Not really. I know there are quite a few physicians on the board and I'm looking for advice on how to find the right clinic. Let me start with the basics -- I have colitis (moderate) and arthritis (getting worse), and I'm completely unsatisfied with the care I'm getting from my doctors. My primary care physician is uninvolved in managing overall care, which I kinda think is the job. His office just does bloodwork periodically and refills my statins. My gastric doc is completely unengaged - he runs a machine that probably does a few dozen colonoscopys a day, but once you're tested and diagnosed, he's basically got nothing except to insist on an annual visit (I don't need another test for a few years) in which he says "how ya doin,'" I say "the same" he bills my insurance company a hundred bucks (and me $45) and refills my Balsalazide. The rheumatoid doc is fine, but I really don't need him. He recommended I take 4 - 6 Tylenol a day, and that helps. If the arthritis gets a lot worse, I'll call him and we'll talk. In the meantime, I'm grateful that I don't have to see him once a year just to be able to buy Tylenol.
I have two inflamatory, probably auto-immune related conditions, and none of these guys has even so much as asked a question about lifestyle or diet. And none of them seems to be interested in getting engaged in helping me manage the conditions, which are very slowly getting worse. I feel like I'm just sitting around waiting for them to get bad enough to need some serious intervention while my 3 docs are going..."oh, hi...nice to see you again. That'll be $100, here's a pass to get more pills."
I've thought about going the homeopathic or naturopathic route, but insurance won't cover anything. What I really want is someone who will get actively engaged in helping me manage this crap before it gets worse. Tell me I need to change my diet, tell me to stop drinking coffee (pleeeeeease don't tell me to give up bourbon ), put me in a leotard and send me to a frickin' yoga class...at least pretend to be trying! I feel like they're just giving me pills and passing me along to the next guy.
So how do I find something better? What do I look for?
Tim
I have two inflamatory, probably auto-immune related conditions, and none of these guys has even so much as asked a question about lifestyle or diet. And none of them seems to be interested in getting engaged in helping me manage the conditions, which are very slowly getting worse. I feel like I'm just sitting around waiting for them to get bad enough to need some serious intervention while my 3 docs are going..."oh, hi...nice to see you again. That'll be $100, here's a pass to get more pills."
I've thought about going the homeopathic or naturopathic route, but insurance won't cover anything. What I really want is someone who will get actively engaged in helping me manage this crap before it gets worse. Tell me I need to change my diet, tell me to stop drinking coffee (pleeeeeease don't tell me to give up bourbon ), put me in a leotard and send me to a frickin' yoga class...at least pretend to be trying! I feel like they're just giving me pills and passing me along to the next guy.
So how do I find something better? What do I look for?
Tim