Finding a G.I. doctor

I feel exactly same as you !! I’m on my 5 th Gastro Dr in 10 years and 2 states .
Even went through tests at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville.
My recent one is an hour away ( I tried a couple local and we did lots of tests ).
She’s making light of the 6 diagnoses I already have and blaming it on anxiety now . I just did endoscopy and colonoscopy w/ her and she saw most all the same results.
I’m so sick 🤢 and getting worse by year . Can barely eat but starving .
New thing is I’m throwing up everyday last 8 weeks. They just give me Zofran !
Oh I hate this life !

Oh my god. I am so sorry; truly. We both must find docs who want to find the cause by figuring out a puzzle. This unfortunately takes time on their part, which we, the pt, must insist on.
I found one--older, thank God--that I'm seeing next week. Planes, trains, and automobiles to get there, but whatya' gonna do?!

I’m done ✅. No more for me . I’ve run the spectrum so now I just realizing, this is my life . I’m 62 look 54 at most . Feel 90 .
I’m not looking any further.
I don’t have it on me . I’m exhausted.

I am not in favor of Zoom visits at all. I think a doctor needs to see a patient in person. They need to look at the body, do an exam, etc. Having been in many Zoom meetings for work, how a person looks can be misleading because of the lighting in the room and you are seeing a patient from the waist up only. I have tried to get a second opinion for slow transit constipation and can't get in to see specialists in GI motility disorders. I have been told that they are not taking new patients. There are no practices in my town that do this and the PA I saw for the problem indicated he thought seeing a specialist was a waste of time. He was not really willing to refer me.

No one knows your body better than you do! You have to advocate for yourself. It’s how I got diagnosed with Mals. Also if there isn’t a motility Dr in your area you might have to go to another city. You’re worth it. Have your pcp recommend you for a stat appt if you’ve been dealing with this for a while. I’ve done that many times. Definitely helps. Good luck to you. Feel better!!!

Does your insurance require a referral? its concerning to me that you saw a PA rather than a board certified gastroentonologisr. Can you ask your insurance company for assistance in getting a referral to a board certified GI physician?

Hi. My referral was from my PCP to an M.D. G.I. doc. However, it is truly up to the clinic's choice (and this one was at The University of Washington!) on whom you will receive! My PCP was a bit surprised but said that this person was quite good. Good or not, she chose to see me via zoom for all appointments. And had the opinion that my G.I. issues were NOT gastro at all, rather, "something else. " I was distraught and did not continue to "see" her.

These Dr’s are all crappy . They actually diagnose you ( me ) w/ all these different issues after testing, then say “ oh it’s anxiety, or oh it’s functional and we don’t know how to treat it. “!!! I’ve tried everything under the sun ☀️, in 10 years!! Everything. I’m on 5 th Gastro Dr and still they cannot help me at all . I’m doing everything right all these years but I’m chronically sick 🤢 daily . Ruins my whole life . So long now .

Hi there -- so I assume you have focused in on food and stress? Both have ruined my gut -- when I was younger I went off the rails on both. Now I have a handle on it with careful food choice and CBT (cognitive behavorial therapy).

I eat very small and healthy. It’s hard to even eat much even though so hungry in day . We only eat dinners at home and healthy.
My stress comes from all these years of dealing w/ all the symptoms daily . I’m getting worse each year.
What do they do in CBT for you ?