It's... nothing?

I seem to have stumped the doctor once again. I heard back from them today regarding my biopsy results:

Negative for cancer, negative for Ulcerative Colitis, negative for any type of infection.

I'm so baffled.

As terrible as it is to want to have one of those diagnoses, I almost due, just so that I know that exactly is going on with me!

The doctor has now requested blood work that will be shipped to San Diego, California to further test for Crohn's disease. Thank goodness! This whole time UC partial diagnosis wasn't holding much water for me. I realize there is inflammation in my colon, but my big hunch is that it's because my food isn't being digested and absorbed properly in the small intestine, which will of course go on to cause a lot of problems in the colon.

So the doc. said it didn't look like Crohn's from my colonoscopy, because he made it all the way into my small intestines when performing the proc.; However, all my symptoms are so much more closely aligned with Crohn's than UC.

If my blood work comes back indicating that there is no Crohn's, then I just won't know what to think. It will make me go back to the whole Candida idea again, which isn't very encouraging.

The doctor has prescribed me something called 'Questran', which sequesters bile, and is supposed to help diarrhea. This doesn't sound like a treatment for the cause of the malabsorption, but a band-aid to reduce symptoms of the bile that isn't being reabsorbed from getting into my colon and causing osmotic reactivity, and thus diarrhea. But, it isn't just bile that isn't being reabsorbed, it's the fat and protein and all the other stuff as well. So taking this stuff would render my bile more useless it seems. One listed side effect is increased malabsorption of nutrients, noteably fat soluble nutrients.

With that said, I think I'm going to wait to get my blood work results back in the near future before deciding whether to give the powder medication a try. I don't feel very comfortable taking it without sitting down and having a discussion with the doctor first. His assistant called and told me he wanted me to start taking it, but I guess I just don't feel comfortable with that until my blood work comes back and we can better rule out other diseases, which might be treated with a different medication.

I'm scheduled to see the doctor again in three weeks. I'm concerned he may not be happy that I've decided to hold off on the medication for now, but perhaps something will come to light before then regarding my blood work results.

"Here's to looking forward"

Jason

Partial Diagnosis

06/23/2008

Diagnosis: Indeterminate Colitis. Moderately active involving the recto-sigmoid (the rectum and the part above it... the lower portion below the descending colon).

In the rectum the mucosa was granular, congested and erythematous. Moderate congestion and erythema seen from the rectum to 30cm. Findings could be compatible with mild to moderate U.C. Vs infection.

For years they told me it was just IBS. For years I've struggled and watched my energy and health decline, not knowing what is wrong with me, although all my reading and education on the matter of digestive health lead me to believe I had Crohn's, UC, or both. I think that this is only part of the story though.

Awaiting the biopsy results now for a more formal diagnosis.
Jason