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SO Incredibly Frustrated!!!

Location
Ontario
My GI doctor is great, he's probably the best one in my city and definitely the best I have seen so far because he's the only one that is committed to figuring out what's going on.

BUT.. he still hasn't made a diagnosis! Crohn's is the only thing not ruled out, but my case isn't typical, so he keeps skirting around the diagnosis and hasn't made a decision. This is incredibly frustrating.

One of the reasons why he's so hesitant is because of the career implications for me. I'm in the military, and while it's not a 100% certain of release, it's a 90%. I do know people who have Crohn's and have been able to stay in, but I also know what the framework for recommendation for release says, and Perianal disease is the first item on the list.

In the meantime, while my GI doctor is figuring this out, the military medical system has me on a temporary medical category which means my career is at a standstill anyway until I'm given the all clear, or a diagnosis is made and they make a recommendation to the head military medical folks in Ottawa. The fact that this is taking so long is making it more stressful than it needs to be.

GAH!

Sorry for the vent!
 
Poor you! I know how you feel it does seem to take forever to get answers and just having that diagnoses makes it easier to deal with whats happening to you.
Obviously your doctor will want to make absoloutly sure what it is rather than jumping to conclusions but its not easy for us at the waiting end.
I hope you find out soon and maybe then be able to deal your career.
Good luck and keep us informed on how you get on :)
 
I'm so sorry you are going through this, but many of us do on the road to diagnosis, but not with the same career implications. Often it's a case of not being prescribed meds until a definite diagnosis is reached.
What diagnostic tests have you had and what were the results? In what way are your symptopms atypical? Mine are/were too but we eventually - after 8 months - got down to Crohn's as the cause.
 
Location
Ontario
I have complex perianal disease and no other evidence of Crohn's. I have had two surgeries for my fistulas, both of which were unsuccessful and have been on numerous rounds of Flagyl and Cipro over the past number of years. The doc is hesitant to make a diagnosis on Perianal disease alone.

I have had Colonoscopy, Small Bowel Follow Through, Endoscopy, and Pill Cam all with negative results. Next week I am suppose to get testing for ASCA, it's not done in Canada and has to be sent to San Diego.

Most recently have had pain/swelling in my abdomen but my doc is still unsure if it's related, I had an ultrasound, and the radiologist thought he saw something, so they did another one yesterday. They definitely saw something this time but wouldn't tell me what, the tech and the radiologist were just whispering to each other, so I have to wait until I see the GI doc again in two weeks.
 
Location
Ontario
Also on Prednisone for my "mystery" abdominal pain despite the doc not knowing if there's anything there, not so sure it's working though, small improvements, but not great.
 
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