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Ulcerative Colitis
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Rosiedays
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2017
Posts : 319
Posted 11/18/2019 10:29 AM (GMT -8)
I’m wondering about the average amount of times a patient with UC sees their G.I. doctor in your country. I live in BC Canada and although my GI is conveniently close to my home and shares an office with my GP, I might need to look elsewhere.

Is once a year typical? 2 times in a year while experiencing a flare?

What is your usual wait for a follow up appointment after a colonoscopy?

Thank you
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iPoop
Forum Moderator
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 16404
Posted 11/18/2019 10:53 AM (GMT -8)
How often I see my doctor is directly related with how well I am doing. When flaring, I would see my doctor every 6-to-8 weeks. When I am doing better but not perfect, 2 times a year. When in a remission, like now, once a year. I'm USA here. My followup after a colonoscopy is often within a week or two of that procedure.
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quincy
Elite Member
Joined : May 2003
Posts : 33484
Posted 11/18/2019 10:59 AM (GMT -8)
Why would you need to look for another GI exactly?

I see my GI on an every 6 months basis....but If I need to see him because of whatever issues (past 2 years was because of my stomach) I've been squeezed in. C-scope is every 2 years, and I've had 2 upper scopes in 2 years because of issues. Follow-up is usually 6 weeks afterward, but I have the results sent to me before that.

q
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Rosiedays
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2017
Posts : 319
Posted 11/18/2019 11:09 AM (GMT -8)
Because I haven't been “squeezed in”.
Thanks for the responses, sounds reasonable.
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 7543
Posted 11/18/2019 11:50 AM (GMT -8)
Once a year is required to get med refills in the U.S., so that's the minimum. Once you've had UC for 8-10 years, they recommend you get colonoscopies every other year to check for cancer. If I'm flaring, I see my GI more often. A lot of my "doctoring" is done over the phone (for example, if I start to flare, I can call and ask for a refill on prednisone while I'm waiting for an appointment). My doctor also answers a lot of my questions via phone or in our online patient portal, which is really helpful. This year, I saw my GI in the spring and again this month. We set up a follow-up appointment for me in 3 months (February) since I have been flaring most of this year and started on new medications recently. I went through several GI doctors over the years (partly because I moved several times but also because I had a few "duds" who I really did not like and recently because my amazing GI decided to move across the country). I really like my current doctor though.

I don't think I've ever gone in for a follow-up after a colonoscopy other than my very first one when I was diagnosed. I'll never forget that day. They just tell me my results right after the scope and usually in a letter or via phone call once the biopsies are back. I had one scope while hospitalized so that was different.
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Rosiedays
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2017
Posts : 319
Posted 11/18/2019 11:52 AM (GMT -8)
Than you Sara. Are you also American?
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 7543
Posted 11/18/2019 11:56 AM (GMT -8)
Yes.
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 7543
Posted 11/18/2019 11:57 AM (GMT -8)
Also, I don't know what it's like in Canada, but oftentimes I have to be a really "squeeky" wheel to get squeezed in here. I'm talking multiple phone calls/emails until someone listens. Lol.
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Rosiedays
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2017
Posts : 319
Posted 11/18/2019 12:12 PM (GMT -8)
Thank you smile I’ll ask my GI these questions in a couple of weeks, along with a big list. i don’t even know her tbh, in the meantime I’ve left a message to see if I can adjust / change / whatever my medication.
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Serenity Now
Veteran Member
Joined : Jan 2009
Posts : 2567
Posted 11/18/2019 2:03 PM (GMT -8)
I see my GI once a year but I am supposed to contact her if I have any symptoms in the meantime. Having a GI sharing an office with your GP sounds very convenient to me. The biggest PITA I have is getting the referral renewed by my GP.
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Rosiedays
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2017
Posts : 319
Posted 11/18/2019 2:19 PM (GMT -8)
I’m near you Serenity in Langley. I didn’t know you had to keep getting re-referred! I have to do that with my yearly eye appt. with a specialist in Vancouver. Are you in remission with only mesavant?
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Serenity Now
Veteran Member
Joined : Jan 2009
Posts : 2567
Posted 11/18/2019 2:52 PM (GMT -8)
Yes Rosie, just Mezavant. Oh and I'm actually in Coquitlam, but my GI is in Vancouver. (I put Vancouver in my signature because no one else would have any idea where or what Coquitlam is!)
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CCinPA
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2014
Posts : 2463
Posted 11/18/2019 3:02 PM (GMT -8)
Once/year when in remission.
Flares - as often as needed. Usually I can get in within 2 weeks and then have follow-ups every 2-3 months.
Follow-up after colonoscopy -- 2 weeks after the scope

When flaring I do a lot of messaging back & forth through the patient portal (email) rather then having to go in the office.

I suspect that you asked this question because I thought that 4 months was too long for a follow-up after your scope. I still this that's waayyyy too long. Especially when you are having problems.
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Rosiedays
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2017
Posts : 319
Posted 11/18/2019 3:49 PM (GMT -8)
Yes ccinpa. I am very upset about not being able to have a discussion face to face.

Today,however, I just left a message telling the office that I have had diarrhea for three days now and could I increase or change something about my meds.
(I was thinking perhaps she would add a pentasa enema or something)

The office secretary just got back to me and I went and picked up a requisition for stool samples, blood work, chest x-ray and TB test.

So I’m glad she’s thorough. I can only guess (from learning stuff at healing well here ) that she is thinking biologics.

The thing is, she doesn’t know that I’m calling diarrhea #6 on the Bristol chart, 2 to 3 times every morning. I think that’s a fairly minor symptom, although I am very fatigued and do need to drink lots of water.

My iron is usually on the low side, and I take iron pills. My last blood test was only two months ago and it was not too bad. So I think my fatigue is from diarrhea, or being off prednisone, or just stressing about all of this too much.
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 7543
Posted 11/18/2019 4:05 PM (GMT -8)
It's great they responded to you the same day you called. I sometimes have to wait a while to get a call back (sometimes they're really quick, other times not). They must be thinking some kind of immunosuppressant if they ordered the TB test. I think your fatigue is likely from being newly off prednisone.
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Makepoop
New Member
Joined : Nov 2017
Posts : 16
Posted 11/18/2019 9:43 PM (GMT -8)
I'm just outside of Toronto and I feel like my GI has no time for me. She schedules my follow ups every 6 months (as I haven't achieved true remission since seeing her 2.5 years ago). I always have to call and leave multiple messages before I hear back from her about issues with meds not working, symptoms changing etc. And often dont hear back from her for over a week. Part of the issue is she only works in her office a couple days/week. Otherwise she's in the hospital performing colonoscopies and whatever else. Her assistant has made comments about her receiving 50 messages within a couple days, so I think she just has too many patients. But I also think that's standard for specialists (at least in Ontario). She squeezed me in once recently and I was so surprised because I didn't know that was even an option.

I haven't been given specific appointments to follow up on colonoscopy results - Just whenever my next scheduled appt is (which could be 4 months away). I've learned to ask my GI lots of questions immediately post colonoscopy when I'm recovering as she gives me the results because I don't know when I'm going to get the chance to do so again.
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ld2186
Regular Member
Joined : Aug 2018
Posts : 44
Posted 11/19/2019 2:58 AM (GMT -8)
I’m in the US. I’m newly in remission and my GI and I just started spacing apts to every 4 months. Before we were meeting every 6-8 weeks. I email most issues over the patient portal and my doctors policy is to respond within 24 hours.
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Michelejc
Forum Moderator
Joined : Jan 2011
Posts : 2836
Posted 11/20/2019 7:01 AM (GMT -8)
I'm bad. I'm in remission now for a few years. Have not seen my doctor in a couple of years. I guess next year I'll go and schedule a colonoscopy.
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Rosiedays
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2017
Posts : 319
Posted 11/20/2019 10:26 AM (GMT -8)
So good that you’re in remissionsmile doesn’t sound bad at all!
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Michelejc
Forum Moderator
Joined : Jan 2011
Posts : 2836
Posted 11/20/2019 10:43 AM (GMT -8)

Rosiedays said...
So good that you’re in remissionsmile doesn’t sound bad at all!

It's fantastic!
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Sassysback
Regular Member
Joined : Dec 2018
Posts : 151
Posted 11/20/2019 4:30 PM (GMT -8)
Rosie and Serenity: I now see a GI in Aldergrove who works out of Abbotsford Hospital. I don't know if they have a patient portal, or email. But found out my referral was only good for 1 year.
I have that appointment booked in Dec, and colonoscopy in Jan. I called about a follow-up but they said that depends on the scope.
I,m not sure how this Dr will be if I require more help. I also do not know anyone who has this disease that live here. Perhaps, we could share our stories, etc. Is so, let me know.
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suchatravesty
Regular Member
Joined : Dec 2017
Posts : 347
Posted 11/20/2019 6:07 PM (GMT -8)
US -- almost all of my doctoring is over the phone/via e-mail. The IBD specialists at Kaiser have a dedicated PharmD they work with. The PharmD is in charge of managing my medication-related labs and e-mails me when I need to get my usual labs done (Imuran, baby) before my next infusion. She will also e-mail me about my results. If there is a concern, she chats with my GI, and she will let me know if I need to follow-up with an extra lab, or my GI will schedule a phone appointment with me to discuss. My GI will e-mail me every 4 months and ask a series of questions to gauge symptoms, unless I e-mail her beforehand with some issues, at which point we typically e-mail or discuss over phone. There is a Physicians Assistant who does an annual check-in with all of us as part of a study. My GI doesn't need to see me unless I need a scope. Actually, I met with my current GI ONCE in person and that was when I moved and had to be assigned a new one, as she wants to meet personally with all new patients. She is out currently on leave, and I'm having some weird issues, so her partner and I met in person to discuss because I had never met him and he will be taking care of me for the next four months. Before that, I met with my prior GI once to discuss some stuff at the outset and for my colonoscopy. *shrug* I think if more doctors did the phone/e-mail thing, they would have a lot more time to deal with patients and could be more responsive.
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Rosiedays
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2017
Posts : 319
Posted 11/20/2019 7:40 PM (GMT -8)
Sassyback, My GI is Dr. Chen in Aldergrove. I had my colonoscopy with her in Mission. I can’t imagine 2 G.I.’s in this small town, do we have the same one?
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Sassysback
Regular Member
Joined : Dec 2018
Posts : 151
Posted 11/21/2019 7:46 AM (GMT -8)
Rosie, my Dr. Is Dr. Kim in Aldergrove. I have heard of Dr. Chen. Did she start out working with Dr. Pluta?
My former GI Dr. Pluta retired a couple years ago, so there are no GI Dr.s In Abby or Mission, where I live. My GI tried to get me into see a Dr. In Maple Ridge, but he wouldn't take me....said he had too many patients already. 😟
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Rosiedays
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2017
Posts : 319
Posted 11/21/2019 8:12 AM (GMT -8)
Well, this is perfect! We can compare notes and at least have an idea if one of us decides we want to change. I see mine next Friday. She works out of mission hospital.
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