Do you like your GI?

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karim

karim

Joined
May 24, 2010
Messages
45
I was sending PM's to you all to ask you this...but I figured a thread would be easier for everyone.

My question is...Do you like your GI? If so...would you be so kind as to either publicly, here, or privately PM me with the contact information? I have had a terrible track record with doctors here in the Midwest so am looking to branch out as much as I can to hopefully find a referral from one of your fabulous doctors'.

Thanks in advance!

(Not necessary to post if you are outside the continental US...international dialing can get expensive very quickly! Thanks :) )

Kari
 
karim said:
I was sending PM's to you all to ask you this...but I figured a thread would be easier for everyone.

My question is...Do you like your GI? If so...would you be so kind as to either publicly, here, or privately PM me with the contact information? I have had a terrible track record with doctors here in the Midwest so am looking to branch out as much as I can to hopefully find a referral from one of your fabulous doctors'.

Thanks in advance!

(Not necessary to post if you are outside the continental US...international dialing can get expensive very quickly! Thanks :) )

Kari
Click to expand...

Kari - If you are a confirmed IBD sufferer, one person you might investigate is Dr. Scott Lee at the University of Washington in Seattlehttp://www.uwgi.org/Directory/Directory.Resultpage.aspx?PersonID=1028. I tried to get in to see him, but since I lack a firm IBD diagnosis, he wouldn't take me as a patient. I have heard very good things about him, including a referral from an exec at the company which makes Remicade. His contact is Cory Cullinan, and her number is 206 598—0419

HTH

David

BTW, where exactly do you live?
 
My initial diagnosis of UC was given to me by the doctors at Northwestern Hosp in Chicago and I was happy there for the two years I lived there.

I am now with Penn/Presbyterian in Philadelphia. Loved my doc and surgeon but they both retired. Hated my new young doctor at first but have done an about face and love him now. Dr Mark Osterman.

Any big city and big hospital is going to have a big GI department and you can choose from one of many docs.

What was it about your docs in the past that you were not happy with?
 
I absolutely love my GI doctor. He is one of the top IBD specialists in the world but is also the nicest, most caring doctor I have ever had. Each of my appointments lasts over an hour and he always calls back promptly when I call him. He listens to what I say and answers all my questions, and backs up all his strategies to treat me with the current literature (he's always sending me articles that relate to my issues). His name is Dr. Gary Lichtenstein at University of Pennsylvania. He is hard to get an appointment with (several month wait for new patients), but SOOOOO worth it. It may be far for you though, unfortunately.
 
I love my old GI Dr. Ricardo Castillo. He works with children only, but doesn't get rid of them if they hit 18 or turn 40. But to start out seeing him you'd have to be under 18.

I also highly recommend doctors who work in a hospital rather than a so called specialist in a random small building who has a billion patients.
 
Thanks to all for your responses thus far...I live in Kansas so these big cities may be a challenge to get to unfortunately! (Especially since I have not been able to hold a job down for nearly a year now due to all this and the savings has rapidly disappeared :( )

Ames- SO much has happened with terrible doctors...I have a not-too-long thread going on in the "my story" forum. I believe it's currently listed 6th or 7th on there titled "No diagnosis but need input, please!" (or something along those lines!) Would be easier for you to peruse that than me try to explain it in an easy to read nutshell here ;)

Sounds like you all have amazing GI's...and I'm a bit jealous haha...but I WILL get one worth my time no matter what! I'm seriously being driven by God to press on through this. He has given me so much energy even on the days where there are butts on bowls and heads in wastebaskets all day! In fact, I just ate for the first time in 3 days and it lasted about 15 minutes and revisited me. This gets so old...but it will get better. I have to keep telling myself that they are wrong and it's not a mental thing...They should get their liscenses taken away, seriously! Ok, I'm done venting (for now)...

Speak soon xx

Kari
 
I live in Chicago and see Dr. Loren White. I really like him. He kinda talks fast, but always answers all my questions, even when I'm armed with a list of 12 questions, haha.
 
Hi Kari-- You might want to check the Crohns Colitis Foundation website ccfa.org They have a 'find a physician' section and there are nine doctors listed in Kansas.

Lilly
 
[email protected] I find a good doctor, I shall claim him/her as my own as they will have no time for anyone else with the lists of questions I will prepare for them... ;-)

Lilly- Thank you!! I am still so new to doing self-research on CD that I never thought of going to the ccfa website. I will definitely be looking into that. Tomorrow is my birthday and looks like it will be spent on the phone all day...awesome! ;) So long as I find "the one", I'm perfectly okay with that! (unfortunately I think it's going to take longer than a day to do)

Thank you all!
 
I like mine, but took many after my first initial Gi but I moved and had to look for another. Doesn't matter where you are are there are good docs and quacks. I have noticed some docs are terrible with the young and the old. I am in Central Canada, and farther away from the big cities usually the worst they are or less experienced. I got lucky this time but he is up for retirement... ugh.
 
I'm from Ontario Canada, have had a great doc for a number of years... so I can't help you out.. but I did want to say Happy Birthday kari! Hopefully you aren't on the phone all day, and get some respite to enjoy part of the day at least.
 
I like my doctor. He is a little ADD sometimes (lol!), but he really cares. He has even called me on weekends to check on me or talk to me about test results. However, he admits he isn't a specialist in Crohn's and he has mentioned that if I start to get worse, he will refer me to someone at Duke. You may want to look into to Duke (I know it would be a far drive from the midwest).
 
For sure go to a big city! I'm sure there are plenty of good ones in the smaller towns but if you want a good one they are in the cities!
 
My GI is a excellent diagnostician. He had me diagnosed in a couple of weeks, after screwing around with a GP for over a year.

Dr. Ruben is in Duluth MN, so that is not going to be much help in your case.

I did not use his recommended treatment of Imuran, but that was my decision.

Dan
 
happy birthday lady,
i feel for you! i went through sooo many doctors here in ontario, canada. it is so frustrating. but keep persevering it will be so worth it when you find one who gives a **** (no pun intended :) ) and wants you to feel better. good luck.
susan
 
Christy said:
Mine is cute. :D
Click to expand...

Ack. That's the last thing I want...a cute doctor poking around my arse. ;)

I wouldn't say mine is cute, but he's not bad looking, and I'm still not very comfortable with him. I don't know what's wrong with me...my GYN is a man and I'm perfectly comfortable with him (although I have been seeing him 8 years now and after two kids, there's no modesty left), but something about talking poo with someone I just met takes some getting used to.
 
I am totally in love with mine... *sigh*
I trust him with my life.

Oops...Susan is in the same city and probably knows him. :redface:
 
May 28, 2010

Kari:

Greetings. I commend you for taking the effort to find the right doctor for YOU. I’m 47 and have Crohn’s Disease for approximately 25 years. For most of that period, I used a well-known New York City GI Practice and was getting TOP NOTCH Care. It got a little pricey due to Health Insurance Company Changes and then I used a Highly-Recommended New Jersey GI doc and he was GREAT but his partners were NOT and after getting annoyed at the arrogance of one of his partners who got tired of meeting me at the ER 3 nights in a Row at 2 AM because of my Complaints of Severe Pain when he couldn’t find anything wrong with me that would case such pain, I had to go back to the New York doctor. Amazingly, the next day he prescribed some rare Diagnostic Test and they discovered I had EIGHT (8) Partial Obstructions (with Skip Areas) and I then had emergency surgery the next day. My point is that your GI Doctor makes a world of difference and thus you are quite wise to be so diligent in selecting one.

When I relocated out to Los Angeles, CA Five (5) years ago, I was referred to a GI doctor and it was just one of those things where I got SO LUCKY as he is that perfect combination of Experience, Up on all new Drugs/Treatments, Compassionate, Lifestyle Accommodating, etc. You can send me a Private email and I will gladly give you the names of the NY and LA doctors and perhaps THEY can recommend Colleagues closer to where you live. The NJ doctor was GREAT is now on his own so I would also recommend him. (Just use my name when you are communicating with them but I will go over that with you if you email me.)

One last point is that you should also try and evaluate (or at least address the issue of) the Covering Doctors or other Practice Partners since as we all know – Crohn’s Disease has a mind of its own and often flares-up at the most inopportune times. Thus, you could be dealing with a Partner in the Practice with whom you could have a Personality Conflict and that could cause an unnecessary complication. Just talk about that with the Main GI doctor and you should be fine. Hang in there and I look forward to hearing for you.
 
LoL!!- Only have time for a quick response, as it is getting late and I have promised a friend that I would help out in his restaurant early in the morning...4am comes awfully early :(

You all make me laugh...thank you SO much for your reccommendations and for those of you who requested a PM for referrals, I will get to those after work tomorrow.

Do say a prayer for me though; I have been flaring something awful, am out of pain meds and have to work tomorrow...never a good combination :( Very worried I may disappoint tomorrow if the pain becomes overbearing. Not too much I can do about it, though. These guts have a mind of their own, unfortunately!

Love you all...such helpful and kind people you are! I thank the Lord for you everyday.

God bless!

Kari xx
 
karim said:
LoL!!- Only have time for a quick response, as it is getting late and I have promised a friend that I would help out in his restaurant early in the morning...4am comes awfully early :(

You all make me laugh...thank you SO much for your reccommendations and for those of you who requested a PM for referrals, I will get to those after work tomorrow.

Do say a prayer for me though; I have been flaring something awful, am out of pain meds and have to work tomorrow...never a good combination :( Very worried I may disappoint tomorrow if the pain becomes overbearing. Not too much I can do about it, though. These guts have a mind of their own, unfortunately!

Love you all...such helpful and kind people you are! I thank the Lord for you everyday.

God bless!

Kari xx
Click to expand...

Prayers sent :thumleft:
 
No, not really. My GI is a cantankerous, old coot. He had a very poor bedside manner; however, he is very thorough. I don't know whether to stick with him, or to find somebody that I has a better bedside manner. I'm still up in the air.
 

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