Hello.
I am 50. I was diagnosed by IBS about 30 years ago. This came and went, and was usually not too bad, until about two years ago, when I had a serious flare-up of unpleasant symptoms. I had a physical examination and also colonoscopy (21 months ago), but these were normal.
A year ago, I sustained a serious ankle break, which required an operation and I was non weight bearing for over 2 months. My overall health was poor, too, with a developing urinary problem, and then the bowel problems increased, with severe bloating, alternating severe constipation and diarrhoea, loud and forceful and painful, and extremely noxious, wind, and actual passing of wind or motions being traumatic on the whole region, including back passage. I also began to have more and more difficulty with ‘wet farts’, and keeping clean, noticeably having to use copious amounts of toilet tissues and wipes.
I have put on weight, though a lot of this has felt like bloating, and every vowel movement, however scant or copious, has felt as if it is trying to get-through a narrowing profile. I have needed to take laxatives on a regular basis just to go, but am then highly tied to the bathroom with bowel movements or false alarms, as much as 20 per 24 hour period.
Liasing with doctors has been intensely frustrating - a mix of disinterest, complacency or seeming scepticism about symptoms and importance, once they’re checked there’s no blood. They did do some stool tests in late July 2019. I have been referred for a sigmoidoscopy, but the estimated waiting list is 44 weeks, yet, because au am in the system and have been seen by a specialist, it seems to be awkward to then go privately. On the sigmoidoscopy, I don’t know why I wasn’t just referred for a full colonoscopy, which is obviously much more extensive, anyway.
I feel as if I am just not getting anywhere. I wish now I’d said there was blood, though didn’t want to exaggerate or tempt fate.
I feel helpless and stuck, as well as worried-sick and just not getting anywhere. What would you do? Help!
