Steinbox

We went to the Strong GI Unit yesterday at my doctor’s request. It was, well…see the above title!!
My doctor had talked to the chief there (Dr. Farmer) who used to be the chief at Cleveland, and said he convinced him to give me another shot, and that Dr. Farmer would personally get me into someone at Cleveland sooner if he could not help me.

I told my doctor I did not want to go as I would actually be seen by a resident, who then goes out to talk to the chief, and then they come back in together for a few minutes.

They already indicated they could not help me and said I should keep my appointment at Cleveland. After that, all of the GI’s at Strong had a conference about me and decided the same. However, my doctor insisted that Dr. Farmer would be taking the driver’s seat this time, that he’d told him the resident was welcome to be looking over his shoulder, but that the chief needed to give me his full attention. So we went.

As expected, we were seen by the resident. He asked briefly how I was doing and if there were any changes. Then he went and found the chief (this took some time as he apparently was not even in the building). They came back together for about five minutes. The chief was confused as to why he had gotten a call from my doctor, thinks my doctor is confused, etc. I attempted to explain the situation.

He has no intention of helping me, nor getting me in to see someone at Cleveland sooner. He said “Good Luck” and proceeded to tell me all about how he knows everyone there, he helped design the building and that there’s a big picture of him hanging there, etc.

He did say they’d like to follow up with me after Cleveland–I was thinking maybe the week we return…he said, “So let’s see you three months after you get back from Cleveland, and we can see what suggestions they had.” Clearly they are completely unconcerned about me.

As the receptionist was giving me dates for a follow-up appointment in June, I was cheerfully replying “It doesn’t matter…whatever you’ve got…” as I have no intention of ever returning.

I was pretty upset, even though it went exactly as we expected…so upset that we forgot to visit a friend from church who was recovering from surgery on the next floor down.

I couldn’t wait to call my doctor and say “I told you so.” By the time we got home, however, I decided to wait and fill him in when I see him next Thursday for our “Cleveland Prep” appointment. Hopefully by then the results of the dermatologist’s tests will be in.

I guess we will go ahead and begin making plans to be in Cleveland March 27th…less than two weeks to go now…