My partner has been having severe abdominal pain for over 2 years now and has been going to the Dr every couple of months for all that time. He had 3 monthly CT scans, ultrasounds, x-rays and blood tests, all with no significant results except some fluid in his pelvis and around his liver.
This was extracted via ultrasound guided aspiration and sent off for testing by pathology, but even that found nothing significant. He also had a gastroscopy done, which found nothing.
It was only when the GP threw her hands up in exasperation and sent him to see a diagnostic surgeon that we got some answers.
As soon as the surgeon saw the pathology report describing the fluid as gelatinous, he said it was likely to be a ruptured tumour of the appendix. He did a colonoscopy, which found a large number of polyps in the intestine, then scheduled a laproscopy, in order to remove the tumour via keyhole surgery.
However, when he put the camera in , he found the tumour was much larger and more aggressive-looking than he expected, so the surgeon took biopsies and didn't perform any further surgery.
One week later, we were back at his office, being told the tumour was malignant and beyond his skills to deal with. He said he was going to refer us to a surgeon at the PA Hospital, who was the only person in QLD who could perform this amazing surgery.
But now, 4 weeks later, the surgeon still hasn't written the referral and my partner is going crazy from the waiting. We are so frustrated that now they finally know what is causing all this pain, things have stalled.
If the surgeon hasn't written the referral by next week, we are going to ask the GP if she can write it instead.
