Diagnostic Testing

Hi All, I've been on the boards for a while now and your stories and advice are always so helpful and reassuring. I am having a colonoscopy on November 8th, and then on the 16th I have my first appointment as a new patient at UNC's Gastro/Motility center. My Gastro doctor who referred me to them said something about ruling out hirschsprungs (which I don't think is my issue) or Colonic Inertia, which I do think is my issue. She told me they will probably start running tests on me.

I was wondering, when any of you went to go get all of the test done before officially being diagnosed, did they do them all individually, or were there days when you could come in and have a couple of tests done in a day? I am hoping to move this along quickly because after suffering so long, I just really need some answers and some help. I can't keep being told to take miralax and relax....if that worked I obviously wouldn't be in this situation. I graduate from college this spring, and if it turns out I do have CI, I would like to look into having a colectomy. I can't imagine the rest of my life like this, I'm only 24 and I've missed my entire 20's because of this.

I am also worried they might tell me the same thing, just take more fiber, exercise, blah blah...and that I don't really need a colectomy right now. I don't want to wait until I'm older and my symptoms are even worse, or spreading to my small bowels, etc...

Also, what kinds of questions should I ask the doctor, so she knows I've done my research, I want to participate in my healthcare, not just listen.

Because I lived two and a half hours away from the hospital where the motility studies were to be done, the staff was good enough to schedule the tests over the course of two days.  Like you, I wanted to speed the process as quickly as possible. 

I can't imagine a gastric motility center telling you to go home and drink more water/take more fiber like gastro doctors do. 

By the time I saw the motility specialist, I was so desperate for help that I let him know how miserable my life had become.  I think that got his attention. 

Val