My father (49M) has had chronic ulcers/stomach pain for 5-6 years. Labs normal except H. Pylori & "scratches." He is also diabetic, high-blood, and taking antidepressants.
Hi everyone,
I am 21M, and I am the primary guardian for my father (49M). He has been dealing with severe ulcers and stomach pain every now and then ever since the pandemic started. He has been in and out of the hospital constantly since then. Doctors cannot find what is actually happening because all of his laboratory tests come back completely normal. The only physical findings they ever found are H. pylori bacteria and some "scratches" in his stomach that trigger the ulcers.
Recently, we started looking beyond the standard, default triggers for ulcers to see what else could be causing this constant cycle. We sought out a psychiatrist and found out he is dealing with depression. He is taking antidepressant medications now, but we are still stuck wondering why his stomach issues continue to be triggered anyway.
For full medical context, he also has high blood pressure and diabetes. This has been stressing me out to the absolute limit. I have to hide my emotions completely because I refuse to let my father see me cry, I need to stay strong for him. I just want him back to his old self where he is enjoying the things he wanted to do. He has been enduring this agony for 5 to 6 years now.