G.I. Appointment

Feel free to discuss any topic of general interest, so long as nothing you post here is likely to be interpreted as insulting, and/or inflammatory, nor clearly designed to provoke any individual or group. Please be considerate of others feelings, and they will be considerate of yours.

Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh

cludwig
Rockhopper Penguin
Rockhopper Penguin
Posts: 647
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 9:52 pm
Location: Seattle

G.I. Appointment

Post by cludwig »

Hi Friends,

I went to see my GI yesterday and I really am having a hard time finding the words to discribe how awful it was. I haven't seen this man since he did my colonoscopy and diagnosed LC. I had sent him all my lab results in advance, including Dr. fines enterolab results. He burst into the room and started aggresively lecturing me about using alternative "quacks" and what a bunch of noncense stool tests were. Then he told me that if I was still having D on the entocort then I always will...there is nothing left for me . He said it wasn't a big deal as this is just a nuisance disease and nobody is going to know but me and the toilet and the toilet doesn't care.

I feel so beat up. I would rather someone had beat me over the head with a stick than hear there is no hope for me. I 've done nothing but have diarrhea since I left his office. Part of me hates him for his cruelty and the other is scared to dealth that he is right. Thanks for letting me vent.

Love, cristi
User avatar
tex
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 35071
Joined: Tue May 24, 2005 9:00 am
Location: Central Texas

Post by tex »

Hi Cristi,

I'm so sorry to read that you were abused by that idiot. With a bedside manner like that, he almost sounds unstable.

In your heart, you know he's wrong, so please don't let his callous words make you feel any worse than you are already feeling. He has made so many mistakes with that outburst, that I wonder if it might be appropriate to file a complaint with your state board of medical examiners. That individual is masquerrading as a physican, and doesn't deserve to hold a physican's licence to practice medicine. A "real" doctor doesn't berate a patient for trying to find solutions to improve her health. Obviously this guy's behaviour is dominated by his fragile ego, which seems sort of incongruent, for such a callous clod.

I understand how you must feel, because reading your post ruined my day too, and I don't even know the no-good so and so.

Love,
Tex

P S Instead of letting him get under your skin, (as he obviously intended to do), prove the :shithead: wrong, by solving your problems without the aid of his tiny, warped mind.
:cowboy:

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.
Matthew
Rockhopper Penguin
Rockhopper Penguin
Posts: 529
Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 5:44 am
Location: Denver, CO

Post by Matthew »

Cristi

Just came in from the shop and only intended to read but your post made me so emotional that I had to wait until my eyes cleared to try and type anything. Your GI is as big a jerk as the one I had and if I could scream it as loud as I could, COMPLETELY WRONG. It is so hard for me to believe that you are getting the same negative and uneducated advice from the doctors that I got so many years ago.

Thinking back I must say that , as strange as it may seem, that My GI’s attitude that I would never get over it, have to take high doses of prednisone for the rest of my life and deal with the side effects of the drug, was one of the most motivating moments in my life.

Getting past the idiots is the first step to healing.

Well you have heard it from the idiots.

Now go out on your own. It has truly worked for so many people here.

It is a path with many twists and turns but healing will happen for you.

To your continued recovery

Matthew
harvest_table
Rockhopper Penguin
Rockhopper Penguin
Posts: 1509
Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 6:29 pm
Location: Fergus Falls, Minnesota

Post by harvest_table »

I feel so beat up. I would rather someone had beat me over the head with a stick than hear there is no hope for me. I 've done nothing but have diarrhea since I left his office. Part of me hates him for his cruelty and the other is scared to dealth that he is right.

He is NOT educated with MC Cristi! There is hope, you just have to find the right path that works for you at this moment. Our moments all change depending on many factors such as how long you have had MC and what dietary or medication choices you make. Hang in there.

Love,
Joanna
User avatar
Liz
Rockhopper Penguin
Rockhopper Penguin
Posts: 1540
Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2005 5:23 pm
Location: Qld Australia
Contact:

Post by Liz »

Sounds like this supposed doctor is better left to his own devices. You don't need this sort of abuse from someone who is supposed to be a caring healer. Give him the flick & the best of luck finding a doc who will be more supportive of you, not to mention a bit more human. Don't let his attitude make you feel worse than you were before. And I would, as Wayne suggests, reporting him to the appropriate authorities.

Love

Liz
Image
A smile is a light in the window of your face that shows that your heart is at home
starfire
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 5198
Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 5:48 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: G.I. Appointment

Post by starfire »

cludwig wrote:He said it wasn't a big deal as this is just a nuisance disease and nobody is going to know but me and the toilet and the toilet doesn't care.
What an ignoramus!!! I'm so sorry you ended up with THIS particular jerk!! He'd be singing a different tune if it was HIM with uncontrollable watery D, and the other symptoms, believe me. I guess I couldn't wish this disease on anyone but if I could he would be my first choice right now.

I thank God you found this site. You DO NOT have to put up with the symptoms for the rest of your life. You CAN do it on your own.

Don't be discouraged by that jerk and do try to find a doctor that will work with you and not against you.

:hug:

Love, Shirley
When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber"
-- Winston Churchill
Polly
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 5185
Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 3:34 am
Location: Maryland

Post by Polly »

Oh Cristi!

Absolutely inexcusable behavior. And totally WRONG. Yes, please report him to your local physician monitoring board. In writing, and including those specific quotes about the toilet, etc....... and tell them how much worse your colitis was after leaving his office.

Why are so many GI docs such ASSHOLES ? I guess it takes one to know one. Many here have had similar experiences, as you have seen.

I forget, but do you have an empathetic primary care doc? If so, I would go to him/her for the MC. Hang in there. You have obviously seen here on the board that you CAN gain control over this disease. We are here for you. It DOES take time to heal - sometimes a lot more time than we wish. Take a deep breath and promise me you will never go to see that JERK again. EVER.

Love,

Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
User avatar
barbaranoela
Emperor Penguin
Emperor Penguin
Posts: 5394
Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 6:11 pm
Location: New York

Post by barbaranoela »

Cristi---I am totally :twisted: as to how/and what was said to U by this ass-hole of a so called caring person in the medical field--how dare he treat U or anyone like this

Dont feel defeated!!!!!
U can and will get yourself controlled ---
And I will repeat what all have said---DONT go back to this ignoramous of a person!!!!

Luve Barbara
the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control
cludwig
Rockhopper Penguin
Rockhopper Penguin
Posts: 647
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 9:52 pm
Location: Seattle

Post by cludwig »

Hi Friends,

I was a wreck Mon. and Tues. but I am feeling better today and am able to put my appointment into perspective. I truely don't know why he was so angry..I wasn't doing anything to sabatoge his treatment plan for me....he was the one who said diet didn't matter...but apparently he thinks the Paleo diet is dangerous. I guess it's a waste of time trying to figure what is going on in his mind.

My G.P. office is next to the G.I. office and he recommended the G.I. and sent over my tests. While I don't have proof...I suspect they spoke before the appointment and share the same opinions.

When I tried to talk to him about my symptoms, he stopped me and said it didn't matter...zebras have different stripes but they are all zebras....then proceded to give me a lab test for fat absorption which from what I've been able to learn is a test for the small intestine. So, one minute he's saying it's all MC, the next he's ordering a small intestine test. I'm going to take the test because it doesn't require any special preps or anything invasive. I just need to eat 100 grams of fat which from my calculations I am already eating.

I would love to find a good GP, but I just don't have the stamina for it right now. I do have a great naturopath who is supportive of getting my body healthyand strong whlile still using the entocort. She has never put down western medicine or MD's. She supports my ability to make the right choices for me. She even spent her entire weekend last month to attend a conference on inflamation..in hopes of helping me. It was sponcered by an east coast surgeon....saying basically that all autoimmunes are caused by the same thing ..inflamation and a huge cause of that is diet and specifically gluten. And guess who he was quoting?? Yep...Dr. Fines.

Thanks so much for your support and kind words. I draw strength from you guys.

Love, Cristi
Lucy
Rockhopper Penguin
Rockhopper Penguin
Posts: 1399
Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 9:31 pm

Post by Lucy »

Hi Cristi,

Is this 3 day's worth of stool you have to collect?

If it comes back elevated, perhaps your doc will realize that you just may be onto something. I don't suppose your small bowel has had time to completely reverse the damage yet, but then you are younger than some of us, aren't you? That may make a difference.

By the way, did you include the fecal fat test when you did Dr. Fine's tests? Was it elevated at that time? It will be interested to compare the two results, even though you are probably more healed now than then.

Some people don't have elevated fecal fats on Dr. Fine's tests, however. Polly, weren't you one of the ones of us who were negative on that test?

Maybe I'm giving this guy too much credit, but do you think he's under the impression that the Paleo is one of the extreme low carb diets since you are avoiding all grains?
I'm not on a paleo diet, but it seems that if one is getting carbs from other sources, it can still be a very balanced diet.

Does this guy know exactly what you've been eating? Do you think you eat a balanced diet at this point in time?

I just was looking at a copy of Dr. Fasano's major study -- celiac prevalence study of 2003.

Right before the footnotes/bibliography section there was a short paragraph to thank Dr. Fine for his help in the design of the study. It was in Archives of something or other.

Maybe you could take a copy of that article, since he's surely familiar with Dr. Fasano's study, and have that paragraph highlighted about Dr. Fine.

Then, you could tell him that the Dr. who did your tests was the man himself! This guy's got a personal problem, so don't take it out on yourself, ok.

Yours, Luce
User avatar
MaggieRedwings
King Penguin
King Penguin
Posts: 3865
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 3:16 am
Location: SE Pennsylvania

Post by MaggieRedwings »

Morning Cristi,

As some of us say, fire the GI & the GP. There are good doctors out there and you will find one. He just might have gone over the edge because he is not used to patients taking the initiative to go it on their own and try to find help like Dr. Fine. I was very lucky when I found my GI that he admitted he knew little of the disease and research on my part and his would be our best bet. I have not been back to him for a while now but he is ACES.

Be persistent and you will find someone good.

Love, Maggie
Maggie Scarpone
___________________
Resident Birder - I live to bird and enjoy life!
Mars
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 2307
Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 6:30 pm
Location: Ohio
Contact:

Post by Mars »

Hugs to you Cristi,

I am picking my jaw off the floor and holding my head from constantly shaking back and forth! Some doctors should just resign!!! Or better yet, they should be made to live some of the problems/illnesses that they supossedly "treat"!!!!!

It sounds like you neuropath is the one to stay with until you find another GP. I set out to "interview" my doc when I found him. I asked him as many questions as he asked me I think. He is a DO and not an MD but he has an open mind and will research for me and will listen and read the things I bring to him. He allows me to make my own decisions with his expertise following my progress.

I truely hope you can find someone who will listen to you and supervise the treatment that you choose for yourself. I hope that you find some relief soon.

Until then, take care of yourself and know that we have all been there and are improving!

Love,
Mars
"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful." -- Buddha
cludwig
Rockhopper Penguin
Rockhopper Penguin
Posts: 647
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 9:52 pm
Location: Seattle

Post by cludwig »

Hi Luce, Maggie and Mars,


The test that I am taking is a 24 hour test...but there was a spot on the test for a 72 hour test ....but my GI didn't order that one. The fecal fat score on my Dr. Fine test was 87....well below the 300 needed for malabsorption. So, I am not anticipating any problems. However if the jerk had bothered to even look at my test results that I brought to him...I have a test that shows I have high levels of seretonon in my colon...which causes D. I know that tumors secrete hormones that result in increased levels of seretonon. I would love to figure out why this is happening and rule out serious problems.

Mars, incredably I interviewed my GP and we discussed my sensitivity to most meds and that I liked an integrative approach to my health and he was very supportive of this....this was before MC. After MC I formally interviewed another GP...the naturopath was in her office space...everything was great while we are only talking...but when it came down to compounding a prescription based on a lab from Dr. Fine saying I was allergic to certain foods...she didn't buy it and wouldn't help me with the meds. So that is how I ended up back at the original GP who wrote me the compounding prescription....not because he believed it but because he thought I believed it.

You are right ..I need to shop for new doctors. I am obviously not very good at it cause they all seemed great at first meeting. Are there good questions to ask or signs to look for?

My husband thinks we should contact Dr. Fine and give him my statistics as far as how long I've been on the diet and entocort and see if there are people like me who don't respond and where to go from here.

Thanks for listening. We all need to write a book. Seriously.

Love, Cristi
User avatar
hazel
Rockhopper Penguin
Rockhopper Penguin
Posts: 1033
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2005 12:15 pm
Location: OH

Post by hazel »

Hi Cristi,

I don't have anything else to say that hasn't been said already, but just wanted to add my vote of confidence that you will get better! I am glad you are feeling better already, at least emotionally. We are all 100% behind you and 0% behind the GI.
kathy
Polly
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 5185
Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 3:34 am
Location: Maryland

Post by Polly »

Hi Cristi,

I second your hubby's suggestion. Dr. Fine is usually quite good about answering emails. Another alternative is that you could set up a phone consultation with him - you can pay for either 1/2 hr. or 1 hr. I think. But the email is free!

Love,

Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Post Reply

Return to “Main Message Board”