Gastroenterologist

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Scheduled my first gastroenterologist appointment next Monday.

What kind of interactions have you had with gastroenterologists?

I've had about four colonoscopies, a sigmoidoscopy, a couple endoscopies, a thing where I had to keep a tube down my nose into my stomach for 48 hours at home, and a bowel resection of almost 12".

I have another colonoscopy this summer. It's just being scheduled now. I just did a bunch of stool tests in May.

My daughter had the radiation test for Gastroparesis. I went with her.

My mum had consults and surgery for Barrett's Oesophagus. I went with her for those too.


Good luck on your appointment. I hope they sort out what's bothering you.

The gastroenterologist had a great bedside manner and was not condescending (unlike plenty of precious lil "people"). He was easy to talk to and receptive. He's only 32 and I am 41. I am amazed at how much he accomplished. Besides, he went to the same undergrad as me, except he majored in Biology instead of Cognitive Science. He appeared knowledgeable (but things are not always the way they appear.) I feel confident that he will help me reduce my symptoms, and I hope that it is not false confidence.

He talked about:

dyssynergic defecation

colonoscopy. He said he was ordering a colonoscopy for me as "preventative". He said Kaiser requires patients to be 45 before a colonoscopy but b/c my old man got colon cancer, I can get a colonoscopy at 40. (But I still do not know how much I have to pay out of pocket.)

psyllium fiber

Metamucil

pelvic floor physical therapist.

biofeedback therapy

It sounds like you've found a good one.

He appeared to be a good gastroenterologist, but I do not know enough about medicine, to know who is a good gastroenterologist. Besides, he's my first (and hopefully last) gastroenterologist, so nobody to compare him to.

However, plenty of doctors do not even appear to be good doctors. So whatever.

Anyways, gastroenterologist prescribed two drugs. the portal said "order cancelled". emailed gastroenterolgist that. he said, phone the pharmacy. phoned the pharmacy. it said, the two drugs are over the counter, and that's why it said "order cancelled." what the flying f**k, s**t? I was so scared because I thought I did something "wrong", as usual. Is that the first time the gastroenterologist prescribed those drugs? If he knew the drugs would get "cancelled", then maybe he shouldn't've prescribed them. If he didn't know the drugs would get "cancelled", how long has he been @ that job, one week? Metamucil is not such an unusual prescription. (On the other hand, if that's the largest thing he did wrong, then he was pretty f*****g good.)

Today, went to CVS and wasted thirty two f*****g bucks on metamucil. s**t, i only earn minimum wage. my health is not (thus far) *that* bad. but it's rapidly getting worse. medical bills $$$$$$$.

And then I emailed the gastroenterolgist:

how much does the colonoscopy cost? kaiser pays for colonoscopies after age 45 and my worthless corpse only 41. he said he would put it in as "preventive". if i have to pay out of pocket, i ain't getting it. (on the other hand, if i have colon cancer, then i might be able to get government benefits. a colonoscopy could be a good investment. but whatever.

kaiser's website says that the patient has to go to the colonoscopy with a driver and the driver is required to stay throughout the colonoscopy and then drive the patient home. my former "friend" amy lee was so impatient, i could not imagine her waiting for my colonoscopy. dena and cory were not that great either. there's nobody that could drive me to the colonoscopy. kaiser's website says taxi and uber drivers are not allowed to take you to the colonoscopy. and you are not allowed to take public transportation. medical transport companies are not going to wait for you throughout the colonoscopy. so i asked the gastroenterologist what to do about that.

then i asked, how do i fast (as required for the prep) while handling eating disorder symptoms. i'm afraid i might fail.
________________________________________________________________________

I’ve done colonoscopies alone by Uber. The idea is just that you can’t drive after twilight sedation. I’ve also done Pelvic rehab with biofeedback after my pelvic and bowel surgeries. I have a thread about it in Adult.

Sorry I can’t answer about the cost of a colonoscopy because they’re free here.


*I'm doing a colonoscopy this summer and I'll have to go by Uber if it's a day when my partner is working. I've seen people use taxis before. Worst case couldn't your sister go? She's a doctor, right?

Isabella

The colonoscopy instructions say you need a driver to stay during the colonoscopy and it can't be Uber. Maybe your insurance and your country has different laws

Every time I bother my sister she threatens to sell the house that I live in. I bothered her about the dryer and sink. I only earn minimum wage and part time and could get made redundant any day now.

I just booked mine for September and you're right. I do need a driver to take me home. I was going to update to let you know. Did you end up scheduling yours?

isabella

i haven't scheduled the colonoscopy yet. the instructions say that you need a driver, unless you want an unsedated colonoscopy. been looking up videos of unsedated colonoscopy. afraid it will hurt too much.

do not know how much the colonoscopy costs, but i only earn minimum wage and my job is not stable.

also, there is no way i will be able to handle fasting before the colonoscopy.

but whatever, i'm only 41.

Today three different coworkers offered to drive to the colonoscopy and now I can schedule an appointment at their convenience

Still I am worried about the cost

Also how am I going to eat only low fiber food for three days? Do not think I can do that. Willpower not good enough

Then if I'm hungry and afraid of the colonoscopy I won't be able to sleep. Good thing Internet still working. Pretty soon I won't be able to afford Internet and then when I can't sleep or nothing to do or something I have to amuse myself with low tech methods. I am so pathetic. A loser. But whatever. Life goes on and on and on

Then the colonoscopy prep might not be successful. Up all night defecating and still not good enough

And my driver might not show up

But whatever. If driver doesn't come, Kaiser charges $100 cancellation fee. And three days hungry is really hard and bad for me but at this point my excretory system is so bad, not much alternative

Besides a colonoscopy might diagnose Crohn's or ulcerative colitis and I might be eligible for government benefits s**t

But kaiser recommends colonoscopies starting 45 and I am 41 so I'm only a child prodigy by four years which is not a lot

Hate how every day, the first two bowel movements take about 15 minutes each and the second two take about half an hour

Paranoid of straining so hard for a bowel movement that I get a heart attack and drop dead like Elvis

Paranoid of needing a colostomy bag or diapers or surgery. And then I won't be able to do jobs with heavy lifting which is a large number of minimum wage jobs

Anorectal manometry

Balloon expulsion test

Graceful degradation

My bowel movements have gotten worse the past three years

I didn't know Uber offered colonoscopies.

cockney

uber does not offer colonoscopies. kaiser requires that colonoscopy patients come to the appointment, with a driver. the driver has to stay in the waiting room during the colonoscopy, hear the results, and drive the patient home. so i could not just take uber to the colonoscopy b/c uber drivers will not sit in the waiting room. as a result, i could not take uber to the colonoscopy.

bowel movements: frequency, intensity, duration

afraid of needing: colostomy bag, diapers
afraid of getting: heart attack, from straining on the litterbox

afraid of dropping dead in the litterbox from straining, just like elvis. elvis dropped dead @ 42 and i am 41 so that is old enough.

colostomy bags and heart attacks $$$$$$. besides, if i get a heart attack or colostomy bag, the doctor might put me on "light duty" and then home depot will have the nerve to tell me "at will" employer, and make my worthless corpse redundant.

since i have zero job skills, it is extremely difficult for me to get even a minimum wage job, when i will not be able to lift heavy rocks. about one out of four restaurant, retail, and sales jobs, require lifting fifty pounds.

anorectal manometry

incur unpaid veterinary bills

physically painful

embarrassing

gross

stigma

Also I am afraid that I will involuntarily defecate in my pants, in the driver's car on the way to the colonoscopy. Even if I wear diapers the car seat might get feces. If a coworker is the driver the coworker might gossip about my fecal incon to his cronies

Afraid the colonoscopy prep won't work and I have to cancel the colonoscopy and then get a $100 fine and diet for three days again

Afraid of vomiting the colonoscopy prep

Afraid of an official colon cancer diagnosis

The whole colonoscopy process: literally scaring the s**t out of me (how ironic)

Trust me, you won't.

The last several hours of prep are ... unproductive.

isabella

not everyone has the same response to colonoscopy prep.

eight billion people in the solar system

and i'm sure if/when i defecate in a coworker's car, they will gossip to the entire home depot.

home depot is like a high school. some of the annoying lil dipshits that work there, waste a lot more time and energy talking than working.

besides then i have to pay $$$ to get the car professionally scrubbed.

I understand your anxiety.
I wish there was a way for you to explain all of this to your doctor, or to have your sister help you out.

I'm going to be at a hospital appointment for my mother for the whole afternoon when I start my prep.
I'm going to have to chug the stuff in hospital and run to the bathroom there.
Then I have to drive my own car to get her home.

I'm not looking forward to that either.