Moving on with Diagnosis

I went to the doctor last week. Nothing conclusive, again, but we're moving forward with trying to figure out what's wrong. Maybe it isn't IBS, maybe it is, but we're going to continue to try and pin it down instead of giving up and trying to manage it. Because I can't manage it. Nothing I've done has made a lasting difference. And when something seems to work, it only works for a little while and then I'm back where I started, still in pain. 

The pain's actually getting worse lately. Again, I don't know why, since I haven't changed my diet, exercise or routine. I can't take the strong pain killers because they cause constipation, and that's the last thing I need right now. So I have to try to get by with over the counter pain killers, which sometimes help and sometimes don't. Really, I'm working on pushing through it with natural remedies, like melatonin and valerian at bedtime. I'm afraid they'll stop working too. 

Thanks to a cancellation, I'll be getting a colonoscopy next week. I'm not looking forward to the prep that I remember Ambrose going through when he had his preventative screening years ago. But at the same time, I want to take this next step and check out what's going on. And I'll be doing this at a different gastroenterology clinic, because I did not appreciate how I was communicated with at the first one. 

In other fun news, I also get the privilege of collecting some samples for a fecal occult blood test. It's... not the kind of thing that sparks joy. But again, it's a step towards figuring thing out. 

I hope this turns out to be something fixable. Preferably something easy to fix. But even if we do a ton of tests and they decide that it's IBS after all, I think I'll feel better knowing that with more certainty. And I'll definitely be more assertive in getting help with a management plan other than "ignore the pain, because it's just functional." Which is pretty much what the doc from the other gastro place told me to do.