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Niki! This is awesome news!!!! I'm so happy for you. It sounds like this awful time is almost over. No stent, capsule cam, surgery and YAY!!! You must be elated :-)

Yes! And now the capsule cam is scheduled for Wednesday (insurance finally approved when I called today) and now I'm even closer to finding answers! We should have all the results I need before I go in for surgery on the 2nd, which my surgeon has yet to confirm the time.

Oh, and one other thing...I have that appt with an endocrinologist on the 27th because my cortisol level is 14 when it should be 530. That has something to do with my adrenal glands but I'm not sure why they're outta whack. But still...slowly trudging thru it....and answers are slowly coming but at least they're coming this way.

Talk to you soon! :)

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Hey Niki!!

How did the capsule cam procedure go today? Hope all is well!!

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Hey Niki!! <br><br> How did the capsule cam procedure go today? Hope all is well!!

Well, so far so good I guess. I was really kinda hoping it would get stuck and I would have to have surgery right away so that I wouldn't have anymore pain, but I'm still not sure if it passed. I ate a lite lunch and had the same ol' severe pain that I always do but this time it lasted much much longer. And same with dinner...you'd think I wouldn't wanna try that again but I really have to force myself to eat these days cuz I'm wasting away. So maybe it is still stuck in there where I'm having problems and I'll have an X-ray next week. Otherwise I'm still on for exploratory surgery the first week of December. The dr said I'll have the video in about 7 days.

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Hi Niki! How are you doing??

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Today's not been a good day but I'm ok...I'm a little worried about my upcoming surgery mostly because I don't have any results yet...I'm still waiting. I have an xray tomorrow to see if the pill cam is still inside me and I am still waiting on the video results from it. Hope to have both tomorrow; surgery is on the 3rd, exploratory surgery...

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Today's not been a good day but I'm ok...I'm a little worried about my upcoming surgery mostly because I don't have any results yet...I'm still waiting. I have an xray tomorrow to see if the pill cam is still inside me and I am still waiting on the video results from it. Hope to have both tomorrow; surgery is on the 3rd, exploratory surgery...

Thinking about you Niki! I'm glad you posted today. I sure hope things get better for you!!

I go tomorrow to see another Dr. I usually see my surgeon for everything but tomorrow I'm going to see a gastroenterologist about my severe Gerd and spasms. I going to show him all the tests that I've had which states severe bile reflux, gastritis, spasms. Hopefully, he will try and help my spasms with botox. That is what I'm aiming for!! I need help from someone! You would think all of this crap I'm going through would push my weight loss but noooo I can't have it that good. It won't budge.

Please keep us informed. Praying for you!

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Today's not been a good day but I'm ok...I'm a little worried about my upcoming surgery mostly because I don't have any results yet...I'm still waiting. I have an xray tomorrow to see if the pill cam is still inside me and I am still waiting on the video results from it. Hope to have both tomorrow; surgery is on the 3rd, exploratory surgery...

I have been thinking about you and just wishing that this would all end for you with a positive outcome. Hugs to you. Linda

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Today's not been a good day but I'm ok...I'm a little worried about my upcoming surgery mostly because I don't have any results yet...I'm still waiting. I have an xray tomorrow to see if the pill cam is still inside me and I am still waiting on the video results from it. Hope to have both tomorrow; surgery is on the 3rd, exploratory surgery...

Sorry today was not so good. I really wish that this would just end with a great outcome after this exploratory on the 3rd. Hopefully the pill cam will give them great info. Hugs to you. Hang in there :-)

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Thinking about you Niki! I'm glad you posted today. I sure hope things get better for you!!

I go tomorrow to see another Dr. I usually see my surgeon for everything but tomorrow I'm going to see a gastroenterologist about my severe Gerd and spasms. I going to show him all the tests that I've had which states severe bile reflux, gastritis, spasms. Hopefully, he will try and help my spasms with botox. That is what I'm aiming for!! I need help from someone! You would think all of this crap I'm going through would push my weight loss but noooo I can't have it that good. It won't budge.

Please keep us informed. Praying for you!

Hi Lisa...I'm hoping the botox helps to, although I don't know much about that. Sounds like I need to do some research. But I'm all for whatever helps and I'm so sorry you are still having issues and pain! I am praying for you too! I'll let you all know what I find out tomorrow, if anything. Thanks! I'm just ready for this day to be over and start again fresh tomorrow. Sweet dreams!

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Sorry today was not so good. I really wish that this would just end with a great outcome after this exploratory on the 3rd. Hopefully the pill cam will give them great info. Hugs to you. Hang in there :-)

I'm hanging in, but like I told Lisa, I'm just trying to get from today to tomorrow! Thanks for the post and kind words, I'll let you know what happens.

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Ok friends...a little good news with some bad news. The good news is the pill cam passed right thru...so no major blockages that we know of...the bad news here is that the pill cam according to my doctor, will not see hernias...so there still may be one in the intestines, that or a "kink" he called it the other day. Still going thru with the exploratory surgery on Tuesday.

In other bad news, I saw the new Endocrinologist today and she is very concerned about adrenal insufficiency, because of my low cortisol levels; although she did say that I didn't have enough urine in the 24 hours to rule out a false reading. She did go ahead and order bloodwork today, bloodwork on Friday, and a cortisol stimulation test on Monday morning first thing to make sure one way or the other. It would be called Addison's disease if I do have adrenal insufficiency and it's really nothing to mess around with. She stated that I would definitely have to have a dose of steroids prior to surgery and any other procedure from here on after. It will keep my blood pressure from bottoming out when I go under anesthesia, which I've had a problem with every single time; in fact, they've had to keep me longer in the hospital because of it. And she thinks this may be why my blood pressure isn't regulating and I pass out from time to time.

Just an update for now...I'll let you know as I get the results and before I go into surgery on Tuesday. Talk to you soon!

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This may sound a bit silly (apologies in advance) but my dog had Addisons. It's true that it is a big deal, but it's also very treatable. It caused him all sorts of blood pressure and digestive problems (causes v low tone in muscles of all sorts, including blood vessel walls, esophagus, bowel and stomach, heart), and a few times we thought he was on hus last legs, but once on medication and his mineral levels balanced again he would spring back like a puppy. I didn't even think of that before, but now... Well, if that's the answer its a wonderful thing, because a lot is known about Addisons and you could feel like a new woman v soon.

I presume you'll be much better at taking your meds than that cranky old dog was, although we found mixing it with icecream and bacon bits helped. ; ).

Good luck with it all.

PS: Can you get the Addisons tests finished and results in before surgery? You may be able to avoid it...

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Addisons symptoms - <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/addisons-disease/DS00361/DSECTION=symptoms'>http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/addisons-disease/DS00361/DSECTION=symptoms</a>

Living with Addisons- http://www.addisons.org.uk/info/manual/adshgguidelines.pdf

On first page it says words to the effect of "once treated people with Addisons live pretty much the way they did before the disorder".

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Wow, Niki just found and read this entire thread this morning. I just want to add my thoughts and prayers to everyone who is thinking about you and hoping (praying) that you get not only answers but some relief soon. I'm so sorry that you have been through all of this, and really glad you have the support of your family and friends. (And Lisa I'm sending you the same prayers, hoping you get some answers to your struggles as well.)

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This may sound a bit silly (apologies in advance) but my dog had Addisons. It's true that it is a big deal, but it's also very treatable. It caused him all sorts of blood pressure and digestive problems (causes v low tone in muscles of all sorts, including blood vessel walls, esophagus, bowel and stomach, heart), and a few times we thought he was on hus last legs, but once on medication and his mineral levels balanced again he would spring back like a puppy. I didn't even think of that before, but now... Well, if that's the answer its a wonderful thing, because a lot is known about Addisons and you could feel like a new woman v soon. <br> I presume you'll be much better at taking your meds than that cranky old dog was, although we found mixing it with icecream and bacon bits helped. ; ). <br> Good luck with it all.<br><br> PS: Can you get the Addisons tests finished and results in before surgery? You may be able to avoid it...

Thanks for all the info Susan...I'm afraid it won't keep me from having surgery but it's all in addition to because they did see something on my barium X-ray in my intestines, something like a hernia or "kink". But I am anxious to get the results which I should have all before Tuesday am. I did bloodwork on Wednesday then today and then I have the adrenal stim test on Monday am.

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