I have hope!!

I've been struggling so hard since my surgery. It looks like I might of had the answer all along but--- I'm not a doctor!! In 2002 a colonscopy biopsy said I had colitis, but when I asked the PCP she told me "it doesn't need to be addressed". I wasn't sure if I had it or not. I didn't think you could have colitis and constipation at the same time. The GI docs I've seen, I've brought it up and gave them the report with that info in it. I saw my arthritis doc last week, asked him and he gave me a drug to try Sulfasalazin, it is supposed to target inflammation in the digestive tract. It has been great, I feel so much better. I also went back on prednisone for my rheumatiod arthritis. I saw my current PCP today and gave her my latest theory (she has the patience of a saint) and she said Yep colitis can cause ulcers all the way up into the mouth! So this is probably the cause of my ulcer problems!! GREAT!!! Now I get a little upset tho, I have been complaining all this time to the GI doc I've been seeing since July and have covered this very subject. The PA just kept asking ME why they hadn't done a colonscopy on me????? So I have been this sick, have 4 ulcers now, spent all that begging and pleading with local charities for help with the scrips, and the answer was right there!!!! Now this GI doc is all angry at me, won't see me anymore and insinuates that I was lying about the prednisone, and all along the answer was right there in front of his face!!!! Don't get me wrong, I'm so glad I think I've got the right path now, but shouldn't he have figured this out???

Morning Sue, I'm so happy you are getting to the bottom of this! You have felt lousy long enough & somebody should have been able to figure something out! Be sure to keep posting & let us know how you feel. Our experiences good or bad can also help someone else out there on the boards who may be having the same problems. There are times I despise Doc's, like when I developed fibromyalgia, I was told it was all in my head & was given anti-depressants! Asked why I would take them & was told I was depressed & he thought I needed them & it should take away the "phantom" pain I was having!! Finally took a doc in Omaha (Kenick) to dx me in a matter of a few minutes. He's a hero in my book!!! We need to stand up to these doc's this is our bodies we are talking about & who knows the body better than ourselves! Happy Holidays Carolyn

We have to be our own best advocates.....soemtimes we are all we have.....with doctors and insurance companies these days!!! I am so glad your are finding some relief.....and who cares if the stupid GI doc won't see you anymore he obviously sucked!!!!! Take Care of yourself....and heres hoping you continue to feel better! JEsi

Hi Carolyn, I'm telling ya Carolyn, we HAVE to be related!! I was dx in Iowa City with RA, but when I saw two different (Palmer and Wees) arthritis docs locally, they told me the blood work meant nothing and there was nothing wrong with me, why was I wasting their time, etc. Then a nurse at Iowa Heart Center while I was getting a cardiac stress test told me she sees Dr. Kenik so that's how I got to him. I've only seen him three times, but he has helped me sooooo much. The man even has a sense of humor!!!! He recommended I see somebody in that health system. I had already seen two GI docs there, Woodbury (he retired) and another one who left to do his residency somewhere else. I got no help at all from either one of them. Boy do I understand being treated like I'm nuts (I am by now LOL) Before RNY they kept telling me it was all cause of how fat I was. Dr Anthone kept asking me if I was seeing a shrink and was I on anti-depressents. I have heard that sooo much, it just pi**es me completely off. The main reason I'm depressed is because I feel so lousy. I love Dr. Kenik too. I really have to laugh when I see those spots on TV telling us to advocate for ourselves. I completely agree, but just try it, the doctors get really ticked off. Plus they don't do any research themselves, they just go by what the last doctor said, so you NEVER get anywhere. I'm pretty angry right now, all this pain for all these years, because they wouldn't listen to me or just read the damn report. I didn't know biopsies or blood work or x-rays, etc could be so arbitrary. I had one doc tell me that 36 hours of blood drawn every two hours checking the troponins (sp) while I was having a heart attack "must of been wrong"???? Thanks for the good wishes Sue

Hey Jesi, thanks. Truthfully I am all I have. I have to deal with this all on my own. It's enough to drive me even crazier!!! I won't go see that GI doc anymore, but I have to deal with his records following me around. He put in one endoscopy report that I am "very anemic" he has never had blood drawn and to my knowledge has never seen the results of the two draws I have had done since bypass. I asked about that and he got very defensive. He also sent copies of his reports to two doctors that have sent me certified letters telling me never to come back to them. I sure didn't want them to have my records. I can't believe how incompetent some of these people are. And we depend on them for our health!!! Sue