so cancer maybe?

Tests and investigations
1

I'm feeling pretty confident... errr... that something is terribly wrong with my guts.  In early november I ate what was likely undercooked shrimp.  I was intoxicated and wasn't paying too much attention, but these were shrimp burgers with breadcrumbs and spices mixed in that were cooked as patties.  Our stove is tilted and cheap.  The oil runs to one side of the pan.  I only checked the temp of the two patties that were basically submerged in oil, the other two patties were not in any oil.  You might think this wouldn't make much difference, but I've had chicken at 120 and 165F, the 120F pieces were not in the oil due to the slant, the 165F pieces were in the oil.  Honestly it may not be shrimp or parasites at all, but parasites are appealing because, well, its not cancer, and there are medications or procedures for most parasites.

My gut continues to grow.  I can't eat much because i get full fast.  I had elevated liver enzymes two months in row, but this last test was good and my enzymes are within normal levels.  I feel like there is just a bunch of fluid in my abdomen.  Its not gas, and it feels like a water balloon not like anything is even beneath the skin where it pooches out.  the distension is in my upper abdomen.  I notice changes every 4 days or so, the growth is slow enough day to day that it looks the same, but every 4 days you can tell it was larger than the 4 days before.

Just did a occult blood stool sample on my poo which I think my doc may be delaying to help justify the CT that was ordered.  I'm just thinking out loud.  If its negative then its harder to justify the test.  If its positive then back to the gastro.  Not really wanting to go back to the gastro because they aren't feeling my urgency.  I went back a couple weeks ago because of pain and this continued growth, they checked my liver enzymes and scheduled me two months out.   They also falsely reported in the lab notes that I declined to have a colonoscopy.  She asked if were to prescribe one if I would do it, I just said "idk", since the doctor had told us that as long as I'm pooping its not necessary.  Not a big deal, I just wonder why enter that into the system?  For liability?  I'm cynical.  They are nice enough, but they move at a snails pace.. or not at all.

My CT scan is monday.  Its inconceivable that they will find nothing.  Can they see inflammation?  say like if the colon wall is thicker than normal or something like that?  I figure the possibilities are as follows:

cancer

pancreatitis

diverticulitis

some kind of hepatitis

an auto immune or inflammatory condition

ascites secondary to cancer, pancreatitis, parasites, or liver disease

parasites

lesions

bacterial overgrowth / sepsis

That's more or less everything that can go wrong.  If it was just pain I would not be sweating it.  I haven't gone to a doctor in years except for a few months ago for antibiotics for a sinus infection.  I don't like taking medicine if I don't have to, and I just hate going to doctors.  They are usually pompous or sweetly condescending, and its just generally a terrible experience.  I take my lumps and deal with things my self.  The concerning thing here is that the physical dimensions of my body are changing rapidly, accompanied by pain in the same region, accompanied by elevated liver enzymes, and on the heel of possibly eating raw shrimp and I just know that nothing good will come of this.

I should add that I drank a six pack per day for 5 years until december.  I also have "asian" flush, which statistically makes my risk of gastric, nasopharyngeal, esophageal cancer 15x higher if I consume alcohol, which I did, and to my lack of credit I knew this before I started drinking.  My body cannot rapidly facilitate the enzymatic breakdown of intermediate ethanol metabolites.  It is a common mutation in asia and japan.  As many as 1 in 2 people have ALDH2 deficiency there.

I pretty much cannot shake thoughts of my mortality.  I am quite terrified, and now the internet knows.

2

Hi Elijah,

Are you actually measuring your abdomen on a regular basis? You say that "every four days you can tell it looks larger". If you're not doing it already, you really need to start measuring the bit of your abdomen that looks swollen about three times a week and noting the measurements if you're to have any credibility with your doctors. And how about your weight? Is that going up at the same rate as the abdominal swelling? If it's ascites, your weight would be rising steadily as fluid is heavier than fat. Our eyes can play tricks on us when we're anxious, so it's better to work with the facts.

That being said, our bodies can play tricks on us too. Ever heard of women who have phantom pregnancies? It's relatively easy to psychosomatically inflate the abdomen, as opposed to, say, an arm or a leg. And, of course, everyone's abdomen varies a bit from day to day. It depends on what we've been eating. But if you really think there's a swelling, you should document it.

As a former nurse, I totally endorse your feeling that it's usually better to avoid getting sucked into the medical system! However, there are some symptoms it might be a good idea to get checked out, and a rapidly swelling abdomen is one of them. What isn't a good idea is looking up every possible cause of your symptoms then panicking about them.

You don't say how old you are, which might also be useful to know.

Going through your symptoms, I think you can strike some of them out immediately. Sepsis, for example. In this case, you'd have become very seriously ill within days and would probably be dead by now. Hepatitis: are you jaundiced? Parasites: depends where you are in the world. It's perfectly possible to pick something up from under-cooked foods, particularly in the warmer regions of the globe. Ascites does seem to be a possibility, but it normally only occurs in the very late stages of abdominal cancers, and I think you'd have known about it long before now if you did have cancer. And the one thing you didn't add to your list of possible causes was anxiety!

A CT scan isn't the most sensitive of tests but it would certainly spot a cancer that was at such an advanced stage it was causing ascites. MRI is the gold standard but I suspect from your writing style that you might be in the US, where I know this can be an expensive business.

I wouldn't worry too much about the "Asian flush" though it was a very sensible decision to scale down from a six-pack every day, which really is too much alcohol. I've always had it too (possibly inherited from an Indian great-granny) and my liver enzymes have always been on the high side, but this hasn't worsened with age or caused any health problems. I'm now 71 and admit that I drink more (in the form of wine) than the very low British recommendations, but within the much more generous WHO recommendations.

Get your CT scan done on Monday. It will give you a lot of answers, and probably some reassurance. And don't forget to post again in this thread once you get the results. I seem to be the only one following at the moment, but I'm sure there'll be more people rooting for you as time goes by!

3

I'm 30, I live in US.  My scale is beat up, but I seem to be holding steady with weight.  I started taking measurements last night.  I picked two places, just beneath the ribs and about an inch above the navel.  I figure there are standard ways to measure, but mine was neither an inhale or an exhale.  I measured with no muscular tension on the diaphragm.  Which might seem like an exhale, but I think I exhale a bit past that.  Anyway, small adjustments in the tape and placement can affect the numbers so I need to perform the measurement the same everytime.  I'm going to measure daily.  No jaundice that I can tell.  I garden and cats come in my yard, possums too.  I also have some animals of my own.  Worth noting that the day after I ate the shrimp I was nautious, but I also had alcohol.  still, my stomach was more queasy than normal.  That lasted until the next day, then the next day, then the day after that I was getting really dizzy.  I was feeling very bizarre.  I would wake up in the middle of the night feeling like I was on drugs or something.  Just really disoriented.  That's when I first felt that physical movement makes the pain in my stomach worse, like something is tugging or rubbing.  I felt tired all the time and just started sleeping more.

4

*nauseous

5

I figure pancreatitis is reasonable due to my drinking, but the pain isn't coming from where most folks with pancreatitis have it.  My blood sugar isn't high, but it was outside the limits set by the lab twice now.

Back in november I was forcing myself to vomit after drinking a small glass of water, or eating "too much" oatmeal.  The pain was sharp and intense, but also diffuse.  The pain was in my stomach because I could feel cold foods and acidic foods trickle over the sensitive spot, but it was also very low and to my side.  The gastro said I have a small hiatal hernia and some gastritis after he scoped me.  He did go into the duodenum, but it was very brief.  The whole thing lasted about 2 minutes.  I think he sped it up because I was unsedated.  He biopsied and checked for giardia and h pylori which came back negative.

6

Keep up the measurements but don't be alarmed if you sometimes get quite big day-to-day variations. This is perfectly normal. It's only if there's a steady upward trend over time that you need to be concerned, and then only if it can't be explained by generalised weight gain. Can you use a public scale somewhere? (But always the same one, as they vary quite a bit.) They have them in some pharmacies in my country.

I suspect the disorientation on waking in the night may well be a late consequence of drinking a six-pack per day for five years. You did the right thing when you put a stop to that.

My money is on the CT scan not turning up anything at all, but I still think you should go ahead with it. And I'm wondering whether you've already mentioned your frequent brushes with wildlife to your doctor. Most parasites can be identified via blood or stool tests. I don't know whether they'd automatically test for that kind of thing where you live.

Keep up the measurements, but try not to worry too much. Only two more days till you have the CT scan. In the unlikely event it shows anything serious you wouldn't even have to wait for the official report, as the technician would flag it up immediately.

I hope all goes well on Monday.

7

Not sure I understand why you were forcing yourself to vomit after drinking a small glass of water or too much oatmeal...

While a six-pack per day over five years is a pretty impressive amount of alcohol, I very much doubt whether it would be enough to cause alcohol-related pancreatitis, particularly at your young age. The body is very resilient - which is not to say I think you should carry on drinking at that rate. Also, the pain from acute pancreatitis tends to be very severe indeed, to the point of being disabling. It's usually felt in the back or shoulders as well as - or, indeed, sometimes instead of - the abdomen. Doesn't sound to me as if your pain fits the bill.

The slight gastritis can easily be explained by the excessive drinking. Even though you've put an end to that, it will take a while for your stomach lining to return to normal.

Wait for the results of the CT scan. Nothing's going to happen over the weekend.

8

Well I didn't do it for fun smile  I was experiencing intense pain and pressure.

9

I hear what you are saying about the alcohol, but also consider that I am ALDH2 deficient.  If I don't drink my body doesn't upregulate the enzymes, and if I drink say, 2 glasses of 3 ounces of wine each, my face, chest, and arms will trun bright red, and I get hives.  Discernable little islands of red that look like I got stung by wasps.

10

I try not to think about it.  Its when I look down and see this balloon that I get worried.  I guess I gotta just not look down hehe.  I appreciate the support.   Monday is only 2 days away, if its anything too severe it'll show up.  I never put sugar in my coffee, but I just put sugar in my coffee and holy cow this is pretty psychedelic.  I avoid sugar.  Off topic I know, but this stream of consciousness thing fits into the general catharsis sought by my first posting

11

Good luck with the CT scan tomorrow! I'm off to bed now - after midnight in my neck of the woods. Good night!

12

My CT returned normal.

The left (or right?) side of my colon has been cramping and I've been passing mucus.  Looks like when you poach an egg, or if you were to soak some thin tissue in the toilet overnight.  My stomach has grown since just a couple days ago.  I thought I would get some closure.  Now I'm just clueless.  I just at a loss

13

I have an alternative therapy in mind, will see if that will help with the discomfort.  Going to start lifting some weights again, and meditating.  And eating oatmeal.  Previously I could get pain free eating mostly oatmeal and prunes and other bits as needed.

Anyone here familiar with CTs?  most of the CT was done with me breathing.  There was no contrast.  If I had some huge mass that would be visible even without contrast, right?  I mean could it be mistaken for stool?

14

Hi Elijah, I'm glad your CT came back normal, even if that doesn't bring resolution. You don't need contrast for all CTs. And you're right - if you had some huge mass, the scan would have picked it up.

Mucus in stool is rarely serious, unless it's excessive. A small amount is quite normal, and constipation can increase the amount (as well as causing pain and bloating).

Has the occult blood stool test been done yet? I believe you said your doctor was withholding this for the time being. Not that that would be conclusive - about half the population tests positive for occult blood in stools, mostly for perfectly innocent reasons. And have you thought again about having the colonoscopy you were offered? It might be a good idea.

Finally, I'm wondering how long you've been measuring your girth now and how much it's increased overall in that period - in inches or centimetres. Day-on-day increases don't really count as we all vary in size, depending on whether we're constipated, what we ate the night before, or how stressed we are. But if you'd been measuring yourself for, say, a month and your girth had gone up by 6 inches in that time, that would be significant.

Meditation and exercise both sound like a good idea, especially as stress is a major cause of bloating. But keep up the measurements too, until you reach a definite conclusion one way or the other. If you were to chart your daily measurements and this proved your girth was increasing, it would be a good way to get your doctor to take you seriously and send you for an MRI, which might provide the ultimate reassurance. An MRI is much more sensitive - and unfortunately much more expensive - than a CT scan.