I was soooo frustrated this morning. I went to see my internist to discuss a re-test of my cholesterol, HDL, LDL and the ratios. Last December when I was in full flare, I had blood tests results that were awful! I had a HDL ratio that was terrible and my overall cholesterol was 260+. It alarmed me a little bit, but I felt that it was from the obvious stress that my body was in. My doctor was sure that it was from all of the raw milk I was eating. Today everything was back to normal and he is sure it is because I have been dairy free. I am just as sure that is because my body is not so stressed. I know that the latest finding about cholesterol is that it is affected very little if at all by the foods we eat. I figure my body was letting every organ know that I was stressed and my liver was pumping out cholesterol to keep up. Further, when I told him that I was constipated he wanted to put me on Metamucil. When I told him that my fear was that it would make things worse, he said, "Well, people with IBS go back and forth between diarrhea and constipation and Metamucil or some other form of fiber corrects that." When I said that it seems that it really doesn't help people with CC, he smiled condescendingly and said, "Well, you are lucky that you don't have one of the bad IBDs that cause so much trouble. I know that you have probably learned a lot from what you have been reading, but I think that some fiber would help you now."
I wanted to throttle him. I showed him my Enterolab results and he merely smiled and said, "Oh yeah. Dr. Kenneth Fine. Isn't he one of those 'functional medicine' types?" He looked at the results and handed the tests back to me. I think he did not want to sully my chart with those tests!! I told him that actually my gastroenterologist thought that Enterolab tests made sense. He said nothing. AAARRRGGGHHH!
I really like this guy, but I will not ask him another thing about my CC or expect him to understand anything about it. I will depend on my gastroenterologist for all my gastro problems, as this guy just doesn't get it. He is a fine diagnostician for other things. I guess the gut is not his forte. Strange for an internist and he is fairly young.
Bad Dr. Visit
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Bad Dr. Visit
Jane
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis 12/19/12
"When it gets dark enough,you can see the stars."
Charles A. Beard
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis 12/19/12
"When it gets dark enough,you can see the stars."
Charles A. Beard
Hi Jane,
I'm sorry that you had such a frustrating experience. Apparently your doctor wants to get his money's worth out of all of his medical school training, so he absolutely goes by the book.
Tex
I'm sorry that you had such a frustrating experience. Apparently your doctor wants to get his money's worth out of all of his medical school training, so he absolutely goes by the book.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
I forgot the other irritation. I told him that my joints were aching and he wanted to write me a prescription for NSAIDs!!! Fortunately, he said, "Oh, I guess that wouldn't work with colitis..."
Jane
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis 12/19/12
"When it gets dark enough,you can see the stars."
Charles A. Beard
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis 12/19/12
"When it gets dark enough,you can see the stars."
Charles A. Beard
I think MDs are feeling increasingly threatened by the growing popularity of functional medicine. After all, "functional medicine types" are getting much of the TV time and celebrity status. It's sour grapes.
1987 Mononucleosis (EBV)
2004 Hypomyopathic Dermatomyositis
2009 Lymphocytic Colitis
2010 GF/DF/SF Diet
2014 Low Dose Naltrexone
2004 Hypomyopathic Dermatomyositis
2009 Lymphocytic Colitis
2010 GF/DF/SF Diet
2014 Low Dose Naltrexone
Not only are they threatened but the hospitals and corporations that have them under their thumbs and dictate what they are allowed to do and what "company line" they must tout, but they are overwhelmed by the wealth of knowledge they are supposed to have everyday at their fingertips.
The danger that I think is very real and happens every day is when some unsuspecting patient puts his/her complete trust in the doctor and does whatever the doctor says to do. We are likely candidates because usually when we are seeing a doctor for MC it is out of control and we are feeling totally out of control. In crisis mode, I do not do my best thinking and with gluten brain it is even worse! Conditions are worsened by doctors who are by-the-book kinds of people. If you don't know enough about your ailment to speak up and question everything, you are sunk!
I used to get so angry with my sister because she believed everything her doctor told her--still does! She never questions the doctor. That is the attitude of most people over 80 years old (and she is not 80 by any stretch. My parents--especially my father believed that doctors were all-knowing and trusted any doctor implicitly.
If doctors would really do as they say they do--include the patient in decisions, we might have a fighting chance. I liken it to knowing nothing about auto mechanics and trusting any auto mechanic implicitly. I have never done that! I also know that I have-NO, zero, nada-interest in auto mechanics and farm those decisions out to my husband who does very well with mechanics. If I did not have him, I would find someone else who had experience with auto mechanics and run decisions by them. It just does not pay to take ONE person's word as gospel-truth.
The danger that I think is very real and happens every day is when some unsuspecting patient puts his/her complete trust in the doctor and does whatever the doctor says to do. We are likely candidates because usually when we are seeing a doctor for MC it is out of control and we are feeling totally out of control. In crisis mode, I do not do my best thinking and with gluten brain it is even worse! Conditions are worsened by doctors who are by-the-book kinds of people. If you don't know enough about your ailment to speak up and question everything, you are sunk!
I used to get so angry with my sister because she believed everything her doctor told her--still does! She never questions the doctor. That is the attitude of most people over 80 years old (and she is not 80 by any stretch. My parents--especially my father believed that doctors were all-knowing and trusted any doctor implicitly.
If doctors would really do as they say they do--include the patient in decisions, we might have a fighting chance. I liken it to knowing nothing about auto mechanics and trusting any auto mechanic implicitly. I have never done that! I also know that I have-NO, zero, nada-interest in auto mechanics and farm those decisions out to my husband who does very well with mechanics. If I did not have him, I would find someone else who had experience with auto mechanics and run decisions by them. It just does not pay to take ONE person's word as gospel-truth.
Jane
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis 12/19/12
"When it gets dark enough,you can see the stars."
Charles A. Beard
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis 12/19/12
"When it gets dark enough,you can see the stars."
Charles A. Beard
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wmonique2
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 1048
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bad GP visit
Jane,
Your story is common. GP's know nothing about colitis and don't want to know. Mine at least tells me upfront to discuss it with my gastro. He doesn't pretend to know.
You know what MD stands for? Medical Deity
Monique
Your story is common. GP's know nothing about colitis and don't want to know. Mine at least tells me upfront to discuss it with my gastro. He doesn't pretend to know.
You know what MD stands for? Medical Deity
Monique
Diagnosed 2011 with LC. Currently on Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)
Hi Jane,
"You are lucky you don't have one of those bad IBD'S?" You have got to be kidding me. He really said that. I wish I could plant MC into your doctor. Guaranteed he would jump out of his skin within the first 5 minutes. How arrogant, condescending, and misinformed your doctor is. I wish I had a dime for every time I heard that too... or when others who are having a simple case of diarrhea come to me and say they can relate. I feel your frustration and continue to live it at times. Take care of yourself and don't let comments like that get to you So untrue.
Regards,
Rich
"You are lucky you don't have one of those bad IBD'S?" You have got to be kidding me. He really said that. I wish I could plant MC into your doctor. Guaranteed he would jump out of his skin within the first 5 minutes. How arrogant, condescending, and misinformed your doctor is. I wish I had a dime for every time I heard that too... or when others who are having a simple case of diarrhea come to me and say they can relate. I feel your frustration and continue to live it at times. Take care of yourself and don't let comments like that get to you So untrue.
Regards,
Rich
"It's not what I believe. It's what I can prove." - A Few Good Men
I think what bothered me most was that we have had a good relationship up until that visit. I felt like he was pretty open-minded and listened well. Now, I am re-thinking that. You are right! He would not appreciate having any part of MC were he to have it for longer than 5 minutes. I'd want to make sure that in addition to the cramping and the explosive and uncontrollable diarrhea that he also experienced the rib pain that creeps slowly in and builds to a crescendo. And he should have leaky gut, slowly have to work his way out of bed, (due to joint pain) and experience getting up in the morning and wondering what he was going to have to eat that day that would not make him so miserable he did not want to look at food.
What part of Indiana do you live in? I have a feeling that my son may be relocating there within the year and if he does, he needs to find a good doctor around Valparasio because I think there is a good chance that he has inherited at least one gene with gluten sensitivity.
What part of Indiana do you live in? I have a feeling that my son may be relocating there within the year and if he does, he needs to find a good doctor around Valparasio because I think there is a good chance that he has inherited at least one gene with gluten sensitivity.
Jane
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis 12/19/12
"When it gets dark enough,you can see the stars."
Charles A. Beard
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis 12/19/12
"When it gets dark enough,you can see the stars."
Charles A. Beard
Jane wrote:The danger that I think is very real and happens every day is when some unsuspecting patient puts his/her complete trust in the doctor and does whatever the doctor says to do.
My oldest brother has complete trust in doctors. He also goes to one for every ailment. He went directly to the hospital when he started throwing up from the Noro virus, for example. He talks about "going under the knife" 19 times. He's even had surgery on his vocal chords, which have been affected by the many surgeries requiring a tube in his throat. He's a mess and is taking 22 pills a day, all prescriptions. But when I try to tell him that he needs to question his doctors, he gets angry and defends them. I don't completely blame the doctors because he always wants them to "fix" him.
I think it's best to have a healthy skepticism. I don't feel that doctors are any smarter than I am; they just have more education and experience in the medical field. But they usually don't have more education/experience than I do in managing MC. I turn to this board and evaluate the experience and advice members share. If I agree (and I don't always agree with everyone's advice), I use the suggestion. If not, I put it in the back of my mind for later review.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Gloria wrote:I don't feel that doctors are any smarter than I am; they just have more education and experience in the medical field. But they usually don't have more education/experience than I do in managing MC.
Truer words were never spoken (or written 
).Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Jane- I used to be one of those trusting patients until about three years into my MC. Now I scrutinize everything and do my homework before and after my visits. I haven't had much luck in finding one with an open mind. I dread trying to find another after my previous doc moved into a different position. I don't fill any RX until I do a little research on it first and most often double check my suspicions here.
My eyes were opened to how everything is driven by Big Pharma and insurance companies. It's a dirty shame.
My eyes were opened to how everything is driven by Big Pharma and insurance companies. It's a dirty shame.
DebE-
You've got it right! Big Pharma and insurance companies OWN this country. They (& the NRA) have so much money that legislators hear ONLY their voices. Until we become more vocal, IMO, the country's healthcare will continue to decline and violence will escalate. It's just a shame that we fail to see what is right in front of us.
You've got it right! Big Pharma and insurance companies OWN this country. They (& the NRA) have so much money that legislators hear ONLY their voices. Until we become more vocal, IMO, the country's healthcare will continue to decline and violence will escalate. It's just a shame that we fail to see what is right in front of us.
Jane
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis 12/19/12
"When it gets dark enough,you can see the stars."
Charles A. Beard
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis 12/19/12
"When it gets dark enough,you can see the stars."
Charles A. Beard