I HAVE A NEW GI DOC!!!

Yes, folks, it's true. I found a new doc!

My appointment with "Preston" went well on Friday. He was wonderful. He asked me questions about my history with Crohn's, my current struggles, my meds, everything. He listened pretty well and was funny but mostly very professional.

At one point he was asking about my symptoms, and I said, "Well, actually, I have a chart that I've been keeping to track my symptoms..." and showed them to him and he said "This is amazing! I ask my patients to track their symptoms and you have this whole system! It's wonderful! I left my glasses at home so I can't read this fine print but it's amazing!" So affirming!!! My previous doc said "Oh. Do they help you?"

So, you're probably seeing a pattern emerging: yes, what I like most about this doc is that he listens to me and he TALKS to me. He affirms me and my efforts at managing my Crohn's. He actually has the same treatment plan as my former doc (oh, that feels good to say "former"), but he EXPLAINED the whole thing to me, and it made all the difference.

He said that I have a certain type of Crohn's called (and I'm going to google it to see what the real name is), I think, fibrostenosis or fibrous stenosis. "Fibrous" means scar tissue, and Dr. Preston believes that I am actually in remission (because of my Imuran and my symptoms) but it's areas of scar tissue in my small intestine that cause bowel obstructions and pain, etc. He said, like my former doc, that surgery is the only thing that could possibly improve my intestines, but he is also hesitant to do it, as there are almost always complications and then more surgeries.

He wouldn't want to do a preventative surgery, though. He said I should wait until I really need it, because of all those complications. Fine with me!

At the end of the exam, he asked when I'd last had labs, and if it was really March. I said yes, and that I thought I was supposed to have labs done regularly while I'm on Imuran, especially at this high dose. He said yes, and gave me a standing order for labs to be taken every three months, starting that morning. Yippee! I always had to remind my former doc about those labs.

He asked me at the end if I had any more questions for him, and I asked if he would be my GI doc. I told him I'd been anxious about switching docs within the same practice, but I just felt like I had a personality different with the other doc. Dr. Preston said that he would be my doc and not to worry about switching, "it happens to us all the time." I said I would write a letter to the former doc, and Dr. Preston said, "don't worry about it."

Whew! I'm so happy to be with someone I trust. I go to see him in "six to nine months." Yikes! I hope I do well.