Hospital Appointment

[raggamuffin]

So after my 6th course of antibiotics (in 14 months) the Epididymitis pain returned 2 days later. Got an appointment at the hospital todya with the urologists. I'm going to be frank with them - I need help and i'm not sure what they can do. Still an enigma to modern medicine if it doesn't respond to antibiotics. Surgery has barely over a 40% success rate and prone to cause complications.

Epididy can also result in prostatitis which can be another chronic incurable condition. Both of which can be lifelong. Not so fun I must say. Well i'll be honest with them, detailed, ask for whatever tests they can as i've seen over 10 Dr's about this and the best I got was an ultrasound (showing inflammation), physical examinations and urine samples. Nothing really conclusive other than "it's an infection but we can't treat it if antibiotics don't work"

Oh what fun

Ed

[petrified]

Good luck ed I hope everything goes ok and keep us updated.

[Dahila]

Good luck and keep us posted, :)

[Greggs2583]

I wish you good luck Edward :)

[raggamuffin]

Seems this whole issue is sharing many similarities to anxiety pains. Over sensitized state of mind, nerve endings hypersensitive. Dr thinks yes, originally there was some infection but since then the nerves have been overly sensitized and excess blood flow to the area, chemicals to combat pain, tensioned muscles in the pelvic floor and all this can easily cause swelling and pain in the area.

The fact the pain goes when anitiobtics were taken seems to signify a placebo role more than one of combating an actual infection. The way my pain has been and what provokes it etc seems to also suggest its inflammation and not infection. In fact he said 9 times out of 10 it's not an infection.

So i'm having another ultrasound to check my prostate and whether or not theres an infection. Check urine before and after the ultrasound n prostate massage (maybe tmi sorry). Afterwards they will see what's best to do. In his opinion (he's consultant urologist so as high up as they come) it'll be pain management, pelvic floor exercses, other therapies and possibly low dose amitriptyline again to manage pain.

He said some minor pains could continue indefinately however, much like anxiety pains - the more you focus and stress over them the more you empower them. In the back of my mind I was thinkign this was being fuelled by anxiety and stress. The times i'm happy it's often dull or not even there. But always in the background there has been swelling and tenderness. Plus having 6 courses of antibiotics sort of put this other notion in my mind - that it was an infection. But in reality it's similar to anxiety and by assuming there is an infection and something wrong - chronic epidiymitis - a lifelong incurable condition? I've allowed this pain to continue day in day out for 14 months.

I guess I couldn't really piece it all together. So i'll have more test and much like ECG and such like when you go to ER/A&E with a panic attack I imagine the results will come back fine. In fact the Dr said he's pretty much positive it will. So then they'll work with me to help reduce this nerve sensitivty and pain. In the mean time i'm going to go for a healthier diet, anti inflammatory foods and continue to work on my general anxiety and stress levels.

So when I got back to work, there was some pain now and then. There's some pain now. but you know what? I'm not jumping to the usual - epidiymitis, infection, cysts or other what if's. Instead i'm accepting what the Dr has said and getting on with it. You know what? No stress. Seems to be effective, it's just annoying it took me a year to realize this. Then again that's 3 times quicker than it took for me to accept all the pains I get daily are from anxiety.

Ed

[ab123]

Hey ed, I just got back from an appointment where my doctor explained a lot of the same things, she said. Your system is a little out If whack, I will not give you a diagnosis because it will become your life. Your brain is a powerful thing, and can create any and all symptoms based on the strong belief that you have them. Testing for food allergies because she thinks that's what it is, and she said to just move on. And see how well that helps me. So ed, looks like we are in the same boat here. Let's move on. We can do it.