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Hello all. I am a 36 year old married mother of three boys. I have my degree in Forensic psychology and business management- human resources, I work in social services while juggling my three children and a marriage. When I originally joined this community I was excited to get back into what I love and that is helping people through listening, understanding, and guidance. However I quickly found that through my desire to help others, others are helping me. I have found my advice column beyond rewarding. I have found myself getting extremely passionate about each and every question that I read and respond to. The more the questions the greater the connection I have found between people of all walks of life, ages groups, races, gender, and religion. What I have found to be our greatest bind is love. Love for others and the love of being loved.

advice

19/f in uk

For the past 3 years I've had an embarrassing problem- I have uncontrollable diarrhea, abdominal pain and fatigue at random times for weeks to months at a time. My GP tested me for a few illnesses with blood tests but nothing came out positive. She then told me I have chronic fatigue, IBS and depression. (I may have depression but I really don't think I have the other two as a few Rheumatologists I saw said I definitely do not have chronic fatigue.) After that my GP treated me like I was purposely exaggerating my symptoms whenever I went to see her, so I eventually stopped seeing her.

I've ended up missing a lot of school because of feeling sick so had to redo my last A-level year. I thought I would be sitting my exams this summer but I suddenly got a 39 degree fever during my first week of exams. It lasted for 4 weeks so I ended up in A&E and they sent me to a hospital ward. There they did every possible test imaginable from MRI, CT, PET, Xray and tonnes of blood tests but never actually found out anything specifically wrong with me. A few lymph nodes and gallbladder lit up on my PET scan but they werent sure why they were and I lost 5kg of weight because of nausea and bad appetite.

After being discharged I was sent to see some gastro doctors. They did more blood tests. I also recently had a gastroscopy and colonoscopy with biopsies (which were both surprisingly horrible as the sedation didn't knock me out at all). The biopsy results haven't come back yet but my insides appeared normal through the camera probes.

I now have to apply to uni (for the third time!) and try to finally sit my A-levels in December. I'm really worried I will never find out what's wrong with me and just be told to get on with it. I feel so abnormal because no-one else I know has had this sort of problem. My normal school friend mainly drifted away and the few I still am in contact with are always at uni and traveling. And because they can't find anything the doctors say there's nothing wrong with me. When I was 16 I felt so excited about my future but but now I feel like an old woman.

Sorry for the rant but could I please have any helpful advice I could try to stay afloat both mentally and physically? thanks

Have you gone to see any American doctors. Sometimes they have procedures other countries don't offer but it sounds to me like you may Celiac Disease or Ulcerative Colitis or Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or Crohn’s disease. Parasites in the stomach like threadworm, tape worm, giardiasis can also cause these symptoms. Hence a stool test is a must. Problems of gall bladder and liver or that of pancreas too cannot be ignored.
I would strongly recommend you to see a gastroenterologist in the US.

I'm so sorry you are suffering this way but the next doctor you see demand that they listen to you and pay attention and not just dismiss you. They are paid to help not ignore. Call everyday, visit the office everyday, get 2nd, 3rd, 4th opinions because this is your life and you matter. Who cares if the doctors are annoyed by your persistance they are there to help and you make sure they do. Good luck sweetie. You don't deserve to live life this way.

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(Rating: 5) Thank you so much!
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