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How far would you drive to see a GI you felt comfortable with?

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Posted 12/6/2012 3:32 PM (GMT 0)
I live in upstate NY near Binghamton and I am looking for a GI who is conservative and willing to work with someone who wants to try the SCD approach or try less hard core drugs like pentassa , etc to remain in remission after a bowel resection. 

All the GIs here, so far seem to have a one track mind HUMIRA, HUMIRA  and more humira.  If someone has no sysmptoms and feels great after a bowel resection 6 months ago,  I can't accept why a GI would want to put a person on a drug that can cause more problems when they are not having any problems to begin with.

I am just curious how far would you drive to find a GI you liked?  Does anyone know of a conservative GI in the Binghamton or Syracuse area or near by?    

Posted 12/7/2012 4:36 AM (GMT 0)
NY, I live in on Lake Champlain, in Vermont/bordering NY, and I know Syracuse is a few hours away, but a good doctor can be life altering.

Maybe you could look into a naturopathic doctor (certified ND) who specializes in auto-immune and inflammatory bowel diseases. I have found two terrific naturopathic doctors here, as well as a GI doctorMD who suggested Jane Gotchalls (sp?) book, i forgot what its titled, but the SCD diet. Maybe set up a consultation with a doctor, read reviews online and keep asking around. :)
Posted 12/7/2012 11:18 AM (GMT 0)
I would go pretty far, as a good doctor is so hard to find these days. Luckily I found one about 30 minutes away so I don't have to too far. The ones right by my house were pretty useless, the majority misdiagnosed me or thought I was crazy. So even If I had to drive 2-3 hours to see a good doctor I would.
My doctor gave me Humira but it's because I have fistulizing Crohn's disease and I can't control that with diet.
Posted 12/7/2012 1:10 PM (GMT 0)
NY-Sooner: I have a great doctor out of Syracuse. I have never attempted "no meds" with him, but he is very understanding and conservative. Email me if you are interested, he has a few offices in the Syracuse area.
Posted 12/7/2012 5:21 PM (GMT 0)
Hi NY-Sooner. I'm not in NY, so I can't make a recommendation. I have however recently moved over an hour away from my GI doc, but wouldn't switch offices for the world. It took many years of mediocre care and unsatisfying visits to finally find a doctor who's goals and practices matched my own. I'd have to be pretty sick or unable to travel to give him up :)

PS - I had a bowel resection with a 3-yr remission. I stopped taking my meds because I felt SO GREAT and have strong opinions about overmedicating...then I developed multiple fistulae from which I am still trying to recover years later. I totally agree with not wanting to take meds you don't need, but be wary of the impact not taking them may have
Posted 12/8/2012 3:08 AM (GMT 0)
If you can find one, it is worth it. yeah

 

Posted 12/8/2012 5:00 AM (GMT 0)
Priceless is what I would call it. I found a new one locally being with one for almost 10 years, while we went through surgery together, he never really seemed to listen to me after the sugery. the new did and in fact sent me to a research facility to get some more options. and, he is the one who reccomended I go with medications to see if I could get better faster, albeit with a few crohn's symptoms. He reminded me that this nasty chrohn's is a very personal sickness and affects everyone differently and his job is to adjust to the the patient, not make the patient fit the "by the book"

so, yes, finding the right one is priceless.
Posted 12/8/2012 11:12 AM (GMT 0)
I flew from Houston, Texas to Rochester, Minnesota to see a GI.
Posted 12/9/2012 5:06 PM (GMT 0)
I just came back from an appointment with a new GI that I think I am going to love.
I mentioned my diet and he asked for reference material, looked it up on his own and is very suppotive.
I gave him an article on LDN and again he did some research and is writing me a script.
I have been struggeling a bit and he scheduled a pill cam.
I take pentassa and when I told him it has to be brand meds, he said no problem and gave me a 12 month script (cost 30 per month).

To go to a doc like this I would drive hours ( 4 or 5) at least.
Dave
Posted 12/9/2012 6:31 PM (GMT 0)
I am always impressed by a doctor who keeps up-to-date with research. Hence, I am amazingly impressed by dave's GI.

My own consultant is somewhere in the middle, I think. He is more open-minded than most doctors I have dealt with, and is a decent guy to boot. But he wouldn't go as far as asking for research material: I would have to ask him to do his own research and I'm a bit too nervous to do that. For example, a few months ago I brought up MAP therapy to him. He'd heard of MAP, was willing to give the antibiotic therapy a try, even though he did not think very highly of it. But he'd not heard of the Australian doctor, Thomas Borody, who is currently at the forefront of MAP research and trying to prove that Crohn's is an infectious, rather than autoimmune, condition. Wish in retrospect I had asked him to look up Dr Borody, if only to get his opinion on the fellow.

Anyway, I veered a tad off-topic... >_>. I dunno how far I would drive to see a doctor, tbh. If it was somebody truly exceptional, a few hours possibly. But then, I have no idea how I would find such an exceptional doctor - if one even exists - in the first place. It's a half hour drive to my current hospital. I would willingly drive up to an hour; anything above that, I'd have to think about it.
Posted 12/9/2012 11:44 PM (GMT 0)
I would go a long ways. I had a bad experience with Humira and understand why you don't want to go on drugs. I am trying the Gluten Free diet.
Posted 12/11/2012 7:44 PM (GMT 0)
My GI is 1 1/2 hours away - he takes care of all my stuff.  There is local GI in my small town that I feel comfortable calling on if needed to where I could not get in with my GI since he is at a large teaching hospital.  In the past I have driven as far as 4 hours to see a GI and at one point I was so sick I looked into GIs even several states away from me.  If the person can help you it is well worth it!
Posted 12/11/2012 10:01 PM (GMT 0)
As far as it takes. Nothing replaces a doctor that will listen to you and one you can trust. Driving is worth peace of mind.
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