Worried constant pain right side

Posted by michael1012 @michael1012, 4 days ago

Last year, I had severe pain on my right side, just below my ribs, that radiated to my back. Nothing seemed to help. The doctors ran a HIDA scan, an MRCP, and a C-19 blood test, which came back at 7. Despite these tests, they couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Eventually, after months of pain, it went away. This was back in April 2024.

Fast forward to today—over the past month, I’ve been experiencing intense pain again on my right side under my ribs. However, this time, I’m also having stomach pain, and the discomfort still radiates to my back. Last year, I underwent both an endoscopy and a colonoscopy, and both came back clean. But in the past few days, the pain has worsened significantly. I’ve been feeling nauseous all the time and experiencing diarrhea.

Now, here’s the strange part. I know a lot about diabetes because my youngest son was diagnosed with type 1 when he was three years old—he’s now 23. Most of my life, my fasting blood sugar levels in the morning were between 78 and 90. However, starting a couple of years ago, I began testing randomly, and my morning blood sugars were consistently around 117 to 125. My doctors ran an A1C test, which came back at 5.2.

Even when I fast for 24 to 48 hours, my morning blood sugar remains around 125. They call it Dawn Phenomenon (Dawn Syndrome), I believe. It takes from 7:00 a.m., when my blood sugar is at 124, until 8:00 p.m. to drop down to 90, even while fasting. Something just doesn’t seem right.

Then yesterday, when the pain got really bad, my doctor ordered blood work, including a full CBC and a lipase test. In the past, my lipase levels averaged between 25 and 35, but this time, it came back at 90. By their standards, this is only slightly high, but it’s a big change from my usual levels. I don’t think it’s just a coincidence considering how awful I feel.

Now, I’m waiting to hear back from the doctors, but I just don’t know what to do anymore. I think I’ve had about 12 scans in the past 24 months, and I’m starting to wonder how much radiation one person can take before it becomes detrimental to their health.

I’m just wondering—has anyone else dealt with similar symptoms and found out what was going on?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Pancreatic Cancer Support Group.

My husbands stomach aches all the time, and more so after he eats... he also hurts on right side, but thats where his tumor is..... the GI Oncologist can do a procedure (which my husbands is not scheduled yet) its called a Celiac plexus nerve block..... the so a scope and do an injection in that spot and its supposed to take the pain away 6-8 months.... maybe that can be an option for you?

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Where are you seeing your Doctor ? It took 6 Months and many, many scans before they finally said they were going to do surgery. His CA-19 results kept rising and then all of a sudden they tripled. They could not see anything on the scans at all. They kept saying they did not think it was Cancer but he had lost 30 lbs and was not eating. We finally went to see Dr. Yoe at Jefferson Hospital in Phila. He looked at all of the Scans and the CA-19 results. There were many indications that there was something going on in the Pancreas. They thought possibly pancreatitis but he was not in any pain at all. There was a ton of inflammation. Dr Yoe suggested doing a Distal Pancreatomy to see what was going on. They found a fairly large tumor that was in the body and tail of the Pancreas. He said all of the inflammation was hiding the tumor. The Cancer was also in 14 of the 20 lymph nodes that they removed.
You really need to go to an Oncologist that specializes in Pancreatic Cancer. I have found that no matter the good intentions that Doctors have, you have to really advocate for yourself or your loved one.

Prayers that you get an answer soon .

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Yeah so my doctor called and they are ordering a mrcp again. I just had one done back is April of 2024. As well as other CT scan with and without contrast. She is like she is not worried about cancer because I have had so many scans and it would be extremely rare it was missed everytime. And she told me cancer takes a while to grow. So it's not like I got cancer after April and now it's presenting itself 8 months later. I don't feel like I can't trust anybody anymore

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@suelannon

Where are you seeing your Doctor ? It took 6 Months and many, many scans before they finally said they were going to do surgery. His CA-19 results kept rising and then all of a sudden they tripled. They could not see anything on the scans at all. They kept saying they did not think it was Cancer but he had lost 30 lbs and was not eating. We finally went to see Dr. Yoe at Jefferson Hospital in Phila. He looked at all of the Scans and the CA-19 results. There were many indications that there was something going on in the Pancreas. They thought possibly pancreatitis but he was not in any pain at all. There was a ton of inflammation. Dr Yoe suggested doing a Distal Pancreatomy to see what was going on. They found a fairly large tumor that was in the body and tail of the Pancreas. He said all of the inflammation was hiding the tumor. The Cancer was also in 14 of the 20 lymph nodes that they removed.
You really need to go to an Oncologist that specializes in Pancreatic Cancer. I have found that no matter the good intentions that Doctors have, you have to really advocate for yourself or your loved one.

Prayers that you get an answer soon .

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I'm sorry to hear that you and your family are going through that. Did your husband have any bowel problems, changes or colors in his stove or jaundice? Cuz the only thing off on my blood work is my lipase liver seems fine. Stool color seems fine. I don't have any jaundice.

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@michael1012

I'm sorry to hear that you and your family are going through that. Did your husband have any bowel problems, changes or colors in his stove or jaundice? Cuz the only thing off on my blood work is my lipase liver seems fine. Stool color seems fine. I don't have any jaundice.

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No, my Husband had no Bowel issues and no Jaundice. The Tumor never showed up on a Scan.
the only symptoms he had were loss of appetite and feeling very tired all of the time. His
CA19-9 tests kept going up slowly and then all of a sudden tripled to over 2000.

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@suelannon

No, my Husband had no Bowel issues and no Jaundice. The Tumor never showed up on a Scan.
the only symptoms he had were loss of appetite and feeling very tired all of the time. His
CA19-9 tests kept going up slowly and then all of a sudden tripled to over 2000.

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They scheduled a MRI for March 18th. That is the soonest they can get me in. Makes me worry to wait that long considering I feel so awful. My vision has also gone downhill over the last 24 months. This morning when. I check my blood sugar is was 181. All I had to eat yesterday was a bowl of plain oatmeal.

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The pain in my right side was the only symptom I experienced. Ct scan revealed a mass on the head of my pancreas. I went to the Mayo Clinic for a second opinion and treatment. After 8 months of chemo and radiation I had my surgery in April 2024, and cancer free since.
Please seek a second opinion from a center of excellence. Best Wishes

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