Short illness story: Back in October I nearly crapped myself to death. 3 weeks in I saw a gastroenterologist, and they were baffled. 4 weeks in, I went to the ER, they pumped me full of all kinds of antibiotics and 3L of IV fluid. Went home, and I gradually recovered. Nobody could figure out what was wrong. Fast forward to 2 months ago. Started seeing another gastroenterologist, and had my first colonoscopy April 29. Diagnosis: Crohn's. I'm 40.
I'm otherwise disgustingly healthy. I'm a power lifter. Earned gold medals in last years national championships in May. Our team qualified for the world championship meet. Had I put off seeing doctors for two months, I'd be winning more medals at the national meet this coming Saturday.
I'm pissed as hell, right now. New dietary changes have made me lose weight, and I can't eat enough to have the extra calories I need to spend time at the gym. I've lost 7 pounds in 2 months because of dietary changes, alone.
To top it all off, my doctors office is unresponsive, uninformative, and inattentive. They prescribed Apriso without telling me that it's a lifetime drug. No discussion. Nothing. Cherry on THAT cupcake is that the prescription wasn't called in on the friday of my colonoscopy as expected. I had to harass the office the following Monday and Tuesday to get it. Didn't find out it was a lifetime drug until a few days later, this last Friday, when I saw the nurse and asked how long I'd be on it. This is the best gastroenterologist I can get in my town. This doesn't seem right.
By the way, the Apriso didn't work. Maybe because it didn't work, maybe because my system has always been somewhat sensitive to chemicals. Maybe because my system had been so very recently chemically and physically brutalized. Not to mention the emotional and physical stress of colonoscopy prep, quitting smoking, quitting beer, diet changes, and dealing with the diagnosis. ALL at the same time.
Still haven't started the prednisone, because I can't get the office to call me back to answer questions. Both of my parents had bad side effects with it, namely their minds just checked out. I need to know what to do if/when that happens. No mind + extreme emotional instability could = me burning my house down in a fit of rage. Not comfortable with that.
Started the process of changing doctors today. To the one in Tucson that I saw back in October that's 80 miles away. Because they answer the phone, and call back. And their waiting room was unusually lively for a doctor's office.
I'm going to dig in and demand that we explore alternative treatments before I submit to pharmaceuticals.
I'm otherwise disgustingly healthy. I'm a power lifter. Earned gold medals in last years national championships in May. Our team qualified for the world championship meet. Had I put off seeing doctors for two months, I'd be winning more medals at the national meet this coming Saturday.
I'm pissed as hell, right now. New dietary changes have made me lose weight, and I can't eat enough to have the extra calories I need to spend time at the gym. I've lost 7 pounds in 2 months because of dietary changes, alone.
To top it all off, my doctors office is unresponsive, uninformative, and inattentive. They prescribed Apriso without telling me that it's a lifetime drug. No discussion. Nothing. Cherry on THAT cupcake is that the prescription wasn't called in on the friday of my colonoscopy as expected. I had to harass the office the following Monday and Tuesday to get it. Didn't find out it was a lifetime drug until a few days later, this last Friday, when I saw the nurse and asked how long I'd be on it. This is the best gastroenterologist I can get in my town. This doesn't seem right.
By the way, the Apriso didn't work. Maybe because it didn't work, maybe because my system has always been somewhat sensitive to chemicals. Maybe because my system had been so very recently chemically and physically brutalized. Not to mention the emotional and physical stress of colonoscopy prep, quitting smoking, quitting beer, diet changes, and dealing with the diagnosis. ALL at the same time.
Still haven't started the prednisone, because I can't get the office to call me back to answer questions. Both of my parents had bad side effects with it, namely their minds just checked out. I need to know what to do if/when that happens. No mind + extreme emotional instability could = me burning my house down in a fit of rage. Not comfortable with that.
Started the process of changing doctors today. To the one in Tucson that I saw back in October that's 80 miles away. Because they answer the phone, and call back. And their waiting room was unusually lively for a doctor's office.
I'm going to dig in and demand that we explore alternative treatments before I submit to pharmaceuticals.