully this is just a natural adjustment period after having been on steroids for so long.

I do recall that ending the steroids during past HPA axis suppressions did not necessarily correlate with feeling 100%. It took about a year the last time for me to feel human again.

Saw the PCP today and had some blood work (testing liver and ruling out h.pylori). We are scheduling a HIDA scan and I will be seeing a GI doc. Which I should have done much sooner, but it is very difficult to properly care for such a malfunctioning body. I feel like I'm trying to plug holes in the dam wall and I've run out of fingers.

You can only go to the doctor so much, you know? I can't keep up with all that needs to be done. I think if I did everything I was supposed to, I could probably see doctors continuously which...ugh not the lifestyle I'm going for.

My sincere hope is to be free of all but the most basic medical maintenance, but I fear I will never know what it is to live without some kind of medical constraint again.

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