As I am sure all you here know, I have been sick again (badly...in the constant severe pains) for over a month now.
So i FINALLY get my letter of referral, back to see one of the gastroenterologists I had seen 2 years ago...
WELL...
My consultation is:
September 19th

I am telling everyone if I drop dead before then, at least you will know why. I can say a lot more but I will keep my mouth shut...I have 153 more days to complain about it so I will spread this anger out evenly...

~lisa~

Gosh Lisa--I don't know what to say.. I find it hard to believe that they couldn't fit you in if they really tried! And they know you have been having accute pain. Will they at least call if there is a cancellation? That might move it up a little. I wish I could offer more--How are you feeling now? Any better?

That is insane!!! I would call them at least and ask them to put you on a calling list if they have any cancellations. If everyone has to wait as long as you do, then I am sure not to many people would cancel their appointment. I am sorry. Is this the only person you can see? Can you share a bit about your diet and symptoms. Maybe we would have some ideas for you to try. If the pain is severe, I guess you could go to the ER, but you won't get anything done this way. Maybe you could call the doctors office and at least see if you could get some testing done first, so that when you did see the doctor he actually had some answers for you. Sorry you are feeling so bad.
Monica

That is absolutely ludicrious. I would not wait that long to see anyone, not even the pope! Can you see another GI doctor? I would call and say if you can not get me in sooner I need a copy of what's in my file and am getting a referral to someone else.

Wow, I thought it was bad that I had to wait until March 20 to see mine (made the appointment about two weeks ago)! I have to wait until April 3 for my colonoscopy! I can't even imagine that many months booked ahead.

Oh that is ridiculous! I agree...call and ask to get on a cancellation list or get your file and ask for a referral to another gastro.

Hope you get some relief soon!

That is very much ridiculous. There is no excuse for a waiting period that long. Talk to your referring doc, see if you can see someone else. You could very well die while waiting that long!

personally, i wouldn't wait for an appt. with that doctor----i'd call out of state if i had to---maybe even many states, to find an appt sooner than 6 months.
christine

I'd definitely try calling back. If nothing else ask the "ok, you can't see me for six months. what do I do about the life-altering and work-threatening symptoms/pain in the meantime?". That often, at least, gets them to listen to you and understand that stupid position they are asking you to take.

I agree that you need to either get them to make an earlier appt or get your referral to someone else!!

My father had a similar problem with a knee surgeon and he would call every morning (and some afternoons) to see if they had a cancellation yet. It did get him in earlier

Wow that is ridiculous! I would definatly call and ask for my file so I could find another Dr. Do they understand that you are in constant pain?! You shouldn't be expected to suffer like that while they find time for you!

What I noticed about my gastro was that since I wasn't in the right demographic for needing a gastroenterologist (ie: senior citizen), I was usually brushed off. They thought I was a hypochondriac, or drank too much at college, or some other thing. They never returned my calls when the drugs didn't work. The dr never even saw me, just his nurse, and when he did the endo, I never saw him when I wasn't drugged!

There was only one gastro practice in the whole region (4 docs) and they wouldn't let me see another doc, and when I went to GP's about it out of frustration, they wouldn't touch my case, since the gi doc had me. It was circular and frustrating.

Demand that you be seen sooner! That is total BS, complete and total BS.

Lisa, you're in a small town in Southern Saskatchewan, right? Is the GI doc in your town or in Regina? Can you try for an appointment in Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton? Granted, it's an 8 hour drive from Regina to Calgary, but if you can get in sooner...

If I recall, you don't drive, but you might be able to get a bus ticket for a reasonable price.

Call the doctor's office EVERY DAY and ask if there's been a cancellation. They might get tired of you calling and try to get you in sooner.

Do they understand the urgency? That you are in agonizing pain day and night and have no support from your family? Call the top guy at the health region and start hassling him/her.

How about Estevan, Weyburn, Swift Current, Yorkton, North Dakota? Any of those places have GI docs?

Can the counsellor at your college help you?

This afternoon (when i get home from school) my plan is to call to the office and explain my situation. Tell them that i've been sick for over a month, and would like to at least see the doctor BEFORE I start the 2nd year of college.
And this IS my only option, really. The one in Saskatoon would take even longer to get into (which is why they rarely send anyone to him) and he focuses mostly on endoscopies (which wouldnt exactly help very much for me). The most they can do in Yorkton is an ultrasound (again, my doctors in Canora said that wouldnt help me), and the waiting list for an ultrasound here would be in June if I booked it now.
This is all throwing off my concentrate. I cant think about school. I think about waiting, and think about the pain (even tho I try not to)
I told all of my 3 teachers about it. They all were shocked when they saw the date of my letter. 2 of them said its no problem if i ever have to miss, the one said that even if I want to get up and walk around the hallways at any time during class, do it. The other one said hes going to find a study guide of his own and I can look at that, and said that by the time Finals come around if I feel that I can do good on it, he'll make the final worth more than the midterm (to bring my mark up). But we'll see how that goes.
I promise I will keep you guys updated if I get any answer from the doc office in Regina, and I do plan to go back to see the doc in town again, but i've got SUCH a busy week in school (i either have a test, or a speech, or a group formal/major project) that I cant go at all next week!!

Thats all of my ranting for now. Time to shut my laptop down and put it away before the next class starts.

~lisa~

Lisa-
When you talk to the doctor--make sure you impart just how miserable you have been. Sometimes you have to 'ham it up' in a sense to help them understand just how serious your situation is. Tell them you are struggling in school and having trouble making it through the day...and ask how they would suggest you handle constant severe pain over the next few months if they can't get you in. From what it sounds like, all of those things are true for you...

So I called to the office there in Regina and it was really no use.
I talked to the receptionist...And explained that i've already been sick for over a month so I would like to get in quickly...
She told me that everyone who goes to see him is currently on a waiting list of 6-8 months. And that there are only 4 gastroenterologists in the city, and really in all of the southeast area.
She said that she'll put me on the cancellation list, but there is already 38 people on there
The only way that i could possibly get in quicker is if I went back to my family doctor, and he talked to the specialist i'm going to see, and THEN if the specialist thinks its enough of an emergancy i can get in faster, otherwise i gotta wait.
I'd tell him to get an appointment in saskatoon but that time I waited just as long (if not a little longer) and Saskatoon is also a longer trip.
So yeah in plain words...I'm screwed.

Anyone know a good gastroenterologist in Manitoba???

~lisa~

Don't know if this is worth a shot...is there any way you could go out of province? They could probably take you right away. I don't know exactly how it works, but if your doctor says you need to be seen fast, and they can't give you a quick appointment in your hometown, then I'm pretty sure they have to pay for you to see someone out of town/out of province/ and sometimes out of the country (that's kind of how it works in Ontario).

Maybe bring this up with your referring doctor and see what happens.

Good luck.

Did you ever see that episode of Sex and the City where Samantha was diagnosed with breast cancer and she was on a huge waiting list for the good oncologist? And how she and a nun waited there every day to get an appointment?

Maybe you can learn something from that. Go in one day when they open, and study in their waiting room for the day. The other 38 people on the list would a) have to be available and B ) have to get there in time. Not everybody gives the req'd 24 hour cancellation notice. Worth a shot, especially if you're missing class anyway...

Lisa-
So frustrated for you! I hope you can get into someone soon. !!!

Chelse--
That episode is classic. Gotta hand it to Samantha--if she wants something, she usually gets it

I've got an appointment for monday. I cant really afford to miss school but thats really the one day of the week that I could afford to miss, and its not like i'm skipping it for fun.
She said that it has to be the doctor who referred me that I talk to, because it'll have to be him that calls to the specialist.
I promise I will keep you all updated, keep praying or whatever for me.

~Lisa~

I am so glad you are FINALLY getting in. Keep us posted.
Lisa, I'm sorry to be so "out of it" , but who is that gorgeous man on your avatar? Really cheers a gal up a lot to see that guy smiling at ya!

Lisa--I was so glad to see that you're getting in on Monday! I'll keep my fingers crossed that the appt. goes well. Good luck

Actually this is just to get in to see the one here in town, so he can call the one in Regina But thats my only hope at this point!

~Lisa~

Darn!--I thought by some fluke of luck, you got into the gastro. Well, really play it up and tell him how much this pain is affecting your life, grades, etc. Here's hoping he will make the call and get you seen soon.

OK so I saw a DIFFERENT family doctor today. I was just going in to get a prescription refill, and he ended up checking my stomach out...

He booked me for an Ultrasound here in Yorkton (which I cant get in til May 16th), and send me to give another urine sample...

And he is concerned or thinks that I may possibly have a cyst

But i guess I will see, I am still going to the other family doc on monday.

Oh and I asked about Saskatoon and he said that the waiting list there is twice as long to get in to see a gastro (over a year)..so told me forget about going there.

I'll keep updating...

~ lisa ~

Still basically getting nowhere with all of this.

I missed school today, saw the family doctor that had referred me to Regina..

He said that the only way he could call to really get in earlier is if it was an emergancy (like, if I was already in the hospital, and needed to see the specialist that day or the next).

So he said all he can do is send another letter to the specialist, and try convincing him to let me in sooner that way.
He said he will also send a referral to Saskatoon, just for the heck of it (to see how bad the waiting list is there)

Oh, and he told me that my pains are too high up to be a cyst.

*sighs*

~lisa~