A Good Doctor for Crohn's in Portland, OR?

[tbag]

Hi. My partner has had Crohn's her entire life and has had 3 surgeries thus far. She has a trusted doctor in FL, where she's from originally, but has not had much luck finding one in Portland. She has been to the NW Gastroenterology Clinic here in Portland and hasn't had the best experience. The 1st doctor she saw there was rude and arrogant, and basically admitted that he makes his money off of drug companies. She then switched to a different doctor there who has been better. However, due to her financial situation, she has avoided going to the doctor as much as possible. Unfortunately, the current flare up that she's been experiencing for the past several months is becoming unbearable. She finally called NW Gastro today to try to set up an appointment and the nurse was rude to her on the phone, and didn't believe it when my partner explained her symptoms (excruciating pain, distended bulging area where she's had her surgeries, etc., etc.), and basically said she'd never heard of such a thing. What?! NW "Gastoenterology"? My partner's getting panicky, which is understandable as she is down to about 90 lbs (skin & bones) and is in constant pain, in addition to all the usual symptoms of Crohn's of which you're all so familiar.

She does have plans to start seeing a friend who's an acupuncturist and works with Chinese medicine (which may ultimately be better than a regular western doctor), but at this point her situation may need more extreme urgent care. If anyone can suggest a good doctor in or around Portland, it would be much appreciated. We're looking for someone who is sensitive, kind, knowledgeable, and hopefully can offer some solutions other than Prednazone. Thanks in advance for your responses. They are much appreciated.

 

[dreamintwilight]

Hey tbag! I'm really sorry to hear you and your partner are going through this. It's difficult enough dealing with Crohn's, but when you have medical professional who are less than professional it makes things downright stressful!

I have no recommendations as far as doctors, since I am not from that area, but wanted to suggest something maybe too obvious. have you tried looking on ccfa.org? You can search for doctors in your area that should specialize in Crohn's, which may mean they might be more empathetic to your condition. They don't have specific descriptions/reviews on the doctors, but it may be a starting point to at least phone around and see if the reception is at least nice.

Also...I saw someone else post this link on the forum recently:

http://www.ratemds.com/

You can search and see if any of the docs are on there and if anyone has reviewed them.

Anyway...at the very least, I bumped up the thread now, so if anyone missed seeing it that lives in the area, they may be able to give some recommendations.

Good luck!

 

[tbag]

Thanks so much for the info. We'll definitely check it out!

 

[Awbrey]

Hi I leave in Bend Oregon and use Dr. Koteen he is knowledgeable and seems to know what is going on.

 

[tbag]

Awesome. Thanks!

 

[My Butt Hurts]

Drew lives near Portland and goes (went?) to Dr. Knigge.
He was very pleased with her determination to figure him out.
http://www.healthline.com/doctors/gastroenterologist/kandice-knigge/3720529

 

[tbag]

Dr. Knigge

Cool. Dr. Knigge appears to be at OHSU. My partner just had to have emergency surgery there over the weekend for a stomach abscess. I will definitely suggest Dr. Knigge for her follow-up. Thanks. I appreciate it!

 

[dreamintwilight]

Oh no. Sorry to hear about the abscess. Was it full surgery or did they just have to put a drain in? Yucky. I had an abscess and I was lucky enough to just get it drained but boy did it hurt. Can't imagine what full surgery recovery is like.

Glad you seemed to find a doc you are interested in! Best wishes for your partner's recovery!

 

[Team Challenge Portland]

Hey guys,

So like dreamintwilight said CCFA has a great search on their site under "Find a Physician" and you can search your area or zip code to find a physician in Portland. Also I have done some personal searches and am interested in learning more about Portland Alternative Medicine. So that might be something you want to look into.

Good Luck

 

[MJones]

I posted my doctor in the Doctor Reviews section yesterday.

http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=21605

He's very friendly and explains -everything-. He doesn't want to let you walk out of there with any questions of any sort about anything at all that may be useful or informative to you. He's been great working with my insurance to get me on a maintenance drug that I can tolerate, and he's even refiled claims before to phrase them in a way that they'd pay for if they declined it and billed me the first time. My visits to him have been pain-free (well, in regards to him!), and I have no plans to find a new doctor anytime soon.

Stay well!

 

[surfergirl32]

Hey tbag and everyone else--

I know this post is a few months old but I came across it because I am also looking for another doctor in Portland. I also had a HORRIBLE experience with 2 doctors at NW Gastro and Oregon Clinic Gastro. I have posted elsewhere but to summarize: I have all the typical symptoms of Crohns (nausea, no appetite, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal cramps, bloating, fatigue) and have inflammation on my colon per a colonoscopy. The doctors at both the above facilities do not want to diagnose me because the colonoscopy results from the lab said not to diagnose me (I actually got mad at a doctor today because he is basing his treatment on a picture and not my symptoms???).

Anyway, since this post, have you had any luck finding a doctor you like?? (One that listens and is willing to treat your symptoms and listen to how you are feeling).

 

[tbag]

Portland Gastro Doctors

Surfer Girl,

I highly suggest OHSU Gastro Department. Another poster suggested Dr. Knigge at OHSU to us and even though we've only met with her once, she was excellent. She took my partner's situation seriously and had a very good grasp of the complexity of it -- she was actually able to explain it to us in a very clear way that no other doctor has been able to. She gave my partner some different options, and got her started on some new medicines that she thought may help (the clinic also helped my partner obtain financial aid to receive Humira). The only problem with Dr. Knigge is that her appointments are often booked out at least 6 months in advance, but if there are other gastro doctors with availability at OHSU I would suggest them.We've also met with Dr. Herzig, one of the Gastro Surgeons at OHSU, several times and he seems really knowledgeable and helpful as well.

Our experience at NW Gastro was laughable (if you MUST go there, Dr. Kim is the best doctor to try there). When my partner called the clinic regarding (what turned out to be) a serious stomach abscess, the nurse on the phone acted like my partner was crazy, saying she'd never heard of such symptoms. The nurse told us she'd pass on our information and no one from the clinic ever called us back. Later that day I ended up needing to take my partner to OHSU ER. She needed emergency abdominal surgery for the abscess which was actually related to a number of fistulas. I suppose it was the best thing that could have happened to us, because the doctors at OHSU took her seriously and were committed to helping her find some relief, and we would not have gone there if not for the need for emergency attention. Unfortunately, she is still fighting the fistulas and not experiencing much relief from them, even with the medication. She'll be adding another medication to her current regiment. If that doesn't work, it looks like there will be likely be a surgery in the near future.

I hope that what you have turns out not to be Crohn's, but if it does, I think your best bet in Portland is the Gastro Department at OHSU. Good luck!