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So I 'Just' have colitis? ppfffttt, stupid nurse.

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 1/18/2011 4:54 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all:

Just a little story.  Today I want to see my general doc just for a checkup, he likes to keep an eye on me in between GI visits.  He is very thorough so he always does some bloodwork to check liver function and kidney function, etc.  He left and the nurse came in asking me all these questions 'Was I having trouble urinating?'  'Was I having any symptoms of a UTI?'  I told her no and no and she said 'I just can't understand why he wants to do all this.'  I told her I had UC and he was just doing a routine check.  She proceeded to say 'So, you have this colitis and that's it?'  THAT'S IT??  THAT'S IT???  Like it's not a life changing chronic disease?  Just kinda rubbed me the wrong way is all.

Sorry, just had to vent to peeps who would understand!

Posted 1/18/2011 5:00 PM (GMT 0)

Oh my, guess you just have to chalk it up to silly replys. Some people just say things automatically not thinking about what they are saying. You should have told her -- yes, that's it, that's all I have, and that's why you are not the doctor. So you shouldn't have to "wonder" why he wants to do all this. :-)

Posted 1/18/2011 5:00 PM (GMT 0)
Some people should not be allowed to talk. I had the opposite reaction in the hospital last week. "OMG, I'm so sorry. Do you have kids?". I wanted to ask her if she was ready to put a pillow on my face.
Posted 1/18/2011 5:25 PM (GMT 0)
LOL. "just colitis" - yeah, right!

To put out another viewpoint, though, now at my age when I go to the doctor, and they ask.... are you on blood pressure meds? Do you have diabetes? etc etc I am grateful to be able to say, "no... just the UC... and that's quite enough, thank you!!"

Most folks, even medical people, don't have a clue what UC entails.... unless they know and don't have perspective on it, like the one Alba encountered! Good grief.
Posted 1/18/2011 5:50 PM (GMT 0)
I would have answered, "Yes. I bleed out my butt like I have my period. Only it's every day, and it can last for up to six months."

Usually people give a look of OMG, that's scary after I say that.

Post Edited (subdued) : 1/18/2011 10:53:37 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/18/2011 8:26 PM (GMT 0)
Interesting. Was his nurse new? Strange, actually, that she would question you on it. You could have said...talk to the doctor if you don't know what ulcerative colitis is and why I have the tests.

Some people's mouths work overtime in commenting...

I remember when I was having the dreaded barium enema x-ray. When the woman stuck the tube in my butt to administer the barium, I was in agony. She said..."oh, that shouldn't hurt you at all"....I said "well, let's trade places"...give me a break.

do you go back to see the GP for the results?

q
Posted 1/18/2011 9:13 PM (GMT 0)

songlady said...
LOL. "just colitis" - yeah, right!

To put out another viewpoint, though, now at my age when I go to the doctor, and they ask.... are you on blood pressure meds? Do you have diabetes? etc etc I am grateful to be able to say, "no... just the UC... and that's quite enough, thank you!!"

Most folks, even medical people, don't have a clue what UC entails.... unless they know and don't have perspective on it, like the one Alba encountered! Good grief.

I, on the other hand, get to say "yes ... yes ... yes ..." and they look at me like "oh, you poor thing". But if you check the diabetes, heart disease, BP, etc. forums on this site you can see which gets the most traffic!
Posted 1/18/2011 9:16 PM (GMT 0)
Some people should just be quiet and not say anything. Obviously, the nurse has no idea of the magnitude of having colitis can have.
Posted 1/18/2011 11:12 PM (GMT 0)
Quincy, I LOVE the "Do you want to trade places?" LOL!!! I may borrow that line......!
Posted 1/18/2011 11:14 PM (GMT 0)
People are sooooo ignorant about this condition! It amazes me that a nurse in the health care profession would even go off this way...but it happens! You got to think of it as a "learning process". We need to educate people about our condition. The nurse probably heard only colitis and didn't think there was a serious type!

I have the same problems with my close relationships - family, friends, and co-workers. I got the most improper responses such as:

Wishing you a FULL RECOVERY
Oh my friend's husband got Crohn's. She devoiced he because he wasn't fun anymore
My friend's husband had UC. He lost his colon because he like his corn chips and rich foods.

People are not being mean...they're just being ignorant and we got to be their teacher. I'm learning it's not worth explaining this condition unless one is willing to learn more about it. If I just start talking about it then I'll come across as I'm complaining. It's frustrating, but I have to remind myself that it's their problem if they don't understand or is not willing to learn, not mine. Thinking this way help relieve the stress. At this point I just tell people I have an autoimmune disease like MS, Lupus, and Parkinson. At least people heard of these. Normally the conversation stops there as they don't want to know anymore.
Posted 1/18/2011 11:44 PM (GMT 0)
You sure it was an RN? At our clinics up here in Igloo land the person is not an RN, they are medical receptionists that you check in with and take you to the room etc. I can't believe an RN would be that uneducated.
Posted 1/19/2011 1:52 AM (GMT 0)
I can believe a RN would be that uneducated! My husbands co-worker had a gf once who is a RN (head of the ER nursing staff) and she was just as ignorant as the OP's nurse. I don't know how many times I had to educate HER on what UC was because she was always trying to stuff raw fruits and veggies among other things down my throat because she kept telling me I was too skinny. Finally, I got mad at her and said, "Fine, I will eat that broccoli but you have to come with me to the bathroom and watch me pee blood out my tush!" A bit uncouth but hey, she ticked me off! lol
Posted 1/19/2011 2:13 AM (GMT 0)
Wow, thanks for the replies everyone!  I know it's not that big of a deal but it just bothered me.

Yes, she was a RN, but I had never seen her in there before.  She was just brisk and made me feel like I was having tests for nothing.

Q, I always go in and pick up my results, of which the doc will have written comments on.  I only have to see him if there's something wrong though.

And urk, I've never had the barium enema xray...sounds dreadful but your comment was funny!!

Posted 1/19/2011 2:34 AM (GMT 0)
I just can't believe that someone could be that insensitive. Even though they don't quite understand what UC is, they need to be more sensitive to the patients issues than a remark like That's it?
Posted 1/19/2011 8:54 AM (GMT 0)
songlady...oh yes, you can use it ...lol... plus when my butt was somewhat in the air while I ws on my stomach, and the tube was "doing its thing"..I asked for an apple to stick in my mouth as well. All I got was phhh, tsk!


I believe some nurses are stupid...I have a friend who is a newly graduated nurse and I begged her to not ever get stupid.
She said..how can I when you keep asking me questions..haha.

c-o-t-o...when you go to pick them up, maybe the nurse will be there.

q
Posted 1/19/2011 12:34 PM (GMT 0)
Yes quincy, perhaps I'll print out this thread for her!  haha!!  Seriously though, there is a thick handout my general doc gave me when I was dx...perhaps I'll suggest she read it.
Posted 1/19/2011 12:40 PM (GMT 0)
Oh and I agree with all who have said we have to educate people.  and for those who ask me and genuinely want to know I tell them everything I know.  Others think I have IBS and don't get it...sigh.  But I do have family that understands and wants to learn more.  that is nice.
Posted 1/19/2011 1:26 PM (GMT 0)
Ugh. When I went to the neurologist's office a couple months ago, the staff taking medical information (not sure if she was a nurse or medical assistant) had no idea what UC was, even though one of her co-workers had it. She told me I was too young to be taking so many meds and what would happen if I stopped. I then had to explain j-pouch surgery, and she said "well, that sucks." Uh, YEAH IT SUCKS! At least she wasn't as bad as your nurse, calm-on-the-outside.

Aside from medical professionals (and a couple professors who've asked what I have, which is something they're not supposed to do!), I just leave it as autoimmune disease or if I'm having an off-day just say I have nausea and vomiting or a migraine (which I do get regardless of my UC status). I do feel a little guilty that I'm not educating people on IBD...
Posted 1/19/2011 1:38 PM (GMT 0)
I would have had a hard time saying something to the effect of

"Well, you just have dysfunctional grey matter, so I guess we all have our problems."

 

Posted 1/19/2011 1:56 PM (GMT 0)
calmOTO

Since the nurse works for your primary physician I'm not surprised she was unaware of how debilitating UC is/can be. You are lucky that your primary doc. takes it seriously, my primary doctor way back when UC was just starting was clueless, suggesting OTC gas-relief pills, even though I had a colonoscopy diagnosis of proctitis and fairly severe symptoms.

I have been treated poorly by some nurses, especially in regards to pain (not UC related). Some of them have no empathy at all and it's not a job-requirement apparently. Probably the sensitive ones don't last, seeing sick people and people in pain all day long, could be quite depressing to a sensitive person. So what's left are the tough ones, lol.

When I am treated really badly by someone I leave feedback, either on ratemds.com or yelp.com. Or if it's fixable I contact the office instead and tell them what they did wrong. I don't put up with crap and if I don't tell them how will they know?

My current docs have great support staff and since I interact with the staff way more than the doctor that's important.
Posted 1/19/2011 5:06 PM (GMT 0)
ooo, good idea ima!!!!
Posted 1/19/2011 5:34 PM (GMT 0)
She might've though "colitis" rather than "ulcerative colitis," but since you came right out and said ulcerative, that's dumb. She should know the difference.
Posted 1/19/2011 10:58 PM (GMT 0)
You should let your doctor know. Seems her questioning was altogether weird, inappropriate. I think your doc would want to know, especially if she was new. Maybe she just got fired from the last job!
Posted 1/20/2011 1:20 AM (GMT 0)

quincy said...
She said..."oh, that shouldn't hurt you at all"....I said "well, let's trade places"

lol turn
Posted 1/20/2011 2:11 AM (GMT 0)

jc1973 said...
I would have had a hard time saying something to the effect of
"Well, you just have dysfunctional grey matter, so I guess we all have our problems."

Good one!
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