finding a new doc

Man, you just keep getting curve ball after curve ball, huh? I'm so sorry you're getting the run around.

And I totally understand some ambivalence regarding the situation - you want the best, but at the same time it isn't a good first impression to get the brush-off for sure. How long did he say it would take to "review" your file? If the doc's office can't give you a difinitive time for their answer, I would start the search again if I were you. I don't know... my instinct tells me that if I were in your shoes I would be finding another doc already because I would have been over-the-top irritated at the "no second opinion" scenario... but if you can hold out for a couple of days maybe it's worth it? I guess it wouldn't hurt to have another doc chosen regardless... you might not like this super-crohn's doc once you meet him anyway.

As for the petechiae... I am pretty unfamliar. I had weird rashes on my shins and thighs last year that felt kind of like razorburn and sometimes itched, but I never got a straight answer as to what it was (nothing simple or obvious like shaving, laundry detergent, food trigger, etc.). I benadryled myself every night before bed for a month or so and eventually it was gone. Could just be a freakish manifestation of your absorption issues...

I hope you get some answers soon MM... I know you have to be pulling your hair out over all of this. Getting the diagnoses, whatever it may be, is often the worst part of the ride. Try and keep your sense of humor, though... it goes a long way! Sending good thoughts your way.

that's right - I forgot one of your other posts mentioned the B12 thing... that could definitely be the culprit...

Are you making sure that YOU get a copy of all the parts of your file as you're going through all this run-around? It'll save you a lot of headache later on if you are in possession of your file as well. Plus it's fun to see what they put in there sometimes! My doc has a column for "Patient Appearance" and he actually put "Disgruntled" as an answer once. Made me laugh, anyway.

Just so you know, I'm going for a second opinion with an IBD specialist tomorrow and this doc wanted to see my records first before he would give me an appointment as well...

The only way I get anything in a timely manner is if I tell them I will be there at 3 o'clock to pick it up. It's a pain, but I find it better than waiting around for them.

I would send the records and see what happens. Maybe he screens patients so that he only takes those with cases too complicated for someone who is not a Crohn's specialist. It may be inconvenient, but if you can get in with him it will be worth the wait and effort if he really is that good.

The Gregory House comment made me smile! When I was hospitalized in December 2008 (which led to my Crohn's diagnosis) my daughter and I were discussing whether or not I would want House for my Dr. He gets to the bottom of things, but I would probably have ended up with a lumbar puncture and some other painful procedures in the process :)