My doctor is trying to kill me (1 Viewer)

[Caveman33]

At the very least, she is not willing to listen to me. At my 1st visit last month, she conducted a basic blood test and some things were outside the normal range but they were fairly consistent with previous tests of mine. My triglycerides were somewhat low at 22 and I had eaten multiple times before the blood draw. The test did not include ferritin or iron (nor have any of the previous tests I have online access to), yet the doctor told me I was iron deficient anemic and gave a prescription for ferrous sulfate. I have always been very tall and thin, but I eat a balanced 4K calories every day, sometimes much more. I asked the doctor about side effects from the iron and she only mentioned constipation. She dismissed me when I tried to explain that I believe I have some sort of malabsorption issue. My bowel movements regularly stick to the bowl after I flush. She said I was fixated on something that didn't matter. I've also been living with some sort of groin and testicle pain/infection for a few years. During that time I have noticed that my body's ability to heal from any injury has been terrible. Most are internal tissue injuries so I have no proof beyond my word (which is immediately dismissed) but I do have visible bruising on one foot that has lingered for 18 months after I wore a pair of sneakers that were too tight for a week. I no longer jog or bike and have modified my activities to minimize how frequently that foot pain flares up (the bruise has never completely faded). The doctor suggested that I may have fibromyalgia and she asked if I take pain killers. I do not and I was quick to tell her that I did not need pain killers after any of my many surgeries. The lingering discomfort/pain from these injuries bothers me because I believe it is my body's way of communicating that there is a problem.

So, after learning more about iron and the risk factors involved with taking it and building an excess amount in the body, I questioned the doctor on why she prescribed it without checking my current levels. She said, "You told me you were iron deficient anemic in the past." That is not accurate but I do have sisters who were prescribed iron which I mentioned when she asked about family history. Given the amount of balanced food that I eat, if my body can break down the nutrients, I think my iron level should be fine. I do find myself craving milk/cheese and peaches so I believe those foods contain something that I lack. I've also been getting lower kidney scores lately 50-80 eFGR vs 90-110 a few years ago. My gut/digestion is consistently bad. I have chronic bubble gut and it's not unusual to have 3-5 bowel movements in a day. When I eat cheese, it seems to make my gut even worse so I wonder about a lactose intolerance. I also wonder if the untreated groin issue could be causing inflammation in any new injury that I incur. My lymph node on that side of the groin has been enlarged since the issue developed and at one point I massaged it in an effort to reduce it's size before deciding that was stupid since if I did have an infection, I was likely spreading it to the rest of my body. The doctor ordered a blood test for ferritin, iron, folate, b12, zinc and TB. She refused to add additional things that I wanted like vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and magnesium. I wouldn't be surprised if my iron level does come back low but I think that is a symptom rather than the cause of my problem. I want a chance to address the root issue.

Aside from ball cancer, what do you think is plaguing me?

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

It just kept getting worse the more I read. Waaay TMI


Get a second opinion.

 

[Caveman33]

It just kept getting worse the more I read. Waaay TMI


Get a second opinion.

You are my 2nd opinion, now I'm hoping for a 3rd.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Frankly, don't ever go to that "doctor" again. If you were a woman, I'd say the doctor was dismissing your symptoms based on that alone. What the actual F is wrong with her?

Check out these pages:

Malabsorption

Bruising that doesn't go away.

Poop

More poop

Find a real doctor. Don't leave until you know there will be a complete blood workup and a stool sample to be tested. Unless you feel that the doctor takes your concerns seriously, don't stop looking for a proper doctor. If you need support, find someone to be your medical advocate.

Good luck.

 

[Caveman33]

Frankly, don't ever go to that "doctor" again. If you were a woman, I'd say the doctor was dismissing your symptoms based on that alone. What the actual F is wrong with her?

Check out these pages:

Malabsorption

Bruising that doesn't go away.

Poop

More poop

Find a real doctor. Don't leave until you know there will be a complete blood workup and a stool sample to be tested. Unless you feel that the doctor takes your concerns seriously, don't stop looking for a proper doctor. If you need support, find someone to be your medical advocate.

Good luck.

Thanks for the support. I've read much of that information but without more detailed testing, I'm certainly in no position to accurately diagnose my situation. I've made my situation more difficult by frequently moving so I see a new doctor every year or two when getting a basic physical and blood test. In my telephone conversation today with the current doctor, I was pushing her for a complete workup (something which I've never had) but she refused. I still went in for the stuff she ordered cause I figure learning some information is better than nothing. I will likely look to change locations after I receive the results.

I've been experiencing other long running adverse symptoms. But I knew my story was already too long with TMI so I didn't include those. Going to a new doctor is a similar situation. They quickly become overwhelmed and decide that you are someone who has fibromyalgia. So I figured I'd share my story here in case someone has experienced or knows someone who has experienced something similar.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Frankly, don't ever go to that "doctor" again. If you were a woman, I'd say the doctor was dismissing your symptoms based on that alone. What the actual F is wrong with her?

Check out these pages:

Malabsorption

Bruising that doesn't go away.

Poop

More poop

Find a real doctor. Don't leave until you know there will be a complete blood workup and a stool sample to be tested. Unless you feel that the doctor takes your concerns seriously, don't stop looking for a proper doctor. If you need support, find someone to be your medical advocate.

Good luck.

Thanks for the support. I've read much of that information but without more detailed testing, I'm certainly in no position to accurately diagnose my situation. I've made my situation more difficult by frequently moving so I see a new doctor every year or two when getting a basic physical and blood test. In my telephone conversation today with the current doctor, I was pushing her for a complete workup (something which I've never had) but she refused. I still went in for the stuff she ordered cause I figure learning some information is better than nothing. I will likely look to change locations after I receive the results.

I've been experiencing other long running adverse symptoms. But I knew my story was already too long with TMI so I didn't include those. Going to a new doctor is a similar situation. They quickly become overwhelmed and decide that you are someone who has fibromyalgia. So I figured I'd share my story here in case someone has experienced or knows someone who has experienced something similar.

The next time some quack tells you you have fibromyalgia, walk out. Also, when you find a doctor who will listen, give your complete medical history. It's not fair to expect anyone to give an accurate diagnosis in the absence of information.

 

[Terminalxylem]

As a general rule, try to describe your symptoms completely, including their time course, but don’t self diagnose. And don’t demand specific testing. Let your doctor do their job, rather than refute what you’ve read on the internet.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t question their reasoning, and they should be willing to listen. But with all due respect, what you’ve written above is all over the place; it’s hard to parse relevant info from your editorializing.

It sounds like you have a systemic process with prominent GI symptoms. It could be as simple as irritable bowel syndrome, but if you truly have evidence of malabsorption, considerations include inflammatory bowel disease (eg. Crohn’s), celiac disease and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, to name a few (of many) possibilities. And if you’re really iron deficient despite a balanced diet, you either aren’t absorbing it or (more commonly) chronically losing blood (microscopic amounts) in your stool. All these problems are better addressed by a gastroenterologist.

You didn’t mention your age, but if over 45, have you had surveillance colonoscopy (cancer screening)? Might be a way to get your foot in the door with a GI doc. Regardless, it sounds like your current primary doctor isn’t meeting your needs, so you should probably get a new one.

 

[culdeus]

What does a "balanced 4k calories" look like? Have you thought about maybe cutting that back and doing less activities.

 

[GordonGekko]

At the very least, she is not willing to listen to me.

Some general thoughts

- If you have a bad instinct about someone providing you a service, then change it. Your instinct is there for a reason.

- If you have a complex medical situation, document everything. Put your concerns on "paper" , summarize it, and use that to give to a physician. Many doctors, right or wrong, will just tune out people no matter what they say. Give them your issues, points you want to raise, and questions, everything, put it on paper. A single sheet.

- On an aside, document everything for yourself. If you've got problems with something like your bowel movements, write down in detail the dates, times and issues. Keep it updated.

- Some people aren't in a situation where changing their doctor is easy or simple or viable ( limited insurance, lack of vehicle access, complex work situation, etc, etc) In those cases, sometimes it's just easier to buy people off. If it's a smaller place with a front desk support staff that interacts with your doctor in a close knit fashion, bring in pastries or such for the support staff. If this is absolutely someone you can't work your way around, then once you are in good terms with the support staff, ask them the doctors favorite restaurant, and get them a gift card or gift certificate there. Don't hand it to the doctor directly. Hand it to the support staff to give to the doctor later.

Here's something to understand, any adult can be a "whore" And the concept of a whore is not just based on sex. For example, I had a neighbor who had some problems at his work. He couldn't do his job without someone else doing their job first and that person wasn't doing it. Created stress and problems. But it was a state job, so getting fired was close to impossible. I asked the neighbor, what does this person like? What do you see all the time that appeals to them. He mentioned the guy always had a specific type of soda around. I said get him a case. Then get him a case quarterly. Once every three months.

He did it. And while that fellow employee kept screwing over other people, my neighbors issues slowly began to disappear. His needs moved to the top of the list.

If you are tasked to do a job, at a bare minimum level, and you refuse to do it, but you'll do it for four cases of soda a year, then you are a whore. If it was a million dollars four times a year, then you are still a whore.

If you don't believe you are getting a base minimum level of service, but if you gave this person a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant, and their tune changes? Then what does that tell you about the person?

Life is complex. Sometimes there is no "fair" option. There is no "good answer" versus "bad answer" Sometimes all you get is buying some apple turnovers or some cheese cake and it just makes your life easier. You'd be surprised, and not, at how little it takes in terms of money spent, to watch someone sell their dignity. It's not integrity, because if it was integrity, they'd do their job right the first time.

- Read up on narcissism and how to deal with narcissists. Most doctors are full blown narcissists. There's a way to handle them. There are both good people and bad people in any profession. Skilled and unskilled. Make no mistake, there are doctors out there who will gladly not do their due diligence with you because you said or did something that irritates them, even if it costs you your life.

- Always keep your shape and appearance on point. The hard ugly truth of this life is that the better you look, the better you'll generally get treated by most other people. You don't need a swath of very expensive things, but it's always better to be a little over dressed for something, than underdressed. Doctors are human beings. If you looked like Chris Hemsworth or Ryan Gosling, you don't think you'd be treated differently?

- It's always better to get service from a pure referral. In short, if the person screws you, they are screwing their reputation in a consistent social network that they value. Just don't find any mechanic, get a referral from his next door neighbor. Have the neighbor call ahead of time to let the person know you'll be calling and need some work done, etc, etc.

- Effort the problem yourself as much as you can. Stay on top of all types of treatments for your issues. All types of remedies. Learn as much as you can. Be informed. Put yourself in the best position possible healthwise - regular exercise, reduce stress, eat clean, have good sleep hygiene, hydrate properly, good flexibility/mobility/stretching work, meditation, staying on a good schedule, etc, etc. Optimize the situation you have right now.

- This is a personal viewpoint but I prefer not to deal with women as physicians. My observation and experience is that American women are socialized in our culture to accept a certain viewpoint of an expected pain threshold for men. Fair or not. There is also a constant bombardment that essentially demonizes most men in our society, thus it's just easier to ignore or dismiss our concerns. Is this all female physicians? No, of course not. But the odds are not in your favor. So just put the relative odds in your favor.

The average American physician, the same level of status and money for doctors today is not the same as it was in the past. Many are getting piled on from above and from other factors in their profession besides dealing with patients ( administration, liability concerns, etc, etc) Many will take that out on their patients. All? No, not all, but it's not uncommon.

You could be 100 percent of the problem here.

This doctor could be 100 percent of the problem here.

You both together could be contributing to the problem here. ( Mostly likely answer, to be fair)

In any instance, just work to put the odds in your favor. Never rely on "goodwill" ( i.e thinking she should do her job the right way because she should be a professional), always consider how to create "leverage" in these kind of circumstances. ( i.e. if her support staff loves you because you bring them cheese cake, and she treats you like garbage, it makes her daily life there at work harder, etc, etc)

My observation and experience is most adults are functionally "whores" Both men and women alike. In every and any profession. It's both disappointing and expected to see how easily people are for sale in their behavior. I bring this up to say don't focus on your disappointment, focus on your end goal.

 

[Caveman33]

What does a "balanced 4k calories" look like? Have you thought about maybe cutting that back and doing less activities.

I'm 6'7, 185 lbs and even after a 1.5k meal, I'm hungry within a couple hours. I've always had what I call hunger head aches. In basic training, they drew my blood and based on the glucose gave me a profile for double rations. Even when being allowed to eat twice as much food as the other guys, I was going to bed hungry. (My activity level was also restricted by their concern over another issue so I was receiving double food while not being allowed to partake in the training). I'm only moderately active at the moment. I do average about 10 miles walking because it's my form of transportation and I play occasional sports, with some weight lifting.

I receive a lot of free food from some churches in my neighborhood. These church meals are balanced as far as always having starches like potatoes, rice or pasta with turkey, chicken, fish or meat, and vegetables and fruit. I also buy and eat chicken, cheese, beans, yogurt, raw almonds and hazelnuts, bananas and fruit.

I try to consume a lot of protein in an attempt to build muscle so it is possible that my sticky stool is a natural result of all the raw nuts that I'm eating. When I smoke marijuana, the sticky stool goes away, which I assume is a result of the MJ slowing down motility. But smoking requires me to eat a huge amount of food to avoid getting sick and I prefer not smoking for some other reasons.

 

[culdeus]

What does a "balanced 4k calories" look like? Have you thought about maybe cutting that back and doing less activities.

I'm 6'7, 185 lbs and even after a 1.5k meal, I'm hungry within a couple hours. I've always had what I call hunger head aches. In basic training, they drew my blood and based on the glucose gave me a profile for double rations. Even when being allowed to eat twice as much food as the other guys, I was going to bed hungry. (My activity level was also restricted by their concern over another issue so I was receiving double food while not being allowed to partake in the training). I'm only moderately active at the moment. I do average about 10 miles walking because it's my form of transportation and I play occasional sports, with some weight lifting.

I receive a lot of free food from some churches in my neighborhood. These church meals are balanced as far as always having starches like potatoes, rice or pasta with turkey, chicken, fish or meat, and vegetables and fruit. I also buy and eat chicken, cheese, beans, yogurt, raw almonds and hazelnuts, bananas and fruit.

I try to consume a lot of protein in an attempt to build muscle so it is possible that my sticky stool is a natural result of all the raw nuts that I'm eating. When I smoke marijuana, the sticky stool goes away, which I assume is a result of the MJ slowing down motility. But smoking requires me to eat a huge amount of food to avoid getting sick and I prefer not smoking for some other reasons.

I'd get nutrition help. This could be some sort of sensitivity you need to spike out. Eating diet high in resistant starches may help (ie more potatoes) but there is way too much to unpack here.

 

[Caveman33]

As a general rule, try to describe your symptoms completely, including their time course, but don’t self diagnose. And don’t demand specific testing. Let your doctor do their job, rather than refute what you’ve read on the internet.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t question their reasoning, and they should be willing to listen. But with all due respect, what you’ve written above is all over the place; it’s hard to parse relevant info from your editorializing.

It sounds like you have a systemic process with prominent GI symptoms. It could be as simple as irritable bowel syndrome, but if you truly have evidence of malabsorption, considerations include inflammatory bowel disease (eg. Crohn’s), celiac disease and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, to name a few (of many) possibilities. And if you’re really iron deficient despite a balanced diet, you either aren’t absorbing it or (more commonly) chronically losing blood (microscopic amounts) in your stool. All these problems are better addressed by a gastroenterologist.

You didn’t mention your age, but if over 45, have you had surveillance colonoscopy (cancer screening)? Might be a way to get your foot in the door with a GI doc. Regardless, it sounds like your current primary doctor isn’t meeting your needs, so you should probably get a new one.

I'm 35 but I do like your idea of asking to speak to a GI doctor. You are right that I need to be more concise when explaining my issues. In this recent visit, the only diagnosis that I suggested was some sort of malabsorption. I've encountered many people who say "I eat so much food..." so I understand that doctors might simply view me as an under eating anorexic who doesn't understand what a lot of food looks like. I figured that I might need a digestive enzyme of some sort to help my body derive the nutrients from the food but I didn't suggest anything to the doctor beyond that I think I have malabsorption. I was hopeful that she would suggest testing for things like celiacs and lactose intolerance. But she just gave me the iron prescription and said check back in 6 months.

 

[Cjw_55106]

I only read the first paragraph. Your doctor should listen to you. If you dont think they are or are not comfortable with them, move on.
No need to see a doctor you dont trust.

 

[culdeus]

As a general rule, try to describe your symptoms completely, including their time course, but don’t self diagnose. And don’t demand specific testing. Let your doctor do their job, rather than refute what you’ve read on the internet.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t question their reasoning, and they should be willing to listen. But with all due respect, what you’ve written above is all over the place; it’s hard to parse relevant info from your editorializing.

It sounds like you have a systemic process with prominent GI symptoms. It could be as simple as irritable bowel syndrome, but if you truly have evidence of malabsorption, considerations include inflammatory bowel disease (eg. Crohn’s), celiac disease and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, to name a few (of many) possibilities. And if you’re really iron deficient despite a balanced diet, you either aren’t absorbing it or (more commonly) chronically losing blood (microscopic amounts) in your stool. All these problems are better addressed by a gastroenterologist.

You didn’t mention your age, but if over 45, have you had surveillance colonoscopy (cancer screening)? Might be a way to get your foot in the door with a GI doc. Regardless, it sounds like your current primary doctor isn’t meeting your needs, so you should probably get a new one.

I'm 35 but I do like your idea of asking to speak to a GI doctor. You are right that I need to be more concise when explaining my issues. In this recent visit, the only diagnosis that I suggested was some sort of malabsorption. I've encountered many people who say "I eat so much food..." so I understand that doctors might simply view me as an under eating anorexic who doesn't understand what a lot of food looks like. I figured that I might need a digestive enzyme of some sort to help my body derive the nutrients from the food but I didn't suggest anything to the doctor beyond that I think I have malabsorption. I was hopeful that she would suggest testing for things like celiacs and lactose intolerance. But she just gave me the iron prescription and said check back in 6 months.

Who is telling you to consume enzymes?

 

[Caveman33]

At the very least, she is not willing to listen to me.

Some general thoughts

- If you have a bad instinct about someone providing you a service, then change it. Your instinct is there for a reason.

- If you have a complex medical situation, document everything. Put your concerns on "paper" , summarize it, and use that to give to a physician. Many doctors, right or wrong, will just tune out people no matter what they say. Give them your issues, points you want to raise, and questions, everything, put it on paper. A single sheet.

- On an aside, document everything for yourself. If you've got problems with something like your bowel movements, write down in detail the dates, times and issues. Keep it updated.

- Some people aren't in a situation where changing their doctor is easy or simple or viable ( limited insurance, lack of vehicle access, complex work situation, etc, etc) In those cases, sometimes it's just easier to buy people off. If it's a smaller place with a front desk support staff that interacts with your doctor in a close knit fashion, bring in pastries or such for the support staff. If this is absolutely someone you can't work your way around, then once you are in good terms with the support staff, ask them the doctors favorite restaurant, and get them a gift card or gift certificate there. Don't hand it to the doctor directly. Hand it to the support staff to give to the doctor later.

Here's something to understand, any adult can be a "whore" And the concept of a whore is not just based on sex. For example, I had a neighbor who had some problems at his work. He couldn't do his job without someone else doing their job first and that person wasn't doing it. Created stress and problems. But it was a state job, so getting fired was close to impossible. I asked the neighbor, what does this person like? What do you see all the time that appeals to them. He mentioned the guy always had a specific type of soda around. I said get him a case. Then get him a case quarterly. Once every three months.

He did it. And while that fellow employee kept screwing over other people, my neighbors issues slowly began to disappear. His needs moved to the top of the list.

If you are tasked to do a job, at a bare minimum level, and you refuse to do it, but you'll do it for four cases of soda a year, then you are a whore. If it was a million dollars four times a year, then you are still a whore.

If you don't believe you are getting a base minimum level of service, but if you gave this person a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant, and their tune changes? Then what does that tell you about the person?

Life is complex. Sometimes there is no "fair" option. There is no "good answer" versus "bad answer" Sometimes all you get is buying some apple turnovers or some cheese cake and it just makes your life easier. You'd be surprised, and not, at how little it takes in terms of money spent, to watch someone sell their dignity. It's not integrity, because if it was integrity, they'd do their job right the first time.

- Read up on narcissism and how to deal with narcissists. Most doctors are full blown narcissists. There's a way to handle them. There are both good people and bad people in any profession. Skilled and unskilled. Make no mistake, there are doctors out there who will gladly not do their due diligence with you because you said or did something that irritates them, even if it costs you your life.

- Always keep your shape and appearance on point. The hard ugly truth of this life is that the better you look, the better you'll generally get treated by most other people. You don't need a swath of very expensive things, but it's always better to be a little over dressed for something, than underdressed. Doctors are human beings. If you looked like Chris Hemsworth or Ryan Gosling, you don't think you'd be treated differently?

- It's always better to get service from a pure referral. In short, if the person screws you, they are screwing their reputation in a consistent social network that they value. Just don't find any mechanic, get a referral from his next door neighbor. Have the neighbor call ahead of time to let the person know you'll be calling and need some work done, etc, etc.

- Effort the problem yourself as much as you can. Stay on top of all types of treatments for your issues. All types of remedies. Learn as much as you can. Be informed. Put yourself in the best position possible healthwise - regular exercise, reduce stress, eat clean, have good sleep hygiene, hydrate properly, good flexibility/mobility/stretching work, meditation, staying on a good schedule, etc, etc. Optimize the situation you have right now.

- This is a personal viewpoint but I prefer not to deal with women as physicians. My observation and experience is that American women are socialized in our culture to accept a certain viewpoint of an expected pain threshold for men. Fair or not. There is also a constant bombardment that essentially demonizes most men in our society, thus it's just easier to ignore or dismiss our concerns. Is this all female physicians? No, of course not. But the odds are not in your favor. So just put the relative odds in your favor.

The average American physician, the same level of status and money for doctors today is not the same as it was in the past. Many are getting piled on from above and from other factors in their profession besides dealing with patients ( administration, liability concerns, etc, etc) Many will take that out on their patients. All? No, not all, but it's not uncommon.

You could be 100 percent of the problem here.

This doctor could be 100 percent of the problem here.

You both together could be contributing to the problem here. ( Mostly likely answer, to be fair)

In any instance, just work to put the odds in your favor. Never rely on "goodwill" ( i.e thinking she should do her job the right way because she should be a professional), always consider how to create "leverage" in these kind of circumstances. ( i.e. if her support staff loves you because you bring them cheese cake, and she treats you like garbage, it makes her daily life there at work harder, etc, etc)

My observation and experience is most adults are functionally "whores" Both men and women alike. In every and any profession. It's both disappointing and expected to see how easily people are for sale in their behavior. I bring this up to say don't focus on your disappointment, focus on your end goal.

As a general rule, try to describe your symptoms completely, including their time course, but don’t self diagnose. And don’t demand specific testing. Let your doctor do their job, rather than refute what you’ve read on the internet.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t question their reasoning, and they should be willing to listen. But with all due respect, what you’ve written above is all over the place; it’s hard to parse relevant info from your editorializing.

It sounds like you have a systemic process with prominent GI symptoms. It could be as simple as irritable bowel syndrome, but if you truly have evidence of malabsorption, considerations include inflammatory bowel disease (eg. Crohn’s), celiac disease and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, to name a few (of many) possibilities. And if you’re really iron deficient despite a balanced diet, you either aren’t absorbing it or (more commonly) chronically losing blood (microscopic amounts) in your stool. All these problems are better addressed by a gastroenterologist.

You didn’t mention your age, but if over 45, have you had surveillance colonoscopy (cancer screening)? Might be a way to get your foot in the door with a GI doc. Regardless, it sounds like your current primary doctor isn’t meeting your needs, so you should probably get a new one.

I'm 35 but I do like your idea of asking to speak to a GI doctor. You are right that I need to be more concise when explaining my issues. In this recent visit, the only diagnosis that I suggested was some sort of malabsorption. I've encountered many people who say "I eat so much food..." so I understand that doctors might simply view me as an under eating anorexic who doesn't understand what a lot of food looks like. I figured that I might need a digestive enzyme of some sort to help my body derive the nutrients from the food but I didn't suggest anything to the doctor beyond that I think I have malabsorption. I was hopeful that she would suggest testing for things like celiacs and lactose intolerance. But she just gave me the iron prescription and said check back in 6 months.

Who is telling you to consume enzymes?

No one. I thought I might need digestive enzymes to help break down fats since the sticky stool might indicate that my body is struggling to do it on it's own. But I would like to conclusively learn what the issue is before taking anything. I grew up in a household where we didn't take advil/tylenol and I still live that way. Our body should be able to handle things best. Medication causes side effects. While I go long periods now without MJ, I may have caused lasting damage to my digestion from my past periods of smoking.

 

[Caveman33]

At the very least, she is not willing to listen to me.

Some general thoughts

- If you have a bad instinct about someone providing you a service, then change it. Your instinct is there for a reason.

- If you have a complex medical situation, document everything. Put your concerns on "paper" , summarize it, and use that to give to a physician. Many doctors, right or wrong, will just tune out people no matter what they say. Give them your issues, points you want to raise, and questions, everything, put it on paper. A single sheet.

- On an aside, document everything for yourself. If you've got problems with something like your bowel movements, write down in detail the dates, times and issues. Keep it updated.

- Some people aren't in a situation where changing their doctor is easy or simple or viable ( limited insurance, lack of vehicle access, complex work situation, etc, etc) In those cases, sometimes it's just easier to buy people off. If it's a smaller place with a front desk support staff that interacts with your doctor in a close knit fashion, bring in pastries or such for the support staff. If this is absolutely someone you can't work your way around, then once you are in good terms with the support staff, ask them the doctors favorite restaurant, and get them a gift card or gift certificate there. Don't hand it to the doctor directly. Hand it to the support staff to give to the doctor later.

Here's something to understand, any adult can be a "whore" And the concept of a whore is not just based on sex. For example, I had a neighbor who had some problems at his work. He couldn't do his job without someone else doing their job first and that person wasn't doing it. Created stress and problems. But it was a state job, so getting fired was close to impossible. I asked the neighbor, what does this person like? What do you see all the time that appeals to them. He mentioned the guy always had a specific type of soda around. I said get him a case. Then get him a case quarterly. Once every three months.

He did it. And while that fellow employee kept screwing over other people, my neighbors issues slowly began to disappear. His needs moved to the top of the list.

If you are tasked to do a job, at a bare minimum level, and you refuse to do it, but you'll do it for four cases of soda a year, then you are a whore. If it was a million dollars four times a year, then you are still a whore.

If you don't believe you are getting a base minimum level of service, but if you gave this person a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant, and their tune changes? Then what does that tell you about the person?

Life is complex. Sometimes there is no "fair" option. There is no "good answer" versus "bad answer" Sometimes all you get is buying some apple turnovers or some cheese cake and it just makes your life easier. You'd be surprised, and not, at how little it takes in terms of money spent, to watch someone sell their dignity. It's not integrity, because if it was integrity, they'd do their job right the first time.

- Read up on narcissism and how to deal with narcissists. Most doctors are full blown narcissists. There's a way to handle them. There are both good people and bad people in any profession. Skilled and unskilled. Make no mistake, there are doctors out there who will gladly not do their due diligence with you because you said or did something that irritates them, even if it costs you your life.

- Always keep your shape and appearance on point. The hard ugly truth of this life is that the better you look, the better you'll generally get treated by most other people. You don't need a swath of very expensive things, but it's always better to be a little over dressed for something, than underdressed. Doctors are human beings. If you looked like Chris Hemsworth or Ryan Gosling, you don't think you'd be treated differently?

- It's always better to get service from a pure referral. In short, if the person screws you, they are screwing their reputation in a consistent social network that they value. Just don't find any mechanic, get a referral from his next door neighbor. Have the neighbor call ahead of time to let the person know you'll be calling and need some work done, etc, etc.

- Effort the problem yourself as much as you can. Stay on top of all types of treatments for your issues. All types of remedies. Learn as much as you can. Be informed. Put yourself in the best position possible healthwise - regular exercise, reduce stress, eat clean, have good sleep hygiene, hydrate properly, good flexibility/mobility/stretching work, meditation, staying on a good schedule, etc, etc. Optimize the situation you have right now.

- This is a personal viewpoint but I prefer not to deal with women as physicians. My observation and experience is that American women are socialized in our culture to accept a certain viewpoint of an expected pain threshold for men. Fair or not. There is also a constant bombardment that essentially demonizes most men in our society, thus it's just easier to ignore or dismiss our concerns. Is this all female physicians? No, of course not. But the odds are not in your favor. So just put the relative odds in your favor.

The average American physician, the same level of status and money for doctors today is not the same as it was in the past. Many are getting piled on from above and from other factors in their profession besides dealing with patients ( administration, liability concerns, etc, etc) Many will take that out on their patients. All? No, not all, but it's not uncommon.

You could be 100 percent of the problem here.

This doctor could be 100 percent of the problem here.

You both together could be contributing to the problem here. ( Mostly likely answer, to be fair)

In any instance, just work to put the odds in your favor. Never rely on "goodwill" ( i.e thinking she should do her job the right way because she should be a professional), always consider how to create "leverage" in these kind of circumstances. ( i.e. if her support staff loves you because you bring them cheese cake, and she treats you like garbage, it makes her daily life there at work harder, etc, etc)

My observation and experience is most adults are functionally "whores" Both men and women alike. In every and any profession. It's both disappointing and expected to see how easily people are for sale in their behavior. I bring this up to say don't focus on your disappointment, focus on your end goal.

I like your idea of writing things out and giving my next doctor a concise explanation of my symptoms on paper, along with my previous blood tests, so that they have more information to work with in their limited time. I am definitely part of the problem. I am defensive as a result of being dismissed by previous medical providers, so I go into an appointment expecting the worst. Then I get annoyed and avoid going back to a doctor until my symptoms start to bother me to the point where I'm desperate for someone to believe what I'm experiencing and help me find an answer. I need to approach and handle the situation better.

 

[Witz]

The body is a complex thing. Good luck!

 

[Jaysus]

BRB.... need to claim the Sticky Stool alias before I reply.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

Is it Dr. Kevorkian?

 

[Long Ball Larry]

Find a different doctor and/or look into a naturopath. Traditional doctors in my experience are mostly not very good with nutrition-related issues. A naturopath would probably be better positioned to assess your varied issues holistically. Doctors in my experience tend to focus on one thing at a time, but it seems like you have a number of inter-related issues that need to be considered in that way.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

At the very least, she is not willing to listen to me.

Some general thoughts

- If you have a bad instinct about someone providing you a service, then change it. Your instinct is there for a reason.

- If you have a complex medical situation, document everything. Put your concerns on "paper" , summarize it, and use that to give to a physician. Many doctors, right or wrong, will just tune out people no matter what they say. Give them your issues, points you want to raise, and questions, everything, put it on paper. A single sheet.

- On an aside, document everything for yourself. If you've got problems with something like your bowel movements, write down in detail the dates, times and issues. Keep it updated.

- Some people aren't in a situation where changing their doctor is easy or simple or viable ( limited insurance, lack of vehicle access, complex work situation, etc, etc) In those cases, sometimes it's just easier to buy people off. If it's a smaller place with a front desk support staff that interacts with your doctor in a close knit fashion, bring in pastries or such for the support staff. If this is absolutely someone you can't work your way around, then once you are in good terms with the support staff, ask them the doctors favorite restaurant, and get them a gift card or gift certificate there. Don't hand it to the doctor directly. Hand it to the support staff to give to the doctor later.

Here's something to understand, any adult can be a "whore" And the concept of a whore is not just based on sex. For example, I had a neighbor who had some problems at his work. He couldn't do his job without someone else doing their job first and that person wasn't doing it. Created stress and problems. But it was a state job, so getting fired was close to impossible. I asked the neighbor, what does this person like? What do you see all the time that appeals to them. He mentioned the guy always had a specific type of soda around. I said get him a case. Then get him a case quarterly. Once every three months.

He did it. And while that fellow employee kept screwing over other people, my neighbors issues slowly began to disappear. His needs moved to the top of the list.

If you are tasked to do a job, at a bare minimum level, and you refuse to do it, but you'll do it for four cases of soda a year, then you are a whore. If it was a million dollars four times a year, then you are still a whore.

If you don't believe you are getting a base minimum level of service, but if you gave this person a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant, and their tune changes? Then what does that tell you about the person?

Life is complex. Sometimes there is no "fair" option. There is no "good answer" versus "bad answer" Sometimes all you get is buying some apple turnovers or some cheese cake and it just makes your life easier. You'd be surprised, and not, at how little it takes in terms of money spent, to watch someone sell their dignity. It's not integrity, because if it was integrity, they'd do their job right the first time.

- Read up on narcissism and how to deal with narcissists. Most doctors are full blown narcissists. There's a way to handle them. There are both good people and bad people in any profession. Skilled and unskilled. Make no mistake, there are doctors out there who will gladly not do their due diligence with you because you said or did something that irritates them, even if it costs you your life.

- Always keep your shape and appearance on point. The hard ugly truth of this life is that the better you look, the better you'll generally get treated by most other people. You don't need a swath of very expensive things, but it's always better to be a little over dressed for something, than underdressed. Doctors are human beings. If you looked like Chris Hemsworth or Ryan Gosling, you don't think you'd be treated differently?

- It's always better to get service from a pure referral. In short, if the person screws you, they are screwing their reputation in a consistent social network that they value. Just don't find any mechanic, get a referral from his next door neighbor. Have the neighbor call ahead of time to let the person know you'll be calling and need some work done, etc, etc.

- Effort the problem yourself as much as you can. Stay on top of all types of treatments for your issues. All types of remedies. Learn as much as you can. Be informed. Put yourself in the best position possible healthwise - regular exercise, reduce stress, eat clean, have good sleep hygiene, hydrate properly, good flexibility/mobility/stretching work, meditation, staying on a good schedule, etc, etc. Optimize the situation you have right now.

- This is a personal viewpoint but I prefer not to deal with women as physicians. My observation and experience is that American women are socialized in our culture to accept a certain viewpoint of an expected pain threshold for men. Fair or not. There is also a constant bombardment that essentially demonizes most men in our society, thus it's just easier to ignore or dismiss our concerns. Is this all female physicians? No, of course not. But the odds are not in your favor. So just put the relative odds in your favor.

The average American physician, the same level of status and money for doctors today is not the same as it was in the past. Many are getting piled on from above and from other factors in their profession besides dealing with patients ( administration, liability concerns, etc, etc) Many will take that out on their patients. All? No, not all, but it's not uncommon.

You could be 100 percent of the problem here.

This doctor could be 100 percent of the problem here.

You both together could be contributing to the problem here. ( Mostly likely answer, to be fair)

In any instance, just work to put the odds in your favor. Never rely on "goodwill" ( i.e thinking she should do her job the right way because she should be a professional), always consider how to create "leverage" in these kind of circumstances. ( i.e. if her support staff loves you because you bring them cheese cake, and she treats you like garbage, it makes her daily life there at work harder, etc, etc)

My observation and experience is most adults are functionally "whores" Both men and women alike. In every and any profession. It's both disappointing and expected to see how easily people are for sale in their behavior. I bring this up to say don't focus on your disappointment, focus on your end goal.

I like your idea of writing things out and giving my next doctor a concise explanation of my symptoms on paper, along with my previous blood tests, so that they have more information to work with in their limited time. I am definitely part of the problem. I am defensive as a result of being dismissed by previous medical providers, so I go into an appointment expecting the worst. Then I get annoyed and avoid going back to a doctor until my symptoms start to bother me to the point where I'm desperate for someone to believe what I'm experiencing and help me find an answer. I need to approach and handle the situation better.

Writing stuff down is always a good idea. Make sure you include a timeline, including that stuff from Basic. You might want to ask for a longer initial appointment so that both you and the doc can take an appropriate amount of time to really look at what's going on. And again, taking a less defensive friend might help defuse things for you.

 

[eoMMan]

Any pics yet? Does your wife work?

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Is it Dr. Kevorkian?

At least Dr. K asked for permission first.

 

[johnnycakes]

6'7, 185 lbs and you're eating over 4,000 Kcal per day? Golly.... @GordonGekko ought to be able to write a multi-page essay just about that!

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Primary care doctors are more overwhelmed than specialists and tend to know a little about a lot as opposed to a lot about a little. So some of them may not be up to the task to handle a complex problem like yours. Therefore, I agree with the suggestion to see a gastroenterologist.

 

[Caveman33]

I appreciate everyone's thoughts and humor. I may be able to salvage my relationship with the current doctor by just being more patient and allowing her to proceed at her pace. The VA is a 7 mile walk, whereas this Medi-Cal location is only 1 mile away. She also has appointments available for the next day whereas the VA typically has a 2 month wait. I will continue to make follow-up visits as my symptoms continue and I think she will refer me to the appropriate specialists.

Here are some other unusual symptoms:

Despite being tall, thin and fit, I have always sweat profusely (for at least the last 10 years). More sweat than anyone that I've ever seen. It soaks through my shorts or pants, and I can wring out my shirt multiple times. I've had people disbelieve that it's sweat and accuse me of having soaked myself with a hose. When I go awhile without eating, I will usually sweat once I finally have a meal. For the last couple years, my feet have become chronically sweaty which is really a drag because the odor quickly ruins my sneakers. I used to drink a great deal of water and would obviously urinate a lot. When I started seeing worsening eGFR, I worried that my water consumption was taxing my kidneys so I cut back. I don't allow myself to dehydrate but I don't indulge the constant thirst. I still pour out sweat. For a couple years now, I have noticed that my feet and lower legs often tingle. This usually happens when I lay down at night but it sometimes happens during the day, as it has been happening today. I've always assumed that I have poor circulation because my hands are usually very cold. This may be unrelated but I also have an abnormally low resting heart rate. At one time, not even during my peak fitness, it would be 35 bpm in the morning.

 

[Dezbelief]

Have you had your thyroid levels checked?

 

[Caveman33]

Have you had your thyroid levels checked?

Yea, I usually mention to the doctors that one of my sisters had to have surgery for hypo or hyperthyroidism so they include TSH in the blood panel and mine has always been between 1 and 1.5.

 

[Terminalxylem]

At the very least, she is not willing to listen to me.

Some general thoughts

- If you have a bad instinct about someone providing you a service, then change it. Your instinct is there for a reason.

- If you have a complex medical situation, document everything. Put your concerns on "paper" , summarize it, and use that to give to a physician. Many doctors, right or wrong, will just tune out people no matter what they say. Give them your issues, points you want to raise, and questions, everything, put it on paper. A single sheet.

- On an aside, document everything for yourself. If you've got problems with something like your bowel movements, write down in detail the dates, times and issues. Keep it updated.

- Some people aren't in a situation where changing their doctor is easy or simple or viable ( limited insurance, lack of vehicle access, complex work situation, etc, etc) In those cases, sometimes it's just easier to buy people off. If it's a smaller place with a front desk support staff that interacts with your doctor in a close knit fashion, bring in pastries or such for the support staff. If this is absolutely someone you can't work your way around, then once you are in good terms with the support staff, ask them the doctors favorite restaurant, and get them a gift card or gift certificate there. Don't hand it to the doctor directly. Hand it to the support staff to give to the doctor later.

Here's something to understand, any adult can be a "whore" And the concept of a whore is not just based on sex. For example, I had a neighbor who had some problems at his work. He couldn't do his job without someone else doing their job first and that person wasn't doing it. Created stress and problems. But it was a state job, so getting fired was close to impossible. I asked the neighbor, what does this person like? What do you see all the time that appeals to them. He mentioned the guy always had a specific type of soda around. I said get him a case. Then get him a case quarterly. Once every three months.

He did it. And while that fellow employee kept screwing over other people, my neighbors issues slowly began to disappear. His needs moved to the top of the list.

If you are tasked to do a job, at a bare minimum level, and you refuse to do it, but you'll do it for four cases of soda a year, then you are a whore. If it was a million dollars four times a year, then you are still a whore.

If you don't believe you are getting a base minimum level of service, but if you gave this person a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant, and their tune changes? Then what does that tell you about the person?

Life is complex. Sometimes there is no "fair" option. There is no "good answer" versus "bad answer" Sometimes all you get is buying some apple turnovers or some cheese cake and it just makes your life easier. You'd be surprised, and not, at how little it takes in terms of money spent, to watch someone sell their dignity. It's not integrity, because if it was integrity, they'd do their job right the first time.

- Read up on narcissism and how to deal with narcissists. Most doctors are full blown narcissists. There's a way to handle them. There are both good people and bad people in any profession. Skilled and unskilled. Make no mistake, there are doctors out there who will gladly not do their due diligence with you because you said or did something that irritates them, even if it costs you your life.

- Always keep your shape and appearance on point. The hard ugly truth of this life is that the better you look, the better you'll generally get treated by most other people. You don't need a swath of very expensive things, but it's always better to be a little over dressed for something, than underdressed. Doctors are human beings. If you looked like Chris Hemsworth or Ryan Gosling, you don't think you'd be treated differently?

- It's always better to get service from a pure referral. In short, if the person screws you, they are screwing their reputation in a consistent social network that they value. Just don't find any mechanic, get a referral from his next door neighbor. Have the neighbor call ahead of time to let the person know you'll be calling and need some work done, etc, etc.

- Effort the problem yourself as much as you can. Stay on top of all types of treatments for your issues. All types of remedies. Learn as much as you can. Be informed. Put yourself in the best position possible healthwise - regular exercise, reduce stress, eat clean, have good sleep hygiene, hydrate properly, good flexibility/mobility/stretching work, meditation, staying on a good schedule, etc, etc. Optimize the situation you have right now.

- This is a personal viewpoint but I prefer not to deal with women as physicians. My observation and experience is that American women are socialized in our culture to accept a certain viewpoint of an expected pain threshold for men. Fair or not. There is also a constant bombardment that essentially demonizes most men in our society, thus it's just easier to ignore or dismiss our concerns. Is this all female physicians? No, of course not. But the odds are not in your favor. So just put the relative odds in your favor.

The average American physician, the same level of status and money for doctors today is not the same as it was in the past. Many are getting piled on from above and from other factors in their profession besides dealing with patients ( administration, liability concerns, etc, etc) Many will take that out on their patients. All? No, not all, but it's not uncommon.

You could be 100 percent of the problem here.

This doctor could be 100 percent of the problem here.

You both together could be contributing to the problem here. ( Mostly likely answer, to be fair)

In any instance, just work to put the odds in your favor. Never rely on "goodwill" ( i.e thinking she should do her job the right way because she should be a professional), always consider how to create "leverage" in these kind of circumstances. ( i.e. if her support staff loves you because you bring them cheese cake, and she treats you like garbage, it makes her daily life there at work harder, etc, etc)

My observation and experience is most adults are functionally "whores" Both men and women alike. In every and any profession. It's both disappointing and expected to see how easily people are for sale in their behavior. I bring this up to say don't focus on your disappointment, focus on your end goal.

As a general rule, try to describe your symptoms completely, including their time course, but don’t self diagnose. And don’t demand specific testing. Let your doctor do their job, rather than refute what you’ve read on the internet.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t question their reasoning, and they should be willing to listen. But with all due respect, what you’ve written above is all over the place; it’s hard to parse relevant info from your editorializing.

It sounds like you have a systemic process with prominent GI symptoms. It could be as simple as irritable bowel syndrome, but if you truly have evidence of malabsorption, considerations include inflammatory bowel disease (eg. Crohn’s), celiac disease and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, to name a few (of many) possibilities. And if you’re really iron deficient despite a balanced diet, you either aren’t absorbing it or (more commonly) chronically losing blood (microscopic amounts) in your stool. All these problems are better addressed by a gastroenterologist.

You didn’t mention your age, but if over 45, have you had surveillance colonoscopy (cancer screening)? Might be a way to get your foot in the door with a GI doc. Regardless, it sounds like your current primary doctor isn’t meeting your needs, so you should probably get a new one.

I'm 35 but I do like your idea of asking to speak to a GI doctor. You are right that I need to be more concise when explaining my issues. In this recent visit, the only diagnosis that I suggested was some sort of malabsorption. I've encountered many people who say "I eat so much food..." so I understand that doctors might simply view me as an under eating anorexic who doesn't understand what a lot of food looks like. I figured that I might need a digestive enzyme of some sort to help my body derive the nutrients from the food but I didn't suggest anything to the doctor beyond that I think I have malabsorption. I was hopeful that she would suggest testing for things like celiacs and lactose intolerance. But she just gave me the iron prescription and said check back in 6 months.

Who is telling you to consume enzymes?

No one. I thought I might need digestive enzymes to help break down fats since the sticky stool might indicate that my body is struggling to do it on it's own. But I would like to conclusively learn what the issue is before taking anything. I grew up in a household where we didn't take advil/tylenol and I still live that way. Our body should be able to handle things best. Medication causes side effects. While I go long periods now without MJ, I may have caused lasting damage to my digestion from my past periods of smoking.

Failure to absorb fats doesn’t result in sticky stool. It leads to foul-smelling stools that are particularly buoyant, so they float.

 

[Terminalxylem]

6'7, 185 lbs and you're eating over 4,000 Kcal per day? Golly.... @GordonGekko ought to be able to write a multi-page essay just about that!

Although he’s definitely thin, believe it or not, his BMI is in the healthy range.

 

[Kanil]

At the very least, she is not willing to listen to me. At my 1st visit last month, she conducted a basic blood test and some things were outside the normal range but they were fairly consistent with previous tests of mine. My triglycerides were somewhat low at 22 and I had eaten multiple times before the blood draw. The test did not include ferritin or iron (nor have any of the previous tests I have online access to), yet the doctor told me I was iron deficient anemic and gave a prescription for ferrous sulfate. I have always been very tall and thin, but I eat a balanced 4K calories every day, sometimes much more. I asked the doctor about side effects from the iron and she only mentioned constipation. She dismissed me when I tried to explain that I believe I have some sort of malabsorption issue. My bowel movements regularly stick to the bowl after I flush. She said I was fixated on something that didn't matter. I've also been living with some sort of groin and testicle pain/infection for a few years. During that time I have noticed that my body's ability to heal from any injury has been terrible. Most are internal tissue injuries so I have no proof beyond my word (which is immediately dismissed) but I do have visible bruising on one foot that has lingered for 18 months after I wore a pair of sneakers that were too tight for a week. I no longer jog or bike and have modified my activities to minimize how frequently that foot pain flares up (the bruise has never completely faded). The doctor suggested that I may have fibromyalgia and she asked if I take pain killers. I do not and I was quick to tell her that I did not need pain killers after any of my many surgeries. The lingering discomfort/pain from these injuries bothers me because I believe it is my body's way of communicating that there is a problem.

So, after learning more about iron and the risk factors involved with taking it and building an excess amount in the body, I questioned the doctor on why she prescribed it without checking my current levels. She said, "You told me you were iron deficient anemic in the past." That is not accurate but I do have sisters who were prescribed iron which I mentioned when she asked about family history. Given the amount of balanced food that I eat, if my body can break down the nutrients, I think my iron level should be fine. I do find myself craving milk/cheese and peaches so I believe those foods contain something that I lack. I've also been getting lower kidney scores lately 50-80 eFGR vs 90-110 a few years ago. My gut/digestion is consistently bad. I have chronic bubble gut and it's not unusual to have 3-5 bowel movements in a day. When I eat cheese, it seems to make my gut even worse so I wonder about a lactose intolerance. I also wonder if the untreated groin issue could be causing inflammation in any new injury that I incur. My lymph node on that side of the groin has been enlarged since the issue developed and at one point I massaged it in an effort to reduce it's size before deciding that was stupid since if I did have an infection, I was likely spreading it to the rest of my body. The doctor ordered a blood test for ferritin, iron, folate, b12, zinc and TB. She refused to add additional things that I wanted like vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and magnesium. I wouldn't be surprised if my iron level does come back low but I think that is a symptom rather than the cause of my problem. I want a chance to address the root issue.

Aside from ball cancer, what do you think is plaguing me?

Time to find a new doctor, man. A doctor who doesn't listen to you isn't going to advocate for you. Time to start advocating for yourself.

 

[SWC]

i wish you good health brohan take that to the bank

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Despite being tall, thin and fit, I have always sweat profusely (for at least the last 10 years). More sweat than anyone that I've ever seen. It soaks through my shorts or pants, and I can wring out my shirt multiple times. I've had people disbelieve that it's sweat and accuse me of having soaked myself with a hose.

Perhaps this?