Why do doctors want to give up?

I've had UC for 5 years and have been through 4 doctors.  I've been to some of the best at the Cleveland Clinic and the University of Michigan.  In the beginning the doctors try all of their bag of tricks and when I don't respond they all say SURGERY.  Well, I don't feel that I'm sick enough for surgery and I'm not ready for a permanent solution.  I really just feel like since I'm not the normal patient who responds to Asacol, they think I need surgery.  I battle c.diff as well as UC and recently had a flare with c.diff but my doctor denied up and down that it was c.diff.  He swore my symptoms were UC.  I know my body and I knew I had c.diff.  Sure enough, my results came back as c.diff.  I'm really frustrated because I don't want to find another doctor yet again but how hard is it to find someone that's more compassionate and will work with me a little harder to find the right meds for me?  I was on 6-MP for about a year and finally had no bleeding and only 2-3 bms a day when the c.diff struck and put me in a big flare.  That was back in October and I'm still struggling to get back into remission.  We tried increasing the 6-MP to 100 mg but it killed my appetite and I lost 10 lbs.  I'm now trying the steroid enemas (Rowasa and no other UC meds work) and I hope they'll help.  I stopped taking the 6-MP a few weeks ago just to let it get a little bit out of my system since it was making me feel so lousy.  I plan to start taking 75 mg again.  I hope I don't end up on Prednisone again, it's been about a year and a half since I was on it last.  I had a consult with a U of M surgeon today and I canceled.  I'm just not ready for it and I'm sick of my doctor bringing that and Remi up at every appt.  I don't want a medication that I can die from or get cancer from and I don't want my colon taken out!

Have you tried diet? Diet seems to work for some of us.

NBT

Hi GlamourGirl. Good for you for not giving in to the surgery suggestions. Sticking to your guns when you know what you want or don't want can be very hard. I agree that doctors sometimes get frustrated and give up. I'm sure that's why so many people wind up on prednisone before they've exhausted other options.

The steroid enemas sounds like a good course of action. Can you add a different rectal med in the morning? Maybe something like Cortifoam in the morning and the steroid enema at night? I think I might be heading toward that for myself... anything to keep away from prednisone!

JSanders505-I have heard of fecal bactiotherapy but don't know of anyone in MI that I could go to for it. I get c.diff every year or year and a half and it's what initially started my trail down the UC path. Funny thing is that I was never on an antibiotic so I have no clue how I ended up w/c.diff to begin with. Have you done the fecal bactiotherapy?

NuffinButtTrouble-I don't really believe that diet effects me personally.

Julee70-My doctor has me doing 2 steroid enemas a day. I just started them on Monday. I'm doing one around lunch time and one before bed. Sometimes I can keep them in, sometimes I can't. I usally end up wasting one a day because I can't retain it. I keep trying though...anything to prevent surgery..lol.

Sharann-The day I was diagnosed (5 years ago) my GI told me I should have surgery. I haven't had much luck w/the meds either. It's kind of hit or miss. For the most part I usually feel really good but I know I'm not healthy when I'm bleeding for months on end. In all honesty, I'd rather have surgery over Remicade though. Oh, and the appt. I canceled was with the surgeon, not the GI so I wasn't worried about missing out on something new to try. The only thing new they'd suggest is surgey since they are the surgeon. The stress of meeting them was just too much for me and I found it in my best interest to not meet with them at this time.

that is where i am at. i have had uc for 14 years now and have been pretty much non-responsive to most meds... i have never really experienced a full remission w/o any symptoms in that time frame....basically i have had inflammation for a long time. i am sure my colon cancer risk has multiplied exponentially although i am still hesitant to have my colon out. colons are there for a reason and i dont like the thought of having it removed at this point.

unfortunately i am at the point where i will need to have a try with remicade. i am meeting my gi next week to discuss. i am hesitant to take a drug like that but my options are remicade or surgery, or risking cancer.

i too have been through a handfull of gi docs. one recommended surgery right away. this was 10 years ago. unless faced with imminent death i will not elect for surgery.