Gastroenterologist
So I finally had my appointment today with the gastroenterologist. He was a very nice man. We talked for a while and he did a short exam. He thinks my problems come from probably one of two places: either I had a bacterial or viral infection in my intestines and it has now caused me to have IBS (which can take 6 months to a year to resolve) OR that I may have suddenly become lactose intolerant OR I may have an intolerance for NSAID drugs (like ibuprofen) OR there's something else going on entirely that we can't tell from normal tests (blood, stool, nuclear, etc). He said it is probably unrelated to my gallbladder which does appear to be in perfect health and he didn't recommend messing with it at all.
So, we're doing a couple of things...
1. I am going on a lactose free diet trial for 3 weeks. This may be the hardest thing I've ever done. I bought lactose free milk today though and I hear it's not TOO bad. And I bought straight margarine for the first time in years. Not sure what I am going to do about cheese and sour cream, except not eat tacos or burritos or mac N cheese for a few weeks. I am SO SAD.
2. I am starting on a probiotic pill to see if we can help balance out the flora in my gut and see if it helps.
3. I am going to have an endoscopy for my upper GI and a colonoscopy in mid-November to see if there's any inflammation or weird stuff going on in my insides. I will have full anesthetic for this procedure. My friends and coworkers assure me that the thought of the procedure is worse than the actuality.
So that's that in a nutshell. I will be starting my dairy free trial today. It should be finishing up just before the wedding and honeymoon, which is good! And my procedure will be a couple of weeks after I get back
So, we're doing a couple of things...
1. I am going on a lactose free diet trial for 3 weeks. This may be the hardest thing I've ever done. I bought lactose free milk today though and I hear it's not TOO bad. And I bought straight margarine for the first time in years. Not sure what I am going to do about cheese and sour cream, except not eat tacos or burritos or mac N cheese for a few weeks. I am SO SAD.
2. I am starting on a probiotic pill to see if we can help balance out the flora in my gut and see if it helps.
3. I am going to have an endoscopy for my upper GI and a colonoscopy in mid-November to see if there's any inflammation or weird stuff going on in my insides. I will have full anesthetic for this procedure. My friends and coworkers assure me that the thought of the procedure is worse than the actuality.
So that's that in a nutshell. I will be starting my dairy free trial today. It should be finishing up just before the wedding and honeymoon, which is good! And my procedure will be a couple of weeks after I get back