If conversations about bowel movements gross you out, you may want to stop reading this entry. I wont go into details, I've never been that kind of person who poops and tells. HA!
Well, I never mentioned that one of the reasons I haven't been writing so often is because I've been in a lot of pain. First it was the pain from the sinuses in my face. But recently, I have been having really bad pains when I inhale deeply. It is under my breasts around the rib cage area and wraps around to the back. Sometimes it goes down the side from chest to hip (again rib cage area). I have no idea what is causing the pain but the only thing helping was Tylenol codeine.
Tylenol codeine can be your best friend and worst enemy. It makes you drowsy, dizzy, constipated, and can cause you problems breathing. I haven't taken my inhalers really since I've been home (April 19). For one, I don't hear any wheezing, my lungs feel fine, and my family and friends are convinced that my medication for asthma's played a role in my getting cancer. Don't ask, I'm not sure how to explain...and there is really no proof to say it did or it didn't. Also, since I have been in California, I started taking Advair and recently heard some commercials that are not sitting well with me so I stopped taking it cold turkey.
Okay! My point! I thought maybe the Tylenol codeine was in fact making my breathing suffer or something. My husband explained to me that as an opiate, what it does is really relaxes you so your breathing is less per minute. So it's not that it does something to your breathing it just slows it down. So really that can't be the reason for the pain.
My husband decided after I was up for an hour crying my eyes out because the pain was so bad and I couldn't sleep any which way, to do some research. He read that the pain can be caused by heartburn, it can be caused by gas, and it can be caused by a blockage in your intestines...ie. constipation.
Well. I noticed that the food I have does cause a lot of gas and burping. Maybe because of all the vitamins and nutrients in my liquid food?! Anyway. When I started taking the Tylenol codeine for all the pain, I noticed the gas had stopped. So it could be that.
Also, I realized I was having bad heartburn lately and realized also I hadn't been drinking as much water in between meals as usual so it could be that too.
And lastly. I hadn't gone to the bathroom for 1-2 weeks ( I can't remember) since I started taking the Tylenol codeine as well.
My Occupational Therapist came to see me on Friday and I told her what was going on. She was very concerned and said I had to go to the hospital (urgent care) right away. She said that my intestines could pop, and to be bluntly honest, you can die. This was the icing on my cake! I asked her what she thought they would do? She said probably an enema. I was so angry. I am usually very private about what you do behind the closed bathroom door. It is gross and not something you share...in my opinion. However, now I had to have someone else see and do something to my bum...not a happy girl!
My alternative...not good either! I didn't want my intestines to rupture.
So I waited it out and then found out that the urgent care wasn't open until later in the evening anyway. I stopped taking the Tylenol codeine and just took regular Tylenol and everything seemed to go okay. That night when I went to bed, my husband said to me, if you don't go to the bathroom in the morning, we have to go to the hospital. I was really upset because the next day was Relay for Life and started at 9 am. I would miss everything if I went to the hospital.
Sure enough, that morning when I woke up...needless to say, I didn't go to the hospital! Yeay! What a relief. The pain also seemed to go away for a while, and my sides didn't hurt so bad. Last night they were hurting me though so I'm still not 100% sure what the issue really is.
Moral of the story, it really isn't good to hold it in! I didn't really realize my intestines could just pop if they don't get to do what they are suppose to do. But it obviously makes sense way. If you have problems, or symptoms like I had, you may want to get checked out and make sure you are okay.
