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No GI in town? Anyone else?

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Crohn's Disease
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cupcakespinkgal
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2010
Posts : 1566
Posted 8/4/2010 2:48 PM (GMT -8)
So, long story short we are moving in a few weeks to a small town, about 20,000. I have never not lived in a metropolitan area so finding a GI doc has never really been an issue. There is a small local hospital, they don't have a gastro department or any GI docs listed. Can this be right? Is that normal that a small town doesn't have all specialties?

Anyone else not have a GI where they live? There is a little larger city about 90 minutes away. I am wondering will a family doc be willing to prescribe my maintenance drugs and then I just travel to the city when I am having issues and really need to see a GI?

Sorry if this question seems silly. Right now I live in a population of over 1 million, moving to a small town is a big change for us!
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flowery
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2008
Posts : 440
Posted 8/4/2010 3:42 PM (GMT -8)
Umm...yes, there are small towns around me that have a traveling GI that comes every 3-4 months depending.  I have often thought that it would be hard for me to move rural because of this. If you are in a maintenance situation that would work though. I think you should post something about where you live and let the forum do it's talkin'. Word of mouth is sometimes the only thing we have!
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MMMNAVY
Veteran Member
Joined : Jul 2006
Posts : 6927
Posted 8/4/2010 3:52 PM (GMT -8)
I go to a GI that is over 2 hours away.
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MikeB
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2006
Posts : 1169
Posted 8/5/2010 4:42 AM (GMT -8)
In a smaller community like that the local primary care docs will usually have referral lists to the nearest largeer city or medical center -- GUs, neurologists, etc. I'd find a good local internist for general care and ask who he/she uses for GI referrals to manage your Crohns.

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coldestspot
Regular Member
Joined : Feb 2006
Posts : 53
Posted 8/5/2010 7:49 AM (GMT -8)
I have to travel in the Colorado mtns 4 hours to my GI and Rheumy. It's worse in the winter when Monarch Pass is closed due to avalanches!!!! smilewinkgrin   Good Luck!!!
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mbw1103
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2009
Posts : 71
Posted 8/6/2010 4:39 PM (GMT -8)
Hi,

I live in a fairly big city with plenty of GIs, but choose to go to a GI who's about 25 minutes away (I know not really a comparison to 90 minutes, but still a bit of a hike).  Long story, but while undergoing a diagnosis for something else, I got fed up with local GIs who told me to wait it out and went to this other GI in desperation on a co-worker's advice and have stuck with her since.  Anyway, back to the topic :-)....she and her staff are aware that I travel a distance and they're more than happy to manage from a distance, especially when things are going well.  I call in when I need a script refill and they'll phone it into the pharmacy.  If I'm having an issue, I call and get a phone call from the GI that afternoon.  If she wants blood work or a stool test, she'll fax me a script and I'll bring it to the local blood draw station (they'll give me collection cups for stool cultures too).  I'll call in with reports of how a new med is working.  You get the idea ... we've managed to make it work over the last 9 years.  I still see her every 3 months or more if things are active or every 6-12 months if things seemed to have calmed down.

Good luck with the move.

Melissa

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medieval_peasant
Regular Member
Joined : Mar 2009
Posts : 52
Posted 8/6/2010 5:34 PM (GMT -8)
I wonder if Crohns and GI disorders are as prevalent in small towns.
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