GI wasting my time

I'm getting pretty annoyed with my GI as every time I see the dude he says "see you in 6 weeks". I'm doing fine, things are pretty stable with my daily Lialda and enemas (about 3 poops a day rarely with urgency) and I have no desire to change my medicine around. I certainly don't feel "well" having to go to the drs so frequently. I've asked the dude why the frequent appointments and he says "I keep close track of my colitis patients".

Certainly, I don't want to compromise my healthcare or the course of this disease by foregoing care but I'm starting to think it is just a money making machine for the GI office where they want you to keep coming back for 15 minute consultations where all they do is ask "how's things going?" and such. So, I've been canceling appointments, and pushing them further and further back to limit going there often. Probably I should just call the GI office and say what is there bare minimum I need here for my care, like a flexible sigmoid once or twice a year to make sure this disease isn't spreading and getting worse? Because the dang copays just keep adding up, both for the office visits ($40 each time), and for the meds ($10 for a month's worth of enemas, and like $20 or something for the pills with the discount card).

There is very limited options for GIs in my area. This is the most convenient one (about 15 minutes from the house). The second closest GI office is 35 minutes away (another branch of the same practice). The next is maybe 45 minutes away but not associated with the current practice in any way.

What would you do?

I would go every time, but that's me.

Fruitgirl, yeah I'm generally happy and stable where I'm at. The GI practice seems fine otherwise, they diagnosed me, and other than them requesting frequent visits I have no beef with them. Good to know once a year on the flex sigmoid sounds like enough to you. Maybe that's what I'll insist on unless the symptoms suddenly get worse.

Airbailey, I complained to the GI once and he said okay see me in 3 months then, which I did. At the next appointment he was back to his usual "see you in 6 weeks" thing again. I hate to get in a frigg'n argument with the dude, I'm not seeing you more frequently than each 6 months but I am thinking that's the only way to drive this one home...

ipoop - I agree with you, if you are in remission no need to go every 6 weeks. I think i have a really good GI and I go the minute i have a flare and then other than that ever 6 months to a year

lol I had like 4 colonoscopies last year. woot.

1 without sedation so I can see if I can handle it. It doesn't hurt but man it's unplesant.
the 3 other...with sedation. lol

2 endoscopy (the tube through the throat) both without sedation.

This is your first year...I'd do every 3 months, then the next year every 6, then maybe once a year.

As long as your doc will give you the prescriptions, you have no problem.

I'd nix the scopes...your symptoms will tell you if there's anything wonky going on.

When did you start the Rowasa nightly?

I'd certainly keep the doc that prescribed you the 5ASA oral/rectal meds....it's a relationship, and you'll eventually find how to make it work.

q

Quincy, I started the Rowasa nightly after my last scope which was at the end of Sept. So I've been doing them nightly for about 1.5 months now.

Somedude, lucky? Haha I guess it is a matter of perspective and opinion. To me it seems to be a waste of my time, as I gotta put sick time in at work, drive 20 minutes to the GI, sit in the waiting room for ~30 minutes, see the doc for 15 minutes, have a cordial/friendly discussion about how the last 6 weeks have been, and he says great see you in 6 weeks, and I drive back to work. And other than burning through my sick time and lightening my wallet a little bit these GI consultations hasn't provided me a lot of tangible benefit.

"Somedude, lucky? Haha I guess it is a matter of perspective and opinion. To me it seems to be a waste of my time, as I gotta put sick time in at work, drive 20 minutes to the GI, sit in the waiting room for ~30 minutes, see the doc for 15 minutes, have a cordial/friendly discussion about how the last 6 weeks have been, and he says great see you in 6 weeks, and I drive back to work. And other than burning through my sick time and lightening my wallet a little bit these GI consultations hasn't provided me a lot of tangible benefit.
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Yeah, in Canada we don't pay for consultation and you can go as often as you want to the doc and not pay anything. As far as for logging sick days, I don't have to. I just stay an 1 hour or 1/2 hour later that day depending how long my appointment is.

I know, that NOW, you think these frequent visits are annoying, but really it's a great thing. Trust me. waiting time and service in hospitals in Canada is a problem. Being seen by the doc this often is great, imo. I love it.

Personaly I wouldnt go back until I feel rhe need. Hes making a fortune fm your insurance.

I think when I was first diagnosed I was at the doctor all the time, but then again I was constantly in a flare, in college, and couldn't afford any medication so had to keep going to the 'free' clinic at my college.

Once I got into remission, I think I went every 6 months. Then after I was in remission awhile I went once a year, with a colonoscopy every 2 years.  I think if you are doing fine and in remission for at least a year you don't need to go too often. If you start having issues, though, go right away. That is what I used to try to do although it was always impossible to get into the GI I used to see and the would slough me off on their nurse practitioners or worse yet physicians assistant (but charge me the same price as if I saw the actual MD). 

Every 6 weeks sounds excessive even for somebody in a flare, and I definitely wouldn't get a flex sig every 6 months seems excessive unless you are having symptoms they can't figure out without one.  The only time I used to have a flex sig that often was when I went to the University hospital and they wanted to 'show' all the interns what a colon looked like. Needless to say I was more than happy when my next GI said there was no need to keep doing those!