The Initial Diagnosis
I honestly didn't believe my gastroenterologist when she gave me the initial diagnosis of Crohn's disease. It wasn't about a 'that can't happen to me' mentality, but more about a cynical belief that this doctor was just finding an excuse to rack up medical bills.
At the referral from my PCP, I made my very first GI appointment with Dr. C. The symptoms that sent me to my doctor in the first place seemed benign enough... it hurt in my (ahem) anal region when I was passing stool, and it was often accompanied by blood. I was assured by family/friends that because the blood was bright red it meant it wasn't an internal issue, and I probably just had some hemorrhoids. With this thought in mind, I met with Dr. C... who told me within the first few minutes of our discussion that she thought I had Crohn's Disease.
It was a startling assessment based on what could barely be considered a full conversation. Without any sort of test or analysis, Dr C. had already decided what my issue was... and it was a life-long, potentially debilitating disease at that. Shouldn't she have at least... I dunno, asked to SEE the problem area... or at least poked my belly a bit?
I got ahead of myself a bit there... she wanted to see the problem area, all right. She scheduled me for a colonoscopy to confirm her suspicions. This common procedure is a necessary evil that I've become more than familiar with recently, thanks to a few projects at work. I can't remember the exact bowel prep I was put on, but can only guess that it was Miralax, based on the amount of orange Gatorade that I recall drinking.
About a week after the colonoscopy, Dr. C gave me a call and told me that the colonoscopy revealed positive results for Crohn's, but JUST IN CASE, she wanted to run another test. That's how I found myself going through a Barium Swallow the next month. While a colonoscopy feels like a necessary evil, the Barium swallow felt (and tasted) like an unnecessary evil. Flavor chalk however you want, it's still gonna taste like chalk. (Mine was 'strawberry' chalk, for the record.)
Shortly after that test, I had a follow-up appointment with Dr. C. This time, she told me that the Barium Swallow came up negative for Crohn's. So we needed to run another test. (It should be obvious now why I was so skeptical with Dr. C's diagnosis, and why I felt like her eyes had money symbols in them when she looked at me.)
The third test was to be a Capsule Endoscopy... otherwise known as a 'pill cam'. As she ushered me out of her office, assuring me that the test would give me undeniable results, she dropped an unexpected bomb: she wouldn't be administering the test herself. She was moving out of state at the end of the month, and she would refer me to one of the other partners in the practice.
It was a baffling moment for me. It couldn't have been more than 6 months since my first appointment with her... if she knew she would be moving out of state and shoving her patients off on another doctor (and I can't imagine that she didn't know), why would she even be taking new patients in that time?
Despite my reservations, I went through the Capsule Endoscopy, and immediately had the test results sent to a new practice. And although the new GI confirmed the positive test results for Crohn's disease, I still felt that my whole experience with Dr. C left a bad taste in my mouth... one that I couldn't blame on the orange gatorade or the Barium prep.
At the referral from my PCP, I made my very first GI appointment with Dr. C. The symptoms that sent me to my doctor in the first place seemed benign enough... it hurt in my (ahem) anal region when I was passing stool, and it was often accompanied by blood. I was assured by family/friends that because the blood was bright red it meant it wasn't an internal issue, and I probably just had some hemorrhoids. With this thought in mind, I met with Dr. C... who told me within the first few minutes of our discussion that she thought I had Crohn's Disease.
It was a startling assessment based on what could barely be considered a full conversation. Without any sort of test or analysis, Dr C. had already decided what my issue was... and it was a life-long, potentially debilitating disease at that. Shouldn't she have at least... I dunno, asked to SEE the problem area... or at least poked my belly a bit?
I got ahead of myself a bit there... she wanted to see the problem area, all right. She scheduled me for a colonoscopy to confirm her suspicions. This common procedure is a necessary evil that I've become more than familiar with recently, thanks to a few projects at work. I can't remember the exact bowel prep I was put on, but can only guess that it was Miralax, based on the amount of orange Gatorade that I recall drinking.
About a week after the colonoscopy, Dr. C gave me a call and told me that the colonoscopy revealed positive results for Crohn's, but JUST IN CASE, she wanted to run another test. That's how I found myself going through a Barium Swallow the next month. While a colonoscopy feels like a necessary evil, the Barium swallow felt (and tasted) like an unnecessary evil. Flavor chalk however you want, it's still gonna taste like chalk. (Mine was 'strawberry' chalk, for the record.)
Shortly after that test, I had a follow-up appointment with Dr. C. This time, she told me that the Barium Swallow came up negative for Crohn's. So we needed to run another test. (It should be obvious now why I was so skeptical with Dr. C's diagnosis, and why I felt like her eyes had money symbols in them when she looked at me.)
The third test was to be a Capsule Endoscopy... otherwise known as a 'pill cam'. As she ushered me out of her office, assuring me that the test would give me undeniable results, she dropped an unexpected bomb: she wouldn't be administering the test herself. She was moving out of state at the end of the month, and she would refer me to one of the other partners in the practice.
It was a baffling moment for me. It couldn't have been more than 6 months since my first appointment with her... if she knew she would be moving out of state and shoving her patients off on another doctor (and I can't imagine that she didn't know), why would she even be taking new patients in that time?
Despite my reservations, I went through the Capsule Endoscopy, and immediately had the test results sent to a new practice. And although the new GI confirmed the positive test results for Crohn's disease, I still felt that my whole experience with Dr. C left a bad taste in my mouth... one that I couldn't blame on the orange gatorade or the Barium prep.
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