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Concerns over physician and colitis diagnosis - recommendations, thoughts.....
sbarca posted:
I have just been diagnosed last Monday with colitis and this is my second really bad flare up in three years. I have small issues throughout the years that I didn't realize what they were, but I do now. I am really concerned about staying with my GI doctor and wanted some feedback and opinions.
My concerns are due to the approach that I have seen from my GI. For instance, I had a horrible flare up three years ago and went to someone my mom recommended. I never saw the doctor till the procedure - only the NP - I like her. The symptoms were bad (bleeding, having problems going, double over pain, you name it - it was there) so they scheduled me for a colonoscopy/endoscopy. They found H. Pylori and gastritis in the endoscopy, but I woke up in the colonoscopy so they stopped. After the procedure, the doctor said that he wanted to wait until the inflammation calmed down some. They went back three months later and I am pretty sure they did a sigmoidoscopy and is this sufficient to diagnose colitis and if they did actually do a colonoscopy - shouldn't this have been found during biopsy.
The other part is that when I had the colonoscopy last week and the dr. came in to speak with me after - he said that they missed this the last time and that he didn't get up into the upper part of my colon because he just wasn't able to.
Plus, lastly - when I meet to discuss all this next Friday (giving time for medication to work), I won't meet with him - only his NP. I am feeling I want a second opinion on the whole situation - I have maybe lost trust. Has anyone ever had an experience like this.
Please don't think I am trying to find someone to blame my condition on. I work with physician's and researchers all day long since I write federal grants and know their challenges, but this is my health and I am not feeling like my condition is being taken seriously in how this particular establishment allows their practice to be run.
Any thoughts or comments.
My concerns are due to the approach that I have seen from my GI. For instance, I had a horrible flare up three years ago and went to someone my mom recommended. I never saw the doctor till the procedure - only the NP - I like her. The symptoms were bad (bleeding, having problems going, double over pain, you name it - it was there) so they scheduled me for a colonoscopy/endoscopy. They found H. Pylori and gastritis in the endoscopy, but I woke up in the colonoscopy so they stopped. After the procedure, the doctor said that he wanted to wait until the inflammation calmed down some. They went back three months later and I am pretty sure they did a sigmoidoscopy and is this sufficient to diagnose colitis and if they did actually do a colonoscopy - shouldn't this have been found during biopsy.
The other part is that when I had the colonoscopy last week and the dr. came in to speak with me after - he said that they missed this the last time and that he didn't get up into the upper part of my colon because he just wasn't able to.
Plus, lastly - when I meet to discuss all this next Friday (giving time for medication to work), I won't meet with him - only his NP. I am feeling I want a second opinion on the whole situation - I have maybe lost trust. Has anyone ever had an experience like this.
Please don't think I am trying to find someone to blame my condition on. I work with physician's and researchers all day long since I write federal grants and know their challenges, but this is my health and I am not feeling like my condition is being taken seriously in how this particular establishment allows their practice to be run.
Any thoughts or comments.
1 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:Concerns over physician and colitis diagnosis - recommendations, thoughts.....I have just been diagnosed last Monday with colitis and this is my second really bad flare up in three years. I have small issues throughout the years that I didn't realize what they were, but I do now. I am really concerned about staying with my GI doctor and wanted some feedback and opinions. <br /> <br /> My concerns are due to the approach that I have seen from my GI. For instance, I had a horrible flare up three years ago and went to someone my mom recommended. I never saw the doctor till the procedure - only the NP - I like her. The symptoms were bad (bleeding, having problems going, double over pain, you name it - it was there) so they scheduled me for a colonoscopy/endoscopy. They found H. Pylori and gastritis in the endoscopy, but I woke up in the colonoscopy so they stopped. After the procedure, the doctor said that he wanted to wait until the inflammation calmed down some. They went back three months later and I am pretty sure they did a sigmoidoscopy and is this sufficient to diagnose colitis and if they did actually do a colonoscopy - shouldn't this have been found during biopsy. <br /><br />The other part is that when I had the colonoscopy last week and the dr. came in to speak with me after - he said that they missed this the last time and that he didn't get up into the upper part of my colon because he just wasn't able to. <br /><br />Plus, lastly - when I meet to discuss all this next Friday (giving time for medication to work), I won't meet with him - only his NP. I am feeling I want a second opinion on the whole situation - I have maybe lost trust. Has anyone ever had an experience like this.<br /><br />Please don't think I am trying to find someone to blame my condition on. I work with physician's and researchers all day long since I write federal grants and know their challenges, but this is my health and I am not feeling like my condition is being taken seriously in how this particular establishment allows their practice to be run. <br /><br />Any thoughts or comments.
HannahLeigh89 responded:
I don't know if the information you've provided is sufficient to say that you shouldn't trust your doctor. With colonoscopies and inflammation, you have to be careful because inflammation degrades the integrity of the tissue, so you can't just shove the tubing on in there and hope for the best. This could cause many issues, including perforation, and then you'd be in much worse shape than you are. My brother (with UC) had inflammation so bad that they couldn't progress with the colonoscopy and he was diagnosed from there.
Depending on what point in the colonoscopy you woke up, they may not have gotten far enough to do biopsies. And it's also possible that the portion of your intestine that was biopsied did not have Colitis. Since you were positive for H. pylori and gastritis, they may have attributed your symptoms to that and not looked for any other conditions to diagnose.
A sigmoidoscopy would be sufficient in my opinion to diagnose UC. I've had several since I had my large intestine removed, and ideally, the scope goes into your sigmoid colon. If there was inflammation there, they could biopsy that tissue or just diagnose from your symptoms and the appearance of the inflammation.
If you feel that you need another opinion, get one. It doesn't hurt anything to see another doctor and see what they think, except maybe your current GI's feelings. Either way, that shouldn't interfere with the way that you are treated, and you have every right to see as many doctors as you want to see and pay for. Hope this helps some.
Depending on what point in the colonoscopy you woke up, they may not have gotten far enough to do biopsies. And it's also possible that the portion of your intestine that was biopsied did not have Colitis. Since you were positive for H. pylori and gastritis, they may have attributed your symptoms to that and not looked for any other conditions to diagnose.
A sigmoidoscopy would be sufficient in my opinion to diagnose UC. I've had several since I had my large intestine removed, and ideally, the scope goes into your sigmoid colon. If there was inflammation there, they could biopsy that tissue or just diagnose from your symptoms and the appearance of the inflammation.
If you feel that you need another opinion, get one. It doesn't hurt anything to see another doctor and see what they think, except maybe your current GI's feelings. Either way, that shouldn't interfere with the way that you are treated, and you have every right to see as many doctors as you want to see and pay for. Hope this helps some.
Report This| Share this:Concerns over physician and colitis diagnosis - recommendations, thoughts.....I don't know if the information you've provided is sufficient to say that you shouldn't trust your doctor. With colonoscopies and inflammation, you have to be careful because inflammation degrades the integrity of the tissue, so you can't just shove the tubing on in there and hope for the best. This could cause many issues, including perforation, and then you'd be in much worse shape than you are. My brother (with UC) had inflammation so bad that they couldn't progress with the colonoscopy and he was diagnosed from there.<br /><br />Depending on what point in the colonoscopy you woke up, they may not have gotten far enough to do biopsies. And it's also possible that the portion of your intestine that was biopsied did not have Colitis. Since you were positive for H. pylori and gastritis, they may have attributed your symptoms to that and not looked for any other conditions to diagnose.<br /><br />A sigmoidoscopy would be sufficient in my opinion to diagnose UC. I've had several since I had my large intestine removed, and ideally, the scope goes into your sigmoid colon. If there was inflammation there, they could biopsy that tissue or just diagnose from your symptoms and the appearance of the inflammation.<br /><br />If you feel that you need another opinion, get one. It doesn't hurt anything to see another doctor and see what they think, except maybe your current GI's feelings. Either way, that shouldn't interfere with the way that you are treated, and you have every right to see as many doctors as you want to see and pay for. Hope this helps some.
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