Originally from: Val Collinson
                        
Hi Sue

My money's still on traumatic reticulitis caused by ingestion of a foreign body such as a nail or wire. Such items get caught in the reticulum (second stomach) because of its honey-comb structure. Movement of the object as a result of normal peristaltic contractions would cause intermittent pain. This would also be consistent with raised white blood count because it could cause localised peritonitis. Pressure on the spine could also be translated into pressure on the internal organs, causing the foreign body to move slightly and therefore cause pain. In the absence of a conclusive x-ray I think a laparotomy is your only hope. There is still a possibility that liquid paraffin coupled with a bulky hay diet might encourage the object to come free and pass out naturally but it seems unlikely after all this time.

Best wishes

ValC