Hi everyone - I am feeling scared and just needed to ask if others have gone through this. I have a j pouch for FAP - have had for 30 years. About 2 weeks ago I began to feel nauseated almost all the time. My stools are yellow about 2/3 of the time. I saw small amounts of bright red blood on tissue about 3 times in the past week. I feel weak and drained - more so than usual. I actually still do have an appetite. I will go to my GI doctor as soon as I can, but has anyone had this combination of symptoms all at once. The weakness and nausea are relentless. I know it could be many things - have checked all kinds of symptoms, etc. - but of course my mind goes to the worst - cancer. I am freaked out and just wonder if others with FAP or pouch have had these symptoms all at once...I also wonder about liver disease and pancreatic cancer. I don't think my skin looks jaundiced. Thanks for any ideas about this...I know I can't really find anything out until I see GI, but any ideas would be appreciated - just scared. Oh - when I massage abdomen, it does seem a bit harder on right side -but not up under my ribs where liver is supposed to be - more like mid to lower right side - at belly button level and below - it does not appear distended. I do feel a bit bloated and like I have indigestion, too.
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Hi Angie
First off, altough I know that as soon as something goes wrong my mind travels directly to the worse-case-senario it is often not the right one...be careful not to let those dark thoughts take control of your body and mind...no matter what it is you will need your strength.
Not sure at all what yellow stools mean other than bile (for me it is when things are running through me too quickly and all I get back is bile...the blood can be signs of irritation)...the nausea can be indicative of that too.
I know that my 'exhaustion' back in 99'-2000 was due to an infection that remained undiagnosised for quite some time...It made me so tired I could barely make it up the stairs to my apt, took every chance I got to sleep (hubby called me sleeping beauty in those days....couldn't wake me up or get me to get enthusiastic about anything other than naps), work was a nightmare, socializing evaporated...I just wanted to cry. I lost weight (fine, I wouldn't mind now)...they found a serious infection due to necrosis in my case and dealt with it.
In your case it could be anything from an abscess to infection to something totally different but do not go to the worst case senario...eat light and nutritious foods (smoothies? Soups?) and rest when you can until you see the doc and get some real answers.
Peaceful thoughts to you
sharon
Thank you so so much for being there...I have not been on this site in a couple weeks as I've felt so bad. My mother went through something like this years ago and it was the same - an infection or something they could not diagnose...went on for months - finally figured it out. I know not to go to "dark places" in my logical mind - but you know how that freight train can go.
Yes, just sleeping a lot, able to do some painting and read some...so I am coping and will call GI Monday and see what we can do. Just had to hear a voice out there - it helps so much not to feel alone. Thanks Sharon - you are the absolute best. I hope you are doing ok in Paris - you have been so good to me on this site.
candidly I probably have yellowish stools most of the time. I don't know for sure because ive been going so often for so long that I don't really pay much attention. I sit, poop, wipe, flush and go. yellow is commonly fast transit, along with green poop. you can check the colors of the rainbow, oops, poop on the interwebs.
as to the other coincident indicators, might just be explained as well. but feeling crappy is feeling crappy. go to the doctor and investigate accordingly.
Thanks so much for replying! It is amazing how just having someone out there reply gives a person a lift - I must remember to reply to others! I think my stools are often yellow/green too through the years. I get cha - this is one of those, "this is different" things - you know your own body, etc. -you are right - nothing to do but see doctor and hope for the best! Thanks again for the kind reply.
Angie, just one more thing: do you get enough iron? Nausea was actually one of my symptoms when I was really iron deficient as was extreme fatigue. Iron supplements darken the stool so maybe a deficiency lightens them? I know I've been on the iron bandwagon lately but I suffered so much when my numbers were low that I'm trying to prevent others from the same thing!
Great question - started taking capsules yesterday - that was once of my first thoughts. Did not know nausea could be a symptom - so thanks for that info!