Reaction to CT Scan?

Hi all,  the last few days have not been fun (and to be honest, this is kind of gross), but figured I should share, since I have been sharing everything and it may help someone out there reading this.

As I posted the other day, I had a CT Scan with contrast dye of my abdomen and chest this past Friday (3-23-12).  As with previous scans with the lovely contrast material, that tastes so God awful, I came home feeling like I had the flu.  Basically the symptoms for me were being extremely tired, nauseated and a slight headache.  As per usual, I took a nap.  Unfortunately, unlike the previous times where I felt better when I woke up, this time I was not so lucky.  I woke up with heartburn.  Now, I've written about having heartburn before, but I can tell you, this was the absolute worst I have ever had.....the burning was constant and it was radiating all the way up into my throat.  I took Tums and Maalox, but nothing helped, plus remember I'm still taking a double dose of Prilosec every morning (40MG).  This severe heartburn kept me awake the entire night on Friday, and continued non-stop all through the weekend, until it finally subsided some on Sunday morning and left me with a side-effect, no one has seemed to have heard of before (why am I shocked?)  Anyways, all day Sunday my tongue felt as if it had been bitten or run over with a grater.  I tried to ignore it, used Chloraseptic Sore Throat spray to numb it, but it continued to get worse.  I looked at it in the mirror and was surprised to find it covered in red sores and a white, thick substance, which when I brushed my teeth and tried to scape it off, left me almost is tears and with a mouthful of blood.  I went to the doctor on Monday morning and they said it was thrush and now I'm taking Nystatin to clear it up. The family practice doctor I saw (not mine, but urgent care, since her office couldn't fit me into her schedule), was guessing and said he thought I had a reaction to the barium liquid they made be drink or to the dye (not sure if this is just hypersensitivity or an allergic reaction), and this caused the heartburn, which in turn, basically burned the inside of my mouth.   I see my gastro doctor on the 2nd and the pain med specialist on the 3rd, but in the mean time, I'm stuck with this....although they know what's going on.  Still waiting for the results of the CT scan.  It's hard to believe having a CT Scan could cause so much trouble, or just how much damage that acid can do....wonder what it did to my throat and my stomach lining?  Scary thoughts.

More tests?

Saw the gastro-specialist yesterday afternoon....more tests, here I come :)  We'll see where this leads now.  He scheduled me for a CT Scan with contrast of my abdomen and my chest for tomorrow morning (3-23).  He also called a consult while I was at his office, so I will now be seen by three doctors--as gastroenterology specialist, a general surgeon, and a pain management specialist.  I meet with the general surgeon on 4-2 to discuss the results of tomorrow's CT scan.   Both doctors are suspecting I may have a tear, either in the mesh from my para-esophageal hernia repair, under the mesh within the muscle, or there may be a tear in the abdominal wall.  All three have the symptoms that I am experiencing, so we'll see what this test shows, if anything.  In the mean time, they also want me to see a pain specialist, since the current pain medications are not cutting it and they explained there are many other options available.  Not sure when I'll get in there, but at this point, any kind of movement towards a solution is better than just being passed around from uncaring doctor to the next uncaring doctor, right?  I'll post again soon.

Another NEW doctor

For those of you not wanting to read the back posts, here's a recap:  I had bariatric surgery (roux-in-y)  in July 2008--starting at almost 300lbs.  By Spring 2009, down to 180lbs., but problems started:  had kidney stone April 2009, Gall Bladder removed and a incisional hernia repaired July 2009, exploratory surgery--found adhesions in October 2009. Lost my job and health insurance-Nov. '09.  Down to 165lbs.--Pain and problems got so bad I called my bariatric surgeon for help, even without insurance in May 2011.  Started testing, all came back normal, switched doctors, finally exploratory surgery in December 2011 discovered a very large para-esophageal hernia which was repaired. Felt great for about 2 weeks, vomited and all symptoms returned worse than ever...now down to 140lbs.  Losing this weight was truly not worth what I've gone through...

Since last time I posted, I had the chest x-rays, the aortic duplex, and the gastric emptying study and as per usual, all came back normal.  I'm still having a hard time keeping food down, or if I do the pain is almost unbearable..the last doctor increased the dosage on my pain medication, but it still just takes the edge off, it doesn't eliminate it.  The pain is still there 24 hours a day and is so bad now, its waking me up in the middle of the night, the minute the pain pills wear off.  I'm afraid to eat and something as simple as an ensure shake or yogurt isn't even staying down some of the time now.  I've lost so much weight, I am now down to a size four....I can't remember ever being in a size four...maybe when I was 10?  I absolutely hate seeing pictures of myself, since I'm basically turning into skin and bones and I think I'm beginning to look anorexic. My family practice doctor, has now referred me to a gastroenterology specialist, who I see tomorrow (March 21).  Yes, this is getting old...I feel like the "hot potato" that no one wants to hold and I just keep getting pushed from one doctor to the next. Every doctor does a couple of tests, then decides they either don't have time (or maybe just are not willing to invest the time) or whatever is going on is beyond their level of education needed.  Over the years the family practice doctors and gastro specialists have automatically referred me to the bariatric specialists, but then the bariatric specialist keep saying this isn't a bariatric issue.....where does this leave me?   It is unbelievably frustrating to me and I am truly losing all my faith in the medical system in which doctors are supposed to care about their patients. It really feels like they just don't care and I just can't comprehend this. We'll see what this specialist says tomorrow, then who knows, maybe I will end up having to find a doctor out of state or something...I'm running out of options.