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I had my appointment with my GI today. His first reaction was to want to put me back on doxycycline. I was SO proud of myself for speaking up and asking him why and what was it supposed to treat. His explanation was to treat an infection in the intestines. I reminded him I have MC and he said it would treat that too. I reminded him he already tried me on that and it didn't work. He wanted to put me on it for a month I told him I didn't agree and didn't want to take that. He asked me what I wanted to do. I told him I've been doing loads of research on MC and shared how with the assistance of meds like perhaps Entocort and a diet specific to eliminating food intolerances that many have found remission. He came right out and told me he was not that educated on treating MC, after all he is 65 yrs old and not about to learn new things. He only wants to maintain what he has going on now At least he was honest with me. He is referring me to the University of Alabama in Birmingham. He feels that there won't be many doctors in this immediate area that are all too educated on treating MC. WOW! I truly wasn't expecting that. He wants me to write him a letter to update him on what they find and do to help me. I also requested a copy of my results from my endo/colonoscopy. I got it with no problem. I think I will post my results on the other section of this forum to discuss further.
-Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain-
Kim
Good for you. That worked out surprisingly well, after you explained to him "how a horse eats corn", (ever hear that old expression?).
On a sad note, I'm extremely sad to learn that education ends at 65 - I had no idea.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
I looked around and only saw a place to post Enterolab results. I hope it's ok to post my other results on here. Here is the final diagnosis (any input or insight is SO welcomed):
1.Antral Biopsy: Chronic gastritis, mild to moderate w/o activity. COMMENT: A PAS stain highlights lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate. No metaplasia, dysplasia or neoplasia is seen. A Giemsa stain is positive for Helicobacter pylori. Controls are appropriately reactive.
2.Small Bowel Biopsy: Non-neoplastic small intestinal mucosa with mild chronic inflammation. COMMENT: A PAS stain highlights mile lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate. A Trichrome stain does not reveal blunting on the villi. No stainable microorganisms are sampled on a PAS stain. Controls are appropriately reactive. The morphology is not diagnostic of celiac sprue. No dysplasia or neoplasia is seen.
3. Ascending Colon Biopsy: Superficially ulcerated non-neoplastic colonic mucosa with mild chronic inflammation. COMMENT: A PAS stain highlights lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate with a prominent lymphoid aggregate. A Trichrome stain does not reveal any pathologic prominence of the basement membrane. Minimal cryptitis is seen. The morphology is suggstive of microscopic colitis. Differential diagnosis includes colitis secondary to non=steroidal anti-inflammatory agents.
4. Rectal Biopsy: Superficially ulcerated non-neoplastic colonic mucosa with mild chronic inflammation. COMMENT: A PAS stain highlights lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate with a prominent lymphoid aggregate. A Trichrome stain does not reveal any pathologic prominence of the basement membrane. No granulomas or crypt abscesses are seen. The morphology is suggstive of microscopic colitis. No dysplasia or neoplasia is seen.
That's it. SO I can see microscopic colitis a couple times once from the Ascending colon and again from the rectal biopsy. I guess all this time I was thinking MC was in the small intestine. SIGH! So much to learn.
-Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain-
Kim
Joan and Tex: I was just as shocked to hear those words out of his mouth. I teach my boys that no matter how old you get you will never stop learning. He sounded like life just stopped at a certain age for him He admitted he doesn't even know how to work a computer..... He's supposedly an educated man. I just don't know what to say.
-Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain-
Kim
That report says that you have the markers of LC, (lymphocytic infiltration), not only in your colon, but also in your small intestine, and in the lower portion of your stomach, (the part that does not produce acid). No evidence of Crohn's or UC is noted, but you tested positive for an H. pylori infection.
The forums where the Enterolab results are listed are locked, (so that it's easier to keep the data in an organized form), so you won't be able to post there. Just post your results here, and I'll add them to the lists. There's an old Enterolab test result list in the "Polls" forum that isn't locked, but I stopped updating that one, when I created the other two, so that list is incomplete.
The reason why your GI doc chose the ascending colon, (right side colon), and the rectum, for taking biopsy samples, is because the ascending colon is typically the site of the greatest MC presence. MC is not uniform over the entire colon, but presents in scattered "patches". Those patches are usually most prominent in the ascending colon, however. Crohn's disease also typically presents most readily in the ascending colon, and the terminal ileum. Ulcerative colitis presents first in the rectum. That's why he chose those sites for biopsy samples, because it optimized his opportunity for detecting any form of IBD which might be present.
I guess he just decided that he doesn't want to learn any more. Evidently he's thinking of retiring, and he takes retirement seriously. LOL. I always thought that retirement simply meant that there would be more time for us to learn about new things that interest us, that we didn't have time for, before. If the learning process is truly stopped, the brain will deteriorate very quickly, and overall health will suffer, soon thereafter, IMO.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
congratulations to you! Go Girl!
you did your research and you are so right to question the use of Doxy (given our discussions over the past 48 hours)
being pro-active and showing that level of confidence was definately worth it! and i am also proud that he verbalised his limitations but this didnt mean that management of your condition had to be compromised.
it is your body!
Hope you feel good about the outcomes of the day.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
I congratulate you for being your own advocate and standing up and speaking out to your doctor. I am appalled that anyone - and especially someone so educated as a doctor - wants to not learn after 65. I am 62 and still learning every day. I listen to the world around me, work everyday and constantly am learning there and grab onto every morsel of knowledge. I feel very sorry for him but very proud of you.
Love, Maggie
Maggie Scarpone
___________________
Resident Birder - I live to bird and enjoy life!
Thanks all. I am pleased with the outcome of that appointment. Although I'm sorry for the doctor that he has no interest in learning more I have a new respect for him as well. He could have acted offended that I would presume to have a better understanding of medicine then HIM and question his treatment method! He didn't do that and I would have expected that from most docs.
After the past year of being told numerous outrageous things from doctors and having to continually look for a better doc to help me, going to UAB will hopefully be a positive experience.
-Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain-
Kim
You are right that your Dr was good not to be arrogant, but it is sad he has a retiring mentality. I hope the UAB Drs. have the wisdom not to be arrogant while being intellectually on the ball.....
I fully agree with your assessment of your doctor. Such candor is rather rare in his specialty, and I, too, have a lot of respect for his honesty, and I especially like his recommendation for you to go to a teaching hospital. You're right - most GI docs in a similar situation would have probably been spitting nails, by the time you finished.
FWIW, the hospital that I use is a teaching hospital.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
I'm hopeful that my searching will be over or at least reduced and that I will be put in the hands of someone who really knows what's going on.
Tex, IYO, is it rare to have markers of LC in colon, small intestine AND lower part of stomach? Also based on the research I'm doing now, generally there are signs of gluten sensitivity that can be spotted during such a procedure but my report said, "..does not reveal blunting of the villi" "not diagnostic of celiac sprue". Would this suggest I'm not gluten sensitive? Also finding that since I did test positive for H. Pylori that H. Pylori could have been onset of MC. I would think that once I was treated for the H.Pylori and rid my body of it that the MC symptoms would go with it. Not the case yet I know these should all be questions to take with me to UAB but I'm sure when they obtain an appt for me it will be a good long wait. Maybe I'm wrong. Acquiring my biopsy results has helped me REALLY research this stuff better.
One of my co-workers said going to a teaching hospital such as UAB will be an improvement of what I've dealt with so far. However, they will probably want to do a re-test of their own on everything I've been tested for. I hope I don't have to do the colonoscopy AGAIN! That will be 3 in 8 months I will hold on to a positive attitude......what ever it takes to get better.
Thanks again to all of you and if anyone can relate or suggest anything, I'm all ears
-Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain-
Kim
Kim, I am so proud of you. I wish I could talk to my GI like you did. I hope you can get an appointment soon. Be sure to request copies of all your records and take them along with you.
Charlotte
The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine, or the slowest form of poison. Ann Wigmore
Visit the Microscopic Colitis Foundation Website
I told him I didn't agree and didn't want to take that. He asked me what I wanted to do. I told him I've been doing loads of research on MC and shared how with the assistance of meds like perhaps Entocort and a diet specific to eliminating food intolerances that many have found remission. He came right out and told me he was not that educated on treating MC, after all he is 65 yrs old and not about to learn new things. He only wants to maintain what he has going on now 
At least he was honest with me. He is referring me to the University of Alabama in Birmingham. He feels that there won't be many doctors in this immediate area that are all too educated on treating MC. WOW! I truly wasn't expecting that. He wants me to write him a letter to update him on what they find and do to help me. I also requested a copy of my results from my endo/colonoscopy. I got it with no problem. I think I will post my results on the other section of this forum to discuss further.
He's supposedly an educated man. I just don't know what to say.
I will hold on to a positive attitude......what ever it takes to get better.
