possible diagnosis!
This, of course, will have to be confirmed with a CT, but it FEELS right. I went to see a 2nd GI/general surgeon, this one at UNC, and he was a good deal more explanatory and willing to listen than the first (irritating) guy.
To those playing catch-up, this is all about my abdominal pain on picking up heavy things. I pick up something heavy (like, say, a baby, or a bag of groceries) and it hurts. Last time I picked up a bag of groceries it hurt for four days. This was about 6 weeks ago. This started when I had a baby (unsurprisingly), although it had been exacerbated by bagpiping, carrying my right foot around while on crutches, and the way I used to hold my hips. At any rate, the visit started out well (including a bus ride because parking at UNC Hospitals SUCKS). I didn't even have time to sit down in the waiting room. I talked to a resident first (when did they get so YOUNG?!?), who was so impressed with my latest medical trick (circling or outlining the problem spot(s) with sharpie) he told me I was hired. I told him that I worked at Dark-blue-U, at which point both he and the nurse said 'What are you doing here, then?!?' which was funny. He felt the crevasse I've got at the bottom of the rectus abdominus, but didn't know quite what to do next. He went and got the attending, who was the man I was there to see anyway. After a great deal of poking around and pushing (which HURT), he sat down and drew me a picture. He thinks I've got an epigastric hernia, which is much more common in newborns. He did also say that I'm not the first bagpiper he's seen (he's a hernia specialist). He said that I need a different kind of CT than the other doctor had tried to order for me, and I've got that scheduled for the 28th of September, with a follow-up visit to see him that same day.
If that's it, then I'll need surgery, and I'll push for the mesh type instead of sutures because I DON'T want to do this again (and I'm not growing, either). I think I can handle this.
To those playing catch-up, this is all about my abdominal pain on picking up heavy things. I pick up something heavy (like, say, a baby, or a bag of groceries) and it hurts. Last time I picked up a bag of groceries it hurt for four days. This was about 6 weeks ago. This started when I had a baby (unsurprisingly), although it had been exacerbated by bagpiping, carrying my right foot around while on crutches, and the way I used to hold my hips. At any rate, the visit started out well (including a bus ride because parking at UNC Hospitals SUCKS). I didn't even have time to sit down in the waiting room. I talked to a resident first (when did they get so YOUNG?!?), who was so impressed with my latest medical trick (circling or outlining the problem spot(s) with sharpie) he told me I was hired. I told him that I worked at Dark-blue-U, at which point both he and the nurse said 'What are you doing here, then?!?' which was funny. He felt the crevasse I've got at the bottom of the rectus abdominus, but didn't know quite what to do next. He went and got the attending, who was the man I was there to see anyway. After a great deal of poking around and pushing (which HURT), he sat down and drew me a picture. He thinks I've got an epigastric hernia, which is much more common in newborns. He did also say that I'm not the first bagpiper he's seen (he's a hernia specialist). He said that I need a different kind of CT than the other doctor had tried to order for me, and I've got that scheduled for the 28th of September, with a follow-up visit to see him that same day.
If that's it, then I'll need surgery, and I'll push for the mesh type instead of sutures because I DON'T want to do this again (and I'm not growing, either). I think I can handle this.