Right sided discomfort

[smudgesicle]

Prefacing my post with the fact that I know we're not doctors on here. I'm just looking for some suggestions or things I can push my onc for.

I've been having some on-off right sided discomfort for the last couple of months. Never 'pain' as such, more of an uncomfortable, dull sensation in and around my ribs, upper abdomen, back, chest, and occasionally shoulder. It honestly feels like it moves around a bit. But generally it presents as a dull gnawing under my ribs and it's becoming more on than off. But it's never been sharp or sudden.

Late last year I had some similar pain on the left side but it was more in my back. CT Scan and Bone Scan in January revealed nothing to do with that. But CT noted a fatty liver with some sparing. I followed up the fatty liver with an ultrasound in June, still there but no other focal changes and everything else (gallbladder, pancreas, kidneys) all aok. The left sided pain was never felt again after I had my small bowel obstruction and subsequent resection in Jan, so possibly caused by adhesions or a random muscular thing.

I finished chemo 6 weeks ago. At that time CEA was normal, CA19-9 elevated, liver not palpable on examination, LFTs normal, and no 'sore spots' to the touch. Onc pretty much said liver couldn't feel pain unless highly inflamed/swollen which it wasn't according the the ultrasound and blood tests and reiterated that cancer doesn't usually cause pain. My first post-chemo CT is in 6 weeks.

I see my surgeon next week to talk permanent colostomy after my failed reversal so I'm going to ask him to take a look around in surgery but I'm at a bit of a loss at to what it could be. Adhesions? Gallbladder (despite u/s)? Liver involvement? Bone mets (despite clean bone scan 6 months ago)? Trying to not freak out but as we all know...

[weisssoccermom]

Is your right sided pain constant or does it come after specific activity....such as eating? I ask because I had gallbladder problems which did NOT show up on an ultrasound. There are other gallbladder issues (not saying you have this) that are unrelated to gallstones.
Does your pain coincide with a meal or is it pretty much constant?
My suggestion would be to write down when you notice the pain,how long it lasts, whether or not the pain coincides with eating or right after eating, etc. Then when you see the doctor you will have a 'journal' that will help him/her better understand what is potentially going on.

Jaynee

[smudgesicle]

Thanks Jaynee. A search threw up some of your older posts around this and they made me question gallbladder despite the u/s in the first place. I can't specifically say I've noticed the pain directly after eating but it does tend to be worse at night. Also, because of my butt issues I tend to graze throughout the day rather than eating set meals so it probably makes it harder to notice this. Also, I do have very acidic BMs, which I had been putting down to my reversal issues, but might suggest a bile issue...Ugh. I just don't know and it's driving me crazy.

I'll try noting down the pain a bit more. I'm already keeping an 'in-and-out' journal so it can't be too hard to add this.