Young adult searching for a diagnosis: Lung? GI? Kidneys?

@ejjebdjeoe I am so sorry to hear that you are having such severe GERD and spitting up blood. That's a horrible feeling, I'm sure. When is your gastroenterologist appointment? Have you ever had an endoscope done? I would recommend talking with the gastroenterologist about that. My son had very severe gastro issues most of his life and had an endoscope done yearly. He also had severe reflux, gastritis, eosinophilic esophagitis, and an active peptic ulcer, which caused all kinds of symptoms. I'm not sure about the spitting blood but it could possibly be an active ulcer. What other symptoms are you having? Are you taking any medications for the GERD? I'm glad to hear your chest x-rays were normal. That's definitely a good sign. If you did swallow some blood, I wouldn't worry about it. Your body can absorb that through the digestive system. It's typically broken down by digestive enzymes. I would, personally, keep a diary daily of your symptoms so you can show the doctor when you have your appointment. I would also make a list of questions so you are prepared at your appointment. I hope you get some answers soon.
Kerry

@ejjebdjeoe, I strongly encourage you to focus on your mental wellbeing. You have got the right appointments in place. The next appointment is tomorrow and this is an important appointment to finding answers. But that's tomorrow.

Tonight focus on using the strategies in the past that have worked for you when you've been in anxious situations. You mentioned that you are familiar with OCD and GAD. So I'm confident you have the tools and methods that work for you. You are a strong young women who is taking care of her health.

You've got this. No more doom scrolling. Listen to calming music and focus on getting a good night's sleep. I know. I know. I sound like a mom (I am a mom and this is what i would tell my 20-something daughter.) 🙂

If your poop is black all the time it’s a sign of internal bleeding. So watch for it and get your hemoglobin checked. See a GI doctor.

@colleenyoung this was a beautiful message yesterday has been tough, even then yes I am strong about this which is crazy

20F with ocd and gad, had a ct scan the other day which apparently has more radiation than a standard one with contrast, on top of that someone tells me that I could get blocked for medical care for “malingering” because I emailed asking about filing a grievance, and asking multiple drs for this ct when I never even fabricated my red flag symptoms that literally warrants a ct? I was using the options that I had I have tremendous anxiety about my health yes that too. Someone got physical with my mom a couple days ago and I was in pain all day yesterday it’s hot where I live, worried abt my swollen knee. Unfortunately now my brain is making me think about getting cancer in the future from this scan I have had a ct with contrast when I was a kid already, I’m having post scan anxiety for the results. these robots I’m talking to suck telling me the high resolution scan will miss things and is outdated when I literally couldn’t change it it’s that or an mri, I thought abt getting an mri but ct is supposed to be gold standard am I in the wrong here?

I had a high resolution interstitium since I was unable to get a regular ct with contrast, my symptoms were spitting blood since 2025 and unexplained iron deficiency it’s been a tough yesterday. I had asked radiologists on Reddit about it and they said contrast is better.. and apparently the one I got increased my radiation exposure because I have ocd and gad this has made me think about getting cancer in the future or the one I got missing cancer? I wanted an mri but ct was gold standard. I would like to know if anyone has gotten this type of scan? Did I make a mistake?

I am not diagnosed with ckd, but I do still have high blood pressure and have been having it since I was 17, stage 2 along with a heart rate of 150, I started first noticing my urine would be bubbly last year, after I got very sick and kept taking ibuprofen fast forward my egfr has went from >120 To >90 which is 112 and on the dipsticks there was 2+ protein ketones and blood, I got a pcr after hydrating myself and the result was 0.05 protein but everytime I don’t hydrate myself and hold in my urine there are the bubbles again like a few weeks ago there was so much foam and it didn’t flush which was different because usually the bubbles disappear and flush, I was referred to a nephrologist due to my anxiety but they never called me back and had bad reviews. My grandpa was on dialysis and my mom and uncle have hypertension, I have started to log my blood pressure at home and it’s stage 2 at home as well, I do have anxiety disorders that’s making my numbers sky rocket but this is concerning. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get pills for this because you know how they get about requirements I did get a kidney ultrasound and one of my kidneys is 8.4 and the other 9.4 I’m 5’1 110 lbs but an ai is telling me maybe it’s shrinking from less blood flow, aka my blood pressure.. I would also take ibuprofen as a child due to my painful periods, currently taking ferrous sulphate and have to be back on a ppi which can also hurt kidneys. Would you guys recommend I get a beta blocker for my heart?

@ejjebdjeoe, good morning. I see you've been busy posting new discussion in various groups searching for answers. I've moved all your posts into one discussion that is visible in Lung Health, Digestive Health and Mental Health. This makes it easier for others to follow your story and keep it all in one place as we support you. I also adjusted the title to reflect your seeking a diagnosis.

Yesterday you got a CT scan. The doctor would have ordered the scan that is right for you. This is not the time to worry about whether with contrast is better or not. Waiting for results is hard. But that is what you have to do now.

It is only natural to leap to the worst case scenario like cancer, chronic kidney disease, or heart issues. But don't go there. Continue to work with your doctors. They are working hard to eliminate and confirm the causes of your symptoms. This takes time.

Your job as you wait for the results is to take care of your mental health. Anxiety thrives when focusing on the future and the unknown. Bringing yourself back to the present can help. This may seem like a silly exercise, but give it a try.

Take in your surroundings. What are 5 things you can:
See
Hear
Smell
Touch

The next thing I encourage you to do is to have pen and paper near by wherever you are. When your thoughts start whirling around in your head, write them down, especially all the questions and "what ifs" that you have. Then organize the questions logically for your next appointment with the doctor. This puts the worry into useful action. Then put it away and do something you enjoy. (no doom scrolling) 🙂

@ejjebdjeoe , anxiety over our health can be debilitating. Talk therapy helped me a great deal. I learned ways to manage my fears, obsessions and anxiety over the conditions I did have and for those conditions I didn’t have but was afraid of.

Just telling yourself to stop, calm down, find the right test, didn’t work for me. Finding a way to have peace of mind was crucial for my whole body health. Working with your medical team can help build a support system you can rely on and work on things like nutrition, exercise and meds that put your health back on track.

I wish you all the best moving forward.