very good 2nd opinion consult

hi folks! Well, I went to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital for my consult today, with the Head of the GI Dept. One of his assistants took my medical history, did an exam, & then we all sat down together to talk. Basically, my medication options are limited- we could play around with the dosages of the Imuran & Remicade, & switch to Lialda insetad of Asacol. However, these measures would probably get me about 10-20% relief, from my current baseline. I would know if these measures are going to help at all within 2-3 months. We talked about surgery- he feels I am definitely ready for it, medically. Because I am married & already have a child, he also feels the psychological aspect wouldn't be so bad. He knows my GI doctor well, & also knows the surgeon I've been recommended to. I have a surgery consult in 2 weeks, had already made the appointment. We talked about the complimentary therapies- aloe, probiotics, SCD, etc. He said he has had some patients who've had some measure of success with these, but none of clinically proven & most of the success occurs in people with mild to moderate disease. He thinks my disease is severe, refractory, & I've become steroid dependent. We also talked about my immune system, & how it currently is under a beating- being on the pred, the Imuran, the remicade, & also being sick & underweight takes a toll. I've already been hospitalized once with strep pnuemonia, a similar infection could be a reality. He was so nice... I did not hear anything I wasn't expecting to hear. But I feel %1000 better about surgery. Who knows- I am going to try the med game for a bit longer- even if I do opt for surger it would take about 4 months to put into motion. I think! So we'll see... but mentally, I'm preparing my self for a new ME in 2008- bag lady!

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diagnosed '02