Sigmoidoscopy with Baffling Results

Our GI's partner came to see Annie late this morning to start getting a plan formed for treating the sigmoid inflammation that showed up on the CT scan yesterday.  She wants to start some steroids for her inflammation, and is considering doing just a localized steroid suppository, but also might consider oral steroids as well. But first, the GI ordered a sigmoidoscopy to get a better visual picture of what was going on in there.  (The sigmoid is the lowest portion of the colon.)

So Annie went down to the OR around 1:00 today and was sedated for the scope.  The GI came out to show me pictures and tell me that she saw absolutely no evidence of inflammation in the sigmoid--it looks just fine.  She also went half-way up the distal/descending colon and thought that all looked fine too.  She took a few biopsies for more info, so we should have those results in a day or two.

We are all completely baffled, including the doctors.  The CT scan showed that only the sigmoid was inflammed, but now the scope shows the sigmoid has no inflammation which means the inflammation must be higher up in her colon, yet the CT showed the rest of the colon was fine.  I almost argued that maybe the problem isn't with her colon, but considering that she's having BMs almost every hour, I still think it's safe to say that somewhere in her colon there's inflammation causing her problems.  But there might also be another source of fever and infection as well. 

Annie just got out of recovery and we're now back to her room.  Her vitals are being monitored for an hour or two since she was just under anesthesia, and then we are going down for another chest x-ray.  I don't think that's the issue, and they just did a chest x-ray on Saturday that was negative, but at this point, I'm happy to continue to rule out possibilities.  I'm also hoping that things will slow down at some point so she (and I) can get some rest.  I'll continue to post updates as I get them.

Oh, and I'm happy to learn that I'm not just getting weaker in my exhausted state, but Annie has gained a lot of weight with all her fluid retention and swelling.  She was weighed just now and she's up to 75.6 lbs!