After I explained the symptoms to my doctor, he quickly informed me (without any tests or further investigation) that he believed I was suffering from acid reflux. I was given a handful of heartburn medicine samples, a 'pat on the back' and sent on my way. I tried to explain to him that I did not feel that reflux was causing my problems, but he wouldn't listen to any of it. He only told me to make an appointment to come back to see him if the medication didn't work. It typically can take up to 3 months to get an appointment to be seen, so that wasn't cool.

Needless to say, my symptoms didn't get any better. Actually, they got much worse. I called and made another appointment during the same week, and they were able to schedule me another appointment for 4 weeks from the time I called. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to my appointment because I was admitted to the emergency room with the diagnosis of 'possible bowel obstruction'. 

At that time, I had been having the same problems as I was having throughout the year, only it had become much more frequent and intense. I was experiencing an intense and dull crushing pain under my breastbone and through my back. I wasn't able to eat anything without creating more discomfort and pain. I also was having difficulty going to the bathroom and my abdomen was EXTREMELY bloated and tender. While I was in the ER, they gave me a CAT scan. Drinking all of that liquid caused me such excruciating pain under my ribs, that it was necessary for the nurses to quickly give me an IV with a shot of demorrhal to get me to stop screaming. I have given birth to two children, and I can honestly say that I NEVER hurt like that! I think I would've gladly passed out if I hadn't gotten that pain shot. Afterwards, I ended up throwing up ALL of the contrast they gave me.

During my three day hospital visit for observation, I saw my GI doctor (the one who had given me samples and sent me on my way). He asked me what I wanted him to do. I told him that I would like to have ALL of the tests done while I was there in order to find out what was wrong with me, but he said, "no". He performed an pan-endoscopy (scope down the throat), but that was it. He told me that he would not do any other tests until after I got out of the hospital. I was released to go home and left to figure out what to do for myself. 
I then began a desperate search to find myself a new doctor. It was a long, frustrating, and time-consuming ordeal, but I finally did find a doctor who was willing to help me find out what was wrong and get to the bottom of the situation once and for all. 

I had noticed a lump in my abdominal area for a long time. I recall it being there ever since I had my last surgery in 1996. I had always thought it was merely internal scar tissue that had caused a thickened area. Early in 2001, and over a 12-month period of time, the 'lump' began to grow noticeably larger. In 1999, the then small mass had been seen on an upper GI/small bowel follow through series I had done. It was observed as being a "filling defect" or bolus of bezoar trapped between two strictures. However, my doctor acted like it was no big deal. He said it was probably just a bit of undigested food and never did any more tests or follow up on it. 
Eventually, the 'mass' had grown so large that when I would lie on my back, it could sometimes be seen sticking up and bulging from my belly. Sometimes it would move by itself, and I could also push it around and move it myself. It almost felt like when I was pregnant--the way it would move up under my skin like that. I have to admit, it was pretty freaky. I used to call it 'my baby', but that was only because it was my way of making a 'joke' out of something that really disturbed me. 

When I made mention of the abdominal mass to the ER doctors, they were simply amazed! I can't believe they were just realizing now what I had known and tried to get them to notice for several years. I had many doctors from the hospital stopping by my room to 'feel the mystery lump'. You see, this thing sometimes hid. It was very mobile and moveable. It could remain hidden under a rib or become obvious by surfacing to the top of my belly on one side or the other. I had a lot of tenderness in the area where this 'mass' was and noticed it moving more at the times when I would experience one of my 'episodes' of pain and distress. 

It got to the point where I was spending every day in bed and in pain, and I was getting NOWHERE with the doctors' offices. While waiting to get seen by a doctor and when the pain became more than I could reasonably bear, I'd take a trip to the emergency room. While there, I was used as a "human pin cushion" until they had used up any and all "good veins" left in my body. I had a dozen routine tests performed on each visit, only to be sent home and told to contact my doctor's office A.S.A.P. to set up another appointment. Well, that never did work out. I wasn't even able to manage to speak with a live human being when I tried to call my doctor's office.
After my third visit to the ER, I was FINALLY admitted to the hospital for "emergency surgery". I say "emergency", but actually they did make me wait a day because another person had presented to the ER on the same evening with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. That took priority over my situation. 

On June 11, 2002, the growing "tennis ball-sized mass" was removed from my intestine along with about 6 additional inches of small intestine. The mass was not cancerous, but was growing and it could've easily ruptured as it was completely obstructing a portion of my small intestine. The doctor tried to preserve as much of my small bowel as he could. The incision he made was smaller than the last three incisions I had from previous surgeries, but for whatever reason, this was by far the most difficult surgery I have ever had to endure. Perhaps it was because the pain and symptoms persisted for so long before I actually got proper medical attention. Needless to say, I was completely worn out before surgery from the constant, ongoing, and increasingly frequent pain I had been having on a daily basis for nearly a month 

I spent 2 weeks in the hospital, and as an added bonus, on my BIRTHDAY, the incision wound decided to BURST open and pour a generous amount of bloody/pustular discharge all over. I thought my insides had burst and were coming out! It almost threw me into a literal state of SHOCK! My surgeon then had to REOPEN the incision IN my hospital bed--WITHOUT any pain medication or anesthesia! That left me with a 4-inch wide, gaping hole in my abdomen that took over six weeks to "heal". I had to have my bandages and dressings changed twice a day in a very sterile procedure.

I facilitated the aid of a home healthcare nurse along with the help of my mother in doing daily dressing changes. It was quite painful because of the need to *debride the wound (*remove all off all the old blood and drainage and allow for new tissue growth). It's similar to what happens to a burn victim. The moist dressings had to be placed and packed inside of the wound. It's a good thing for me that the infection drained externally instead of internally--which would've meant T-R-O-U-B-L-E in a BIG way!

That all happened five months ago (from the time of the update written Nov. 2002) I have completely recovered from surgery now, and the infected wound has completely healed. They are still not sure what caused the mass to grow, but it is gone now. I haven't had any symptoms of Crohn disease for several years, so I believe this problem was not related to it. I was however living with chronic diarrhea ever since I had my second surgery in 1993. I am very happy to announce that I have not had ANY diarrhea since having surgery this past June. I have spent nearly 18 YEARS of my life with chronic and sometimes debilitating diarrhea (all the time--every day etc...) So, to me... this is NOTHING short of a MIRACLE! 

I am pain free, obstruction free, and now diarrhea free! I have been believing to see a manifestation of God's complete healing in my body for a long time, and it appears that I am finally beginning to realize that hope. PRAISE GOD! I believe that the best is yet to come, but only time will tell. Nothing is too big for my God! 
God has brought me through once again. By all rights, I should be dead. Through it all, I've had time to re-evaluate my priorities in life. I am now more determined than ever to find out what God's purpose and plan are for me. I've learned that I don't have control over ANYTHING, and when it comes right down to it, only certain things in life really matter.

I'm not sure what tomorrow holds, or even if I will have a tomorrow. I only know that the One who holds tomorrow, holds me. And that is ALL that matters. I'm His, and I'm going to praise Him and tell others about all of the wonderful things He's done in my life every day that I'm allowed to live. He has given me so much HOPE! I only want to share this hope I have with anyone and everyone who will listen. God doesn't play 'favorites'. What He's done for me, He'll do for anyone.

If you don't know Jesus, I pray that you will give your heart and life to Him and come to know Him. Read His letters to you found in the Bible. Find out who He is, what He has done, what His promises to you are and what He wants to do in you YOUR life! Talk to Him (prayer). Call on the name of Jesus and He will save you and give you a new life in that is hidden in Him.

"Hope is a helping hand reaching out in the dark."  

To read my personal testimony click here!