I have used this platform to address the ups and downs
of living a chronically ill life. While my last post was rather bleak, this
post tells a different story. Good doctors are out there and if you’re lucky,
you just might find a great one!
My gastroenterologist recently told me there was a good
chance I could go off medication! I was floored as I thought I’d be taking
pills for the rest of my life. He explained to me the recent research suggesting
IBD patients who have been in remission for five or more years and have stable
lab values could most likely stop their medication. This doesn’t mean I am cured;
there is always the chance of a flare but I’ll take it. He told me he wanted to
plant the seed and for me to think about it. He would like to wait until my next
colonoscopy and if all is quiet we can proceed.
I know he did not make this recommendation on a whim. He
is Mr. Science and does his homework; if something is not in the literature, he
doesn’t have time for it. So if he believes I could safely discontinue my
medication, I trust him with all my heart and soul. Why so much faith? Here’s a
bit of our back story that should explain things.
I had been living with Crohn’s for four years when we
met. I was in the midst of a wicked flare
and my doctor at the time was puzzled so he sent me to an IBD specialist at a
university hospital. Our first appointment was over an hour long. This new-to-me
doctor took copious amounts of notes (by hand) as I dictated the detailed
account of my medical history. I remember leaving the appointment with a clear understanding
of his plan and more importantly, feeling listened to and cared for.
It’s been nine years since that first appointment and he
is still amazing to me. He has seen me at my worst and best, answered any and
every question I’ve ever put to him, and has tolerated all my nonsensical
chatter about what I find on the internet (with the occasional eye roll of
course.) He even knows of Neurofibromatosis and is always careful to consider
it when addressing my health and potential treatments.
So that’s why I trust him, he listens and knows me, Kelly. He also gives me something so
vital to my well-being that no pill or procedure ever could: peace of mind.
