Seeing specialist tomorrow - finally!

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-27-2000
Seeing specialist tomorrow - finally!
2
Thu, 06-29-2006 - 12:23am

Over a year now after going thru the preliminary tests to do the endo-cinch procedure, I'm FINALLY seeing the specialist in Boston!  It appears there are only two in the entire area who do this, and one is on an extended maternity leave.  My main frustration with all this has been my regular GI, who I have been seeing for over 10 years.  I swear, this man is either just tired of being a doctor or his memory has disappeared.  It's been about 16 months now since he put me thru the routine 3 preliminary tests to make sure I'm a good candidate for this procedure.  It took him four months - and repeated messages from me asking him to contact me - to find out the test results, AND although he told me he would take care of all the paperwork/referrals, etc. to the specialist, he never did it - I had to pursue it all myself.  When I saw him a couple of months ago, I reminded him the new doctor had requested very specific test results, not a simple "she's a good candidate" note.  I found out earlier in the week he never did that, either, and that kind of thing has become very routine the past two years!  One of those prelim tests was MISERABLE, it hurt like the devil when they put that tube down my nose and fed it all the way to my stomach, I have chronic sinus congestion and it took half an hour to get it down, still gives me chills, I had tears running down my face the whole time.  But....hopefully tomorrow in this consult and then after he talks to the ditzy doctor, I'll be good to go.  Apparently there's a very good chance I'll be rid of the GERD problem or it could be minimized so much I won't need meds or need very little or just something like Tums. 


My primary doctor gave me a bit of advice we all might want to think about.  She says in things like this, where I've been told there's a simple procedure that might very well end a health problem, go for it, and go for it as young as possible.  Reasons are things only tend to get worse with age, the older you are the less likely doctors would want to do things, plus you never know what your health insurance/finances will be like in the future, so do it while you're well covered by insurance and it won't total your budget.  Get rid of whatever health problems you can before you get old, that's her advice. 


 

~~Joannaran near Boston with Jessie and Jake~~


 


 

 


~~joannaran~~

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-04-2005
Thu, 06-29-2006 - 8:32am

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Glad you found our board Joann!


I am so sorry you had such a frustrating experience. I have also dealt with a few doctors like this. Hopefully you will be scheduled soon and be done with all of this, plus feel much better too!


Please keep us updated and certainly let us know when you will have this done. Some of these new procedures amaze me! How wonderful to not need a huge incision, lengthy hospital stay and long recovery, eh?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-27-2000
Thu, 06-29-2006 - 5:49pm
He's my first experience with a doctor whose attitude has changed along the way, I really don't know what the problem is, but

 


~~joannaran~~