New doctor

[rattle]

Hi everyone,
I had to put this on here i am so bloody angry.I went to the hospital today and saw a new doctor.It started off ok , he shook my hand and introduced himself.
First question "what meds are you on" so i gave him a list.I then described my symptoms and how i feel.What he said next just set me off "i dont think you have Crohns he says there is no indicative evidence,Maybe it is IBS". So i said "thats means you disagree with every medical diagnoses of Crohns i have ever been given" well you are seeing someone new now said the doctor.How bloody arrogant can you be to think you are better than eight differant consultants that i have seen it the past.
Then he says "Do you smoke" i said yes.Oh dear ten minute lecture on smoking yes i know it is bad with a bowl condition and yes i could get cancer but i am here for help with my so called Crohns not smoking.
I then said "if i dont have Crohns why then do i have nearly all the secondary illnesses associated with the condition" he looked blank.I also have thickening of the bowel wall and evidence of Crohns in the large bowel (although he says he doesent think i have Crohns).Now i dont know what the hell is going on.
Although i now have to look forward to all the bloody tests again just for him to despute all the previous diagnose OH JOY !
Also just to annoy me even more i had to drop off an appointment form in xray on the form he put UNEXPLAINED ADOMINAL PAIN WHAT A MORON . I am so disillusioned with the NHS i feel like buying a really hot curry and making myself very ill.I would then go to AE and get admitted with the attitude of NOW DIAGNOSE ME YOU IDIOTS.
Rant over for now but i am really peed off.

 

[Cara Fusinato]

That's really horrible. I hope they get their heads on straight and treat you in accordance with the diagnoses you have had for a long time. I have these lovely pictures the appendectomy surgeon took while in there. I wish you had some and could wave them in front of the Dr.'s nose.

 

[D Bergy]

I have a real low tolerance for fools in the medical profession. If it were me I would not even see this guy again. Now, he has put himself in a box by declaring he does not think you have Crohn's. He is not going to want to eat his words even if the evidence points to Crohn's. If eight professionals have already diagnosed you I do not see the point in going through another round of uncomfortable tests to tell you again, what you already know.

I had a real good doctor diagnose me in the end, but went through two GPs in the mean time. They were nice enough people, but not particularly skilled in the Crohn's area. My specialist never declared I had Crohn's until he had all of the evidence and lab reports. He was not arrogant in the least. Even after his diagnosis he said there is a small chance that something else could be causing the stricture.

I also finally found a doctor who is willing to try treat the root cause of disease. I have not seen him yet, but at least he thinks like I do. I met him before, but not as a patient. A doctor I am comfortable with is real important to me.

This new guy you are seeing sounds like one of those guys that ends up working midnight shift on weekend in the ER because no one want to see him.

I hope your luck turns around.

D Bergy

 

[Kev]

One of the luxuries this site provides is an opportunity to rant and rave, and feel so much better for having done so. I can appreciate all too well how this doctor made you feel... I've run into it before. Had a young surgeon on one of my first trips to the ER who was certain what was wrong with me (pre diagnosis).. If he had had his way, I'd be dead now. then, my company sent me to see their insurance company doc. He didn't even examine me, didn't introduce himself, just looked at some very basic test results and diagnosed me as a mild case of IBS.. (I'd like to go back and show him my surgery scars for this mild case of IBS). Then I had a very eminent doctor, who was certain it was Diverticular Associated Colitis, and that his operation would cure me. he operated too, but his diagnosis was not right... Ever see the look on an eminent doctors face when you see them again & you BOTH know they were wrong? Let me tell you, it's worth every single stitch..

So, this latest arrogent so and so thinks it isn't crohns. The downside is, that you would have to repeat a lot of tests to prove it. upside is, once proven wrong, you own that little so and so. Other possible upside, what if the little sob is really onto something? I dunno about you, but if the seed of that thought was planted in my brain, it would grow no matter how hard I tried to kill it. crohns isn't curable, what if this arrogent genius (or total fool, whichever the case may be) found something similar to crohns (and crohns is sooo hard to diagnose) but totally curable/fixable.

It's a long shot, but so is the lottery.. and, well.. trips to the hospital or whatever for tests, etc.. ain't exactly a picnic.. But it's part of life for those of us with crohns or whatever.. And, if he's right, you may win big time.. And, if he's wrong, you got him by the .. welll, you know. And, if you're like most of us, you really got anything better to do?

Once last thought, and then I'll shut up.. Think of it conversely.. Here's a doctor, and most of them play by the rules.. He somehow has the notion your diagnosis is wrong... and he's willing (or stupid, arrogent, whatever) to go against his 'peers' and say so, to you. What if he is right, but opted not to open his big mouth. you wouldn't be happy to find out later on that this 'right' diagnosis was kept from you because some doctor didn't have the guts to say so.. Even if this guy is totally off the mark.. the fact that he DID voice that.. well, it means something (I think). But then, what do I know.. I'm just an ole fart who hasn't any answers, or I wouldn't be in this fix too. If it were me, and there was even a slim chance he was right, I would check it out... at the same time letting him know how sceptical I was.

 

[Dekar]

wtf get a new doctor now, you don't have to go through all the tests again. you know what you have, get out of there

 

[rattle]

Kev i know what you are saying the same questions and doubts went through my mind.But i think he is wrong there is too much evidence towards Crohns.Also i was rather concerned that he misinterpreted a letter from one of the best spinal consultants in the country.The letter states my spinal problems are consistant with my condition.I have iritis this can only be caused by these problems below.

People with ankylosing spondylitis and other HLA-B27 related disorders are prone to iritis, iridocyclitis, and other forms of uveal tract inflammation. Iritis is also found in those with rheumatoid arthritis, Behcet's disease, Crohn's disease, lupus, Reiter's disease, chronic psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, sarcoidosis, scleroderma, and ulcerative colitis. Iritis is usually secondary to some other systemic condition, but can be the only apparent somatic symptom.

As i said in my earlier post i have thickening of the bowel wall and evidence of Crohns in the large bowel.A close blood relative has Crohns this all points to the previous diagnoses being correct.I had a blood test 6 weeks ago by my GP it showed Crohns disease.
It would be great if he was right and i dont have Crohns i will go through the test including the Endoscopy.But i have been through all this before with new doctors and they all come to the same conclusion Crohns.
He contradicted himself several times and said he wants a surgeon to remove the affected area of the bowel.Why would you do that with IBS ? I said i felt very ill after eating so i dont eat but i do drink Ensure.He just looked at me what does not help is i am 6ft and weigh 15 stone i dont look unwell.I told him i think i have a wild thyroid glan which would explain my huge weight swings of sometimes a stone a week either way.I have six members of my family with thyroid problems all of them close blood relatives.I have been tested for thyroid before but if the glan is wild it will be very difficult to confirm.
I checked the hospital letter it says he is a doctor of general medicine so how much does he know about Crohns and why the hell send me to see him instead of my normal GI.
I am not Einstein but i am not stupid and this doctor spoke down to me,i dont like that it really winds me up.Starting a sentence off with "you may not understand this" is not good bedside manner.
I will visit him one more time for the results of the tests if i am not satisfied i will go to a different doctor.
I will keep you all posted.

 

[Kev]

Yeah, some doctors are real jerks. Especially some surgeons. I dunno why that is. As for a doctor of General Medicine, I'm not sure what that is.. but it sounds very close to the breed one of my GI's referred me to. Here was his rationale. I had a variety of issues... my yet to be diagnosed, inderterminate form of IBD being just one of number of complications. His thoughts were that, since I was seeing a number of different specialists, no one was overseeing, or correlating everything, to get the big picture. Mind you, I was seeing the best specialists, thanks to having a great GP, but still.. specialists tend to only listen to other specialists. So, long winded story short, he wrote my GP, recommended a referral to either a GI who was not a surgeon, or an Internist who specialized in general medicine. The wait time was 9 months, and I got to see the GI who finally diagnosed me right. The wait time for the Internist? Just under 2 years... still haven't been booked.

I used to know the equiv of stones & lbs.. but I'm 6' 3", 240 lbs, and look like an old athlete (which I used to be).. I was offered a scholarship to play north american college football, and careers as a boxer and a pro wrestler, so today, at my age, I still look like I could chew lead and spit nails. Just don't feel like I could.
so, I'm all too familiar with even some doctors dismissing me as not being all that ill.. until they run the tests, or perform their scopes, etc.. And as for their attitude, I've run into it in spades. And you know what? I don't put up with it anymore. no, the way I see it, I put up with a lot of (excuse the vernacular) shit in my life, so if a doctor has poor bedside manner, then I tell them. and if they talk condescending to me, then I give it right back. I'm fighting for me, trying to get my ife back, AND if they can't understand that, then it's too damned bad. They have taken an oath, and I expect them to live up to it. And if they don't, my next call is to my lawyers.
And they know it...

 

[rattle]

Hi Kev,
15 stone is 210lbs.You hit the nail on the head why should i put up with their attitude.Unfortunately here in England it is very difficult to sue and there have been cases where the judicial system is so slow and complicated people have died before their claim has gone through the courts.I have requested copies of my medical files and on my next visit i will take them with me (costs £50 though) .As soon as i hear any crap i disagree with i will refere to the same file the doctor is reading.That will put the cat amongst the pigeons.

 

[Kev]

Well, here in Canada, it isn't like it is with our neighbours to the south. Suits are rare but doctors really fear the idea.. I dated a doctor for a long time (all pre illness) AND believe me, the prospect of going to court is something that really gets their FULL attention. There are also other remedies, a complaint (or threat of same) to their inner disciplinary association merits about the same level of respect/attention. But that is a last resort... A lot of time, in focusing their time on you, they overlook you. It's like they are trying to jam the most of their 'medical' expertise on the patient, without stopping to listen to the patient. I sort of/kind of understand that. I was in Information Technology.. essentially a computer geek. In dealing with people and their computer complaints, often times I found that the 'take' they had on their situation had no relation to the real issue behind it. that's a common occurence.. figure it happens with the medicos too. But it also means at times you ignore the complainent (sp?).. even though at times they do have the very best 'take' on the situation. In a computer issue situation, it is rarely life or death.. but in a medical situation, this can be disasterous. I guess, in short, you have a duty to yourself to argue, disagree, even confront your doctors if you feel they are wrong. But, as doctors, they ethically CAN'T defer to your opinion without running their tests, doing the procedures. To you it's a pain and inconvenience, but to be fair.. you have to sometimes let the doctors make these mistakes..even at your expense. Perhaps a few minutes of open, honest discussion with this Dr is all it would take. Like, if it were me.. Doc, I've been thru these tests, and all of the other docs think it's crohns. you want me to undergo all of that again on the basis of what? A hunch? A theory? I'll agree to it, but I'll feel righteously exasperated IF your tests reach the same conclusion as all of the others. Are these tests REALLY needed? If you really think you are onto something, then I'll get tested 'quietly'..

I recall.. after my 4th or 5th colonoscopy, suggesting to my GI that GI's and staff at the hospital where they perform them, should routinely undergo them as well, just so that they NEVER lost site of what they expected their patients to undergo. You should have seen the reaction to that? But I was quite serious. I think all doctors lose sight of what we patients have to undergo... and I think they lose something crucial as a result.. For want of a better term, the simple milk of human kindness.

I'm a bit taken aback by the cost of getting your records there. Here, in Canada some GP's charge for copies, typically pennies a page.. but it is fairly common for the doctors to overlook these fees as a doctor to doctor courtesy. But I notice if a patient wants a copy, even though entitled to it by law, then the fees come out.
For example, for my class of driver's license, I need to have a full medical physical and eye exam performed every 3 years. My GP has a price list displayed in his office for these various form filling duties, like some ridiculous fast food joint, but he declined to charge me the last time... perhaps as a courtesy because he knew my illness had supplanted my ability to earn a living... or perhaps an oversight.

 

[ruthymg]

Hi Rattle, what a shit time your having!!!!, which hospital are you under?



Ruth

 

[rattle]

Hi Rattle, what a shit time your having!!!!, which hospital are you under?



Ruth

Hi Ruth,
Darenth Valley not far from the Dartford tunnel in Kent.

 

[soupdragon69]

Hi Rattle,

I know exactly how you feel. I am VERY fortunate to have a fantastic GP practice, GP, and Gastro cons now. Years gone by I was told my symptoms were "all in my head" or "you are depressed". It took 18mths for the docs (not current GP) to figure out my thyroid had packed up. The reason being I had physical symptoms but my bloods were always either borderline or just below but not enough to warrant meds they said. In that time I lost my house, job and car, had to move in with my parents and the docs said I was epileptic (because I was having some sort of blank events). My liver function deteriorated and it wasnt til I saw a liver cons he proved it was my THYROID and not epilepsy! That was 10yrs ago. Around the same time I was diagnosed asthmatic.

Last March I was sent to a reg in clinic who decided I had vocal chord dysfunction and wanted me sent to ENT to prove it and also that my asthma was in my head (I thought lord here we go again and spent time doubting myself and many sleepless nights wondering if I was a hypochondriac). When I asked what my CONS thought he went to check. I also pointed out like you to the reg that so many other docs had come to one conclusion and how could be so sure and arrogant himself. My cons indulged him but also sent me for a bronchial histamine challenge in the lung function labs. Guess who had a massive asthma attack and they had to stop the lung function tests early!

Lets just say I had alot to say to the reg in recent months when he was sitting in with my cons (I refused to see the reg again funnily enough) and the diagnosis of Crohns was discussed and how it related to my unstable/brittle asthma GRRRRRR.

My weight swings about wildly too and I am not the "normal" crohn's patient as I am classed as obese now. This is partly due to my big usage/need of prednisolone and my thyroid probs.

The only reason I stick with my current asthma cons is I want him and the reg to learn a lesson that they cannot treat patients as they did me!! The reg told me he "had taken more folk off steroids than I had hot dinners and he would prove I just wasnt asthmatic"!! Talk about eating crow feathers and all after the tests!!!!!

It has taken me 3.5yrs to trust my current GP enough to tell him about my GI probs and he was VERY understanding and patient with me. The GI cons he sent me to was a previous colleague of his and he felt this guy would listen to me as he does if that makes sense. Because I am not the usual crohns patient as I said earlier I was worried I would be fobbed off but the gastro team have been fantastic. My GI cons has said I may have a metabolic disorder too and will review that once am into remission.

The reason for my ramble to you rattle is there can be light at the end of the tunnel. You are very right to "fight" back but please be sure it is not at great cost physically and emotionally to you. I do understand your justified anger and the constant struggle you have with the GI probs and possible thyroid combo more than most probably. Find yourself a GI who will LISTEN to you and stick like glue to them. If you have other issues then hang in there and remember you are not alone when you feel ready to deal with them also.

Thinking of you

Jan

 

[Mazen]

Hi guys

I suffered the same also. After a 3 years diagnosis of Crohn's, I had to see a new doc. He wasn't convinced of my diagnosis and made me repeat all the tests again (colonoscopy, CT, barium meal...), and the he said that he cannot say that I absolutely have Crohn's and that there is 5% chance I had something else which they don't know (they said maybe intestinal TB). And after a meeting with his colleagues, he said the only way to know what I have, is that they have surgey to resecr my inflamed ileum and ileocecal valve and then take biopsies from it to confirm a diagnosis!!!!!!

P.S: Has anybody had such a diagnosis that it may be intestinal TB and not Crohn's!!!

At that time I wasn't feeling that bad and was horrified that he wanted to perform surgey on me. I then later consulted other 3 GI's who said that I had Crohn's, or 99% Crohn's.

Doctors are crazy , and I believe nobody knows shit about this disease and the meds thay give us just control the symptoms (( Sorry but when I remember all this I get really pissed off.....

 

[btcrv]

Come on 5%. Sorry but that is not worth a surgery to find out.

 

[TammySue62]

Bad Eye Day

Hi rattle
So sorry to hear about all the problems that your having
concerning Drs they can be a pain in the ass.LOL
I also have had iritis in my left eye for about 9 years now.
Had the transplant about 7 years ago and it came back
within 1 year stronger then before. I would never recommend
this kind of surgery to anyone. It is so painful. Bumping into
everything constant watering and it looked like I had got into
a scrap with someone.Had to wear a patch for months
To this day I have to wear dark prescribed sunglasses, one
contact and eyeglasses.My eye starts to throb when I try to
look into the sun. Now I have it in my good eye well now
right eye. I have to take a prednisone drop called prednizole (sp?)
Believe it or not my eyes also have good and bad days
Just like CD. Some days I can see a little bit better then other
days. It seems weird that when Im feeling crappy and sick because
of CD it also effects my eyes. I cant drive at night nor in the rain so
I just dont even try too anymore or I ask my daughter for help. Am
I keeping in between the lines. So know I drive only on a need to bases.

I was beginning to think that I was the only unlucky one to have
this virus. My advise to you is do not have the transplant.It is not
worth it only for it to come back again. The specialist told me that
I would have an 85 % chance of seeing again. Well he was wrong
It came back in about 4 months. To this day I still have one stitch
left in my eye. Eventually it will work its way out like the other 7 did.

If you need to know any more information about Iritis feel free
to ask me or pm me.
Goodluck Tammy