Bloating/ascites/fat stomach. (?)

[ThisIsSimplyBeyond]

Hi

I have a problem with my belly atm. I am concerned it is ascites, yet I feel I am having my concerns minimised because I am also fat. To be clear though, bigger or smaller; my fat has always been on my arse (except for the apron left from post DC), whereas this is all on my abdomen.

So, I am also hardly eating because it makes me feel sick. I basically feel like I'm seven or eight months pregnant, it feels heavy, puts pressure on my bladder, and I can't lay on my front cause it's like lying on a ball. It is so uncomfortable, and it sometimes makes me need to catch my breath. My thyroid has been checked and is fine. Results are the top end of fine, but fine.

I spoke to the dr at the end of March about it and was sent for the bloods for my thyroid. They also checked if I am in menopause as my periods have pretty much stopped (some spotting, that's all). I have now had a second lot of bloods today to (apparently, I didn't see what they are testing) check for PCOS. By the time I actually see a doctor (i have an appt for the end of next week), it will be nearly a month since I first spoke to her. In this time, no one has examined me.

Am I right to be concerned? I feel that because my BMI is high they aren't taking me seriously when I say this "swelling" (or whatever it is) is new. They're just thinking I'm fat. Then with the eating, I know how common it is to assume the fat person is lying when they say they don't eat 🙄
I am worried that my weight is staying pretty stable, despite me not eating enough because of the increased swelling. Even allowing for meds affecting my metabolism, I eat less than one meal a day, and my BMR alone is near 2000 (I'm tall). It is this problem with non-weight-loss that makes me think it is not just bloating (as obviously air wouldn't weigh anything)

So I know it's covid-times and everything takes longer, but IABU to think it should be taken more seriously?

@ThisIsSimplyBeyond I'm so pleased you are going, you will feel so much better to be listened to. I am thinking of you and hoping you will be able to report back to us soon

Good luck @ThisIsSimplyBeyond hope you get some answers .

Good luck

Really hope you get some answers today OP

Good luck OP

Hopefully you have some answers and some relief now.

Unfortunately not
A&e triage nurse made a big fuss about “you do know this is a&e, we’re for emergencies” and made me cry. The doctor then was actually nice, but said they “can’t scan in a&e, especially as it’s ongoing and I have an appt for next week”. She also said that as far as she could tell, there isn’t any fluid cause “when it’s fluid your abdomen is massive and strained” which I know is true in extremis, and I guess that’s what she usually sees in a&e...? 🤷🏼‍♀️

Took a load of my pain meds to go to sleep then last night, in hope of a good one for once, then woke up ill in the night feeling very ill from the side effects (temperamental body doesn’t usually react like that 🙄)

So today I also have a banging stress headache too

@ThisIsSimplyBeyond oh dear you poor thing, this sounds very unsatisfactory, I would have been crying too. You must be so uncomfortable and upset.

Trying not to think about it tbh 😕 hoping to go to the pub later (if I'm not feeling too bad, obviously) just so time passes faster and I'm closer to getting my bloody scan!

How stressful OP, I am so sorry.

You were the first person I thought of when I woke up this morning. Was following your thread last night.

You are being very strong OP,very measured, I hope this gets resolved asap.

Thank you so much to everyone for responding btw - it's much easier to deal with when you are all being so supportive. Without you I'd be wondering if I was just being a paranoid hypochondriac for not being happy with my treatment

Most definitely not a paranoid hypochondriac. You need and deserve answers. In fact, I’m appalled you’ve been left so long for a scan after the second gp identified ascites. 💐

Also appalled on your behalf. So sorry to hear this. As if the worry isn't bad enough, having to fight every step of the way is dreadful.

I’m just having a bath to try to sort out my headache (it won’t go ☹️ pub postponed til tomorrow), and I’ve noticed that where the pulling type pain is all on the right side, actually if I look down towards my feet - the right side is noticeably more swollen than the left.

I don’t know if that means anything or is just a coincidence. Be bloody typical if something is wrong that requires an op, on the side of my belly that has the hundreds of pounds tattoo

@ThisIsSimplyBeyond you poor thing, you are really going through it. I am hoping Thursday comes quickly for you, all the waiting and worrying is horrible, no wonder you have a cracking head.

You definitely aren't being a paranoid hypochondriac, I have been there with being fobbed off and it is dreadful, I felt so defeated and upset.

Just popped in to see your update and really feel for you and wish you weren't going through this waiting and feeling unwell and cannot believe your experience at A&E. @ThisIsSimplyBeyond

You poor, poor thing OP. I’m not medically trained but everything you’ve posted indicates that you are properly unwell.

If you have diagnosed ascites that is impacting your breathing why can’t a doctor drain it? Not you fault obviously. You’re trying but something is going on here and at the very least you should be given treatment to ease your discomfort.

Have you had any kind of imaging yet? US or CT?
If not I'm not sure anyone can definitely say it is ascites vs cyst.
No one is going to stick a needle or drain in an abdomen without knowing this. It's a procedure that has significant infection risk.
You mentioned up thread you haven't had your kidney function checked. This is on your blood tests as urea and creatinine.
for you OP. This must be horribly stressful

Blue, there isn't agreement that it is ascites yet, unfortunately I complicate things by also being fat, so it's harder to find things on prodding me

Shirley, nope - no imaging yet. Of course I don't expect anyone to drain it without even knowing if it's there, that would be rather silly. I (possibly wrongly) would have expected a definite diagnosis - when it can be a sign of such serious things - to have been a bit more of a priority than it has been though. Fair enough if it was only me querying it, but if the second doctor said he believed it was, surely would have been the point where definitive diagnosis would have been important?

I will say btw, the second doctor who said he thought it was ascites, was the only one who did the shifting dullness test. So I trust his word on it more than the others, who only had a bit of a poke around.

@ThisIsSimplyBeyond
I've sent you a PM.

Thanks, I've replied

How are you OP?