Got stressed over a new doctor - but for no reason!

[UnXmas]

A while ago I posted about canceling an appointment because I find seeing new doctors and not knowing if they're going to cause me problems too stressful. I did end up canceling one appointment because the risks of a difficult consulation seemed to outweigh the possiblity of anything positive coming from it. But I went to see a new consultant yesterday for one of my other medical conditions, and it was very positive. My expectations were so low that I couldn't have been disappointed whatever happened, but it went better than I could have expected.

My condition (endocrine problems) isn't curable, and I still don't have a clear diagnosis. But rather than use that as an excuse to tell me that it can't possibly be serious, or get angry with me for presenting with a condition that exposes the limits of the doctor's knowledge (common reactions I have had in the past), she was saying how completely unique the presentation of my condition was, and how having multiple medical conditions simultaneously makes differentiating one from the other difficult for doctors. She explained that this was why it's been so hard to diagnose me, but she also referred to the most similar conditions she could think of and suggested we use them as possible ways forward in treatment and in understanding what is wrong with me.

We discussed the digestive problems also and she was able to confirm the diagnosis from the tests I had a couple of months ago from her copies of my records - which she'd taken the trouble to read in advance. I'd been told there was inflammation in my stomach and eosophagus but I wasn't entirely clear on the diagnosis before because that didn't sound like a diagnosis exactly. The new doctor was able to confirm, so I'm no longer an undiagnosed/not quite certain diagnosed Crohn's!


It was good just to be listened to and have someone explain why I feel the way I do in a way I could understand - even when some of that meant saying there are some things we just don't understand. I'm not quite sure how it can be coincidence that I manage to have multiple rare illnesses (or rare presentations of more common illnesses), but hearing a professional accept that that is the case rather than having it make them suspicious of me means an awful lot. I feel better just from talking with her.

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

That's great that you found a good doctor! If I am reading your post correctly, she diagnosed you with Crohn's but you also have other undiagnosed illnesses? If that's the case, I hope you can get on some good treatment for the Crohn's and get some answers about the other mystery illnesses. And if you haven't already, you might want to write a review of this doctor in the Doctor Reviews section of the forum - I bet others in your area would appreciate knowing there's a really good doctor nearby.

 

[UnXmas]

Yes, I'd had an endoscopy but hadn't heard the Crohn's diagnosis in so many words before. When I was woozy after the endoscopy they just said there was inflammation and to wait for the biopsy results. Then my GP (not a specialist) saw the result and told me they had shown IBD. I'd been assuming it was Crohn's since as far as I know Colitis would only be in the colon and not found on an endoscopy (upper GI tract), but I wasn't entirely certain there weren't other kinds of IBD. Which is why I've been not quite clear on the diagnosis for the past couple of months.

This appointment was with an endocrinologist, nothing to do with the Crohn's, but she had the results from the endoscopy and biopsies on my medical record, so she was able to confirm it even though it wasn't her own speciality and she won't be the one treating it. She's not an IBD doc, but if anyone needs a good endocrinologist in the UK let me know!

And yes, the endocrinological problem is still undiagnosed, but at least I've now got a sensible doctor looking into it.

Thanks for replying.