It All Started With A Rectal Exam...

Many people have asked me when I was diagnosed with POTS, started feeling sick, or realized something wasn't quite right with my health.  I don't know that there is a simple direct answer to that question, but I'm going to do my best to answer it throughout this blog entry...

So one September day, about 11 months ago, I was attempting to shovel down a sandwich in between groups sessions.  At the time I was a drug and alcohol counselor, and as anyone in that field of work knows, it is usually a hectic environment and you often eat in between appointments instead of breaks.  Anyway, halfway through my sandwich I realized it just kind of got stuck...literally....like a rock in my upper abdomen.  I thought this seemed really weird, but figured maybe it was because I ate too fast.  So I finished work and headed home.  About two days later I remember walking my dog late one night after I had gotten home from work, after we finished our walk and made it to the bottom of the stairs and I remember looking at the stair case thinking, "There is no possible way my body is going to make it up these stairs.  What the heck is going on?"  Well, I did make it up the stairs that night and into bed.  However, this feeling of exhaustion stuck with me the rest of the week.  It seemed like everyday I was able to do less and less.

...Don't worry, I'm getting to the good part...

That was the beginning of the week, by now it is Friday and I'm thinking I need to go to the doctor.  My skin was as white as a sheet, I was exhausted, I had headaches throughout the week, my stomach was still getting hard when I ate, and I was always cold.  So I ran to the doctor Friday morning before I commuted to work.  At that time I'm thinking it will be a throat swab to test for strep throat or finger prick to test for Mononucleosis, you know, the usual stuff we have all had done before.  Hah!!  Boy was I ever wrong!  Sure they checked that stuff out, but apparently there were some red flags in the family history that mixed with the stomach issues.  Next thing I know they told me to lay in the fetal position on my side.

Now ladies, you know how when you go in for your yearly pap smear and you have to mentally prepare yourself?  I mean, you know what is about to come and how the drill goes, but there is just something about having a non routine member in the area.  And men, I'm not sure how it goes for you, but I'm guessing when the doctor asks you to turn your head and cough, there's a little mental preparation that goes into it AT LEAST an hour or two before the appointment.

Well let me tell you - There was no opportunity for the mental preparation for the doctor to do the anal exam that I received that day in the doctor office.  Which by the way was completely normal...as I knew it would be since I kept insisting the problem was in my STOMACH.  I left the doctors office that day with several emotions...and as I write this...I'm still not sure what they are.  Aside from the emotions, I also left that day with an appointment scheduled for a Colonoscopy with a Gastroenterologist, suspected GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) and recommended to take Prilosec, and a negative Mononucleosis test.

My shit starts where other peoples ends...