Please Help FAST
#21053 - 09/17/03 04:38 PM
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marnie
Reged: 09/17/03
Posts: 205
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Hi, I have had this trouble for almost 30 yrs. and won't go into all this now cept to say that early this yr. I had D problems and my dr. gave me promenthazine which took care of it very quickly. He also did a stool test which was negative. This was in FLorida. I was pretty much ok again....meaning that I could eat more than the bland diet of rice, potatoes, chick noodle soup, and the like...... After coming North again in June, in July i started having the problem again w/D and my dr. here wouldn't give me any promethazine, but I did manage to get some fr. the other dr. This time it did not improve......like before. I have had D but read abt the Calcium which I now take 300 mg 3x day (1/2) of a Caltrate which I at lst thought helped and was sooooo happy. My Dr......if you would call her that.....cause she just said take Imodium!!! and I can't think that's a cure-all for me cause I don't always have D.........but USUALLY HAVE THE EXTREME URGENCY which CAN start that way. Other times Drs gave me Lomoti and I got back towhat I'd call normal for me.....meaning being rid of the pain and just having extreme urgency.I have had the pain in my lower right abdomen. I finally got to se the GI specialist and he put me on Levbid or is it Lenbid which has helped some. Said it was safer than promethazine. The day I saw him my appt was at 4:30, but cause of his having emergencies, I never got to see him until abt 6:30 or later. All he said was to have a colonoscopy which I'm supposed to have on 9/24. They really don't care much what you have to say......didn't recommend any blood tests or anything, except a test for gluten. THE immediate problem for me is that as of now I am supposed to stop taking Metamucil (actually I use Equate fr. Walmart as it's cheaper). I've been taking the Equate or Metamucil for so VERYYYYY long that I can't remember taking it. Before that I actually took bran flakes that I bought at a health food store. Incidentally, I just saw that Metamucil and probably Equate are not good for me as I DO HAVE a ton of GAS.....that sometimes gives me some warning that I better find a bathroom veryyyy quickly. Anyway, I'm supposed to stop taking anything like this for 7 das prior to the procedure.......I am abt. nuts thinking how I'm gonna make it thru till then. I am already exhausted and have no strenght and don't dare go out of the house. It's been this WAY ALL SUMME FOR ME this time. I am so depressed I can't stand it and my own Dr. didn't help when she wouldn't give me anything. She said when I mentioned Lomotil, that that was old medicine, not used now. Just said to see a GI. I KNOW I W/have BAD D, and then, of course, really bad pain too & just get more nervous, & just don't think I can stand this......!!! It seems ALL these years I've ALWAYS had to worry where a bathroom was.. and wear protection....which was much needed. I feel that the problem I've always had feeds on itself......the worse I am, the more nervous and upset abt it I get tho I try not to. I am a nervous person and take med for that, adding to my D problems, The GI specialist was rushed and didn't really answer my questions. He did ask if I was nervous at the end of appt...........didn't he see my list of meds??? Am being "smart" here, but they just don't seem to care. I should mention that I had a endoscopy fr. him a couple yrs ago and have been on Prevacid ever since for reflux disease. I think this is rather jumbled, but think you will understand. I just don't know what to eat for the next few days to GIVE ME ENUF FIBER????? Nothing was mentioned abt Imodium which I have used in the past, which really binds me for a few days and then back to the same old problem........at least as I remember. I alway have it on hand.......just in case. Am wondering if it would be ok to take that if I get to that point......& how much????... It seems to come in only pill form now....where before you culd take just a little that would help. It's been so many years since I've used this tho. Another thing I should mention is that I eat oatmeal every other day for extra bulk too. I can have pain anytime.....before I go, but MORE AFTER. I used to have actual burns on my stomach cause I just didn't care cause it seemed to help the pain.What can I do ??? Hope Heather can help me with this too. Just got your book and it's such a help to me, haven't gotten the recipe book yet, but can't eat anything spicy or with beans. Ams so glad that you are helping so many and yes.......those drs. who make so light of it.....sure do need educating.
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Hi, Marnie - and welcome!
I'm so sorry you're in such distress. I'm hoping Heather will respond to your post - but could I offer some thoughts and a suggestion, based on my own experience as both an anxious patient and a health-care researcher (just as a layperson / volunteer - not a professional)?
1. Doctors may read all the info in your chart, like your meds, but they may not comprehend the signifigance. For instance, if you're taking an anti-anxiety med, it may not stand out to a GI specialist... to him, it's a "peripheral issue" even though the anxiety is inter-related to your GI problems.
2. Doctors aren't mind-readers and unfortunately they're not always "looking" for cues from us that they need to give us more information. Often, they give us just what THEY think we "need to know". Sometimes, we have to work harder at communicating with them - to get their attention.
3. Since you don't have a lot of time before the colonoscopy, but you have so many concerns and questions, could you try typing / writing these out in very brief, to- the-point language, perhaps in list format - and then faxing it to the GI doc? Start out with your name, birthdate, SS # (so they can find your chart), and the procedure and the date for which it's scheduled, then include a "subject" line. Ex:
From: Marnie Smith
BD: 04/09/52
SS#: 123-45-6789
Procedure: Colonoscopy
Scheduled for: Wed 09/24/2003
Regarding: NEED CLARIFICATION OF INSTRUCTIONS
Ask for "clarification" of the pre-procedure instructions regarding supplements and medications,etc. Prioritize your concerns, keep it to one page - no more than that - and ask for a reply from the doctor or his nurse. Offer the doctor some options for replying to you: you could ask the doctor to have his scheduler set up a phone appointment at a specific time, or give him your email address or a fax number to which he could reply. Give hours you'll be available to talk and include your phone #. Acknowledge in your message that you're being treated for anxiety and having these questions / concerns addressed would be very helpful to you, and, very important, thank the doctor for his valuable time. You might write something like, "I realize this request may be somewhat unusual, but any consideration you can give me will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for any courtesy you would be willing to extend to me." (Just FYI: some doctors bill patients for phone appointments or letters - insurance may not cover).
It may seem overwhelming to edit your concerns down to a brief list, but you have the main points in your post. Just put them in some kind of orderly list - bullet points or 1, 2, 3, etc.
Doctors (and their assistants) are often just overwhelmed with phone messages to return, etc. This is almost like applying for a job - just as you'd want your resume to "stand out", you want your letter / fax to stand out and grab their attention. Doctors often don't respond well to anxiety and / or anything they might (wrongly) construe as "whining" - they're much more likely to respond positively to something that's carefully thought out and organized.
I can't guarantee this will get results but it might be worth your time to try... I realize that you're feeling really anxious, exhausted and depressed and this may be more than you can handle right now. However, I'll be praying that should you decide to try this approach, that God will go before you and prepare the way for the doctor to be kind to you and to give you the information and reassurance you need. Praying also for strength, stamina and relief from your distress...
God bless you,
Kaybee C
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Hi Kaybee,
Thanks so much for answering my post. I did as you said re making a list, but I could only get to talk to one of the receptionists abt. clarification of instructions. Seems the nurses and the dr. weren't available. Another call to them, since I had forgotten to mention the fact that she was going to note the lactose breath test on my chart and I should call back abt. it, got me to another receptionist who I had originally talked to abt it the day of the appointment and she was obviously irritated & told me that the Dr. would do what he thought best. After that.....I really didn't think a letter, etc. would really help......! I'm going to post another note and mention some other info and hope I get some responses as it is day after tom..... Thanks so much again for your time and interest and ........all the help.
PS Oh...I did forget to mention that they are sending me for the gluten test. That's why I took that opportunity to ask for the lactose but was told it was more involved.
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Marnie,
Hi there! Welcome to the board!
The Living Room is really a place to chat about un-related IBS stuff...you will get much more of a response if you post this on the eating for IBS board 
I hope you get to feeling better soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*big hugs*
Ruchie
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Formerly known as Ruchie
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Hi Ruchie,
Nice to meet you. I appreciate the info........just couldn't understand why no real answers and why the chitchat on the board was so lighthearted.
Now.......I just wish I knew how to transfer all I wrote to the IBS board...!!! Anyway......I sure do appreciate the welcome and the info.
Thanks again and see you on the board. I sure hope you are doing fine.....!
Marnie
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Marnie,
Welcome to the IBS boards! I got a little lost reading your long post. Maybe you could post again with a condensed version for those of us that are slow readers!
We hope we can help you. Just read a lot of past posts. That will help you.
Beaglelover
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Gee, Marnie... sounds like you made a great effort to get the help you needed - just too bad the office staff was pretty indifferent! My primary care doctor has changed partners twice and office staff, too, in the past 3 years - and each time, things get worse. (It's settling down, now). Twice in the past 6 months or so, I've left brief but explicit questions which required a call-back from her - and didn't get a reply. So, after a follow-up call, both times I found out she either never got the message at all, or the staffer gave her a very shortened form! She's corrected the problem - because she cares. But with specialists who often see patients only a few times - not long enough to establish relationships with them or really "care" - sometimes, that hands-on is missing from their practice. Praying your procedure went well -- I'll check the other board to see if you've posted again...
Blessings,
Kaybee C
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