Never had an appt quite like it.

[Moggie]

Hi all,

Thought I would do a quick update on my gastro appt today.

The good thing is that she does recognise a link between atuo immune illness and gut issues so that's one battle I haven't got to fight, although she did then go on to say that she has only ever treated 3 other hashi's patients before so I wont be holding my breath for any ground breaking treatment. Secondly she wants to do a camera down my throat and another where the sun dont shine (sorry I know they have both got medical names but I have trouble remembering - and spelling - both but I'm sure you have got the jist.lol)

Two minutes into the consultation, immediately after she introduced herself and started to take down my history, she knocked her coffee flying - it ended up all over the paperwork on her desk, seeping into the computer and ending up in a big puddle on the floor. I did my bit and helped her and the nurse, who she had sent out a panicy s.o.s. for, to clean up the mess and once the worse was mopped up myself and the doctor de-camped to a different consulting room, with a computer that wasn't filled with coffee, to continue my appointment.

It started with me presenting her with a very details spread sheet of the last two years blood results which showed a lot of my vitamins and liver results out of range - she was quite impressed with this so my friends help in preparing for the consultation really paid off. I also had a list of question I wanted to ask to which she said "off you go then" and she patiently answered every one. She then explained what she would be testing for - coeliac, infections, cancer and a few other things and why she felt these were necessary. She also said that until she had the test results through she could not committ herself one way or the other in saying if my gut issues where down to my auto immune illness or not.

She then said she wanted me to go for some blood tests and attempted to pull out a few forms only for about fifty to come flying out all at once showering both her and me with them. That was enough to start me off really laughing and she ended up joining in whilst stressing that she wasn't usually as clumsy as it seems and she was having a really bad day. I must say it was lovely to see, first hand, a consultant having a tough time of it and acting like a bumbling idiot but the statement that she felt guilty calling a nurse to help clear up her mess really warmed me to her.

I dont think it was a very productive appointment and I am not expecting her to fully embrace the auto immune issues but for the giggle factor it was a great appointment and left me with a smile on my face.

Moggie x

[Hidden]

You have brought a smile to my face too Moggie......how many hours ago was it I wished you good luck with your appointment?

Well,they say everything happens in threes......so,whilst preparing lunch I filled up a large bowl I had been using to mix food in and put it to soak in the sink and it overbalanced!!! It soaked me and the large mat I was standing on and splashed out across the floor tiles and I was mopping up with soggy feet!!

It seems like it wasn't our day was it!! Let's start again tomorrow X

[Moggie in reply to Hidden]

Rod's link might explain why you almost drowned yourself yesterday.lol. Must say I am also very clumsy - never used to be but now I can trip over my own feet without any trouble at all.

Moggie x

[Hidden in reply to Moggie]

Thanks Moggie.....it wasn't our day yesterday .....and the mat is still soaking wet.....however,today is another day .....stay safe and keep going .......Marfit X

[RedApple Administrator]

If you see her again, you might suggest she gets herself a TFT... clumsiness is a sign of thyroid hormone insufficiency!

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to RedApple]

Although this paper is a) fairly old (1978); and b) applies to congenital hypothyroidism, there most certainly is a link between clumsiness and thyroid. I am a bit disappointed that there seems to be almost nothing written up about the link in the more common adult hypothyroidism. Maybe I cannot find what is there - or it has been largely ignored? I for one am convinced of a significant link.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Rod

[lulujeanne in reply to helvella]

thanks for sharing this Rod, i am very clumsy and have always wondered why!!... its interesting to read the link between it and hypothyroidism x

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to RedApple]

Exactly what I was thinking Red Apple.

I was so clumsy way back before and at the start of my treatment. Tend to be a bit better now but as I was reading Moggie's description of her appt I couldn't help but feel that her consultant needed to check herself out.

Unless the explanation is just that the sight of someone so clued up they had their own personal spreadsheet and list of pertinent questions just floored her

Good to come out feeling cheerful though,

[Moggie in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Cheerful but unfortunately not hopeful. Red Apple said to me a while ago that her gastro was only looking for one thing (the big C) and I think this gastro is the same. Having an auto immune illness which can, and does, cause gut issues just did not interest her.

Moggie x

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Moggie]

That's the trouble isn't it, all those people only look at 'their ' part of your body. You need a department that will look at you as a whole and work from one part to another until they get to the bottom of what is wrong with you without having to start all over again with each and every specialist. And that feeling that you have almost been dismissed before you have got going isn't great. Good luck, hopefully some bright spark will find something ( and not the big C either!)

[Moggie in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

She did say at the end of the appt that she didn't feel they would find anything so most probably would not be seeing me again - so maybe that is a good thing. I will just have to sort my own gut issues out, with the help of a very knowledgeable friend, which will mean going gluten free.

Wouldn't it be lovely to be able to see just one doctor, they could then fit ALL the pieces of the jigsaw together and then maybe people like us would see some real progress (well we can dream cant we!!!! - maybe I'll have a word with Santa.lol.)

Moggie x

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Moggie]

Its funny how often they don't find anything. I had a barium enema many years ago and they didn't find anything.

At least if they don't you can relax because they haven't which will help in a way. Then you can try gluten free, I'm sure that will help. I'm trying to be gluten free if I can.

I've been eating rye bread for a while which I read the other day isn't actually gluten free but I managed to get a loaf of spelt bread on the farmers market the other day. It is white nice although I think it has a slightly sweet taste.

Anyway, I digress, hope you can sort your gut out soon

[nobodysdriving]

Moggie, the camera from 'where the sun doesn't shine' is a 'colonoscopy', the one in the mouth is an 'endoscopy' LOOOOOOL

looking forward to hear the story as it unfolds, let's hope she is a reasonable doctor (spilling coffee at her first appt is a positive sign LOL)

[Moggie in reply to nobodysdriving]

Not holding out much hope NBD, she even mumbled something about only needing to see me in clinic again if my colonoscopy and endoscopy (only got that right because I copies what you had written lol) showed something that needed further attention so I'm not sure that there will be much more of a story to unfold.

Moggie x

[beaton]

Oh Moggie,You have an affect on everyone,good or bad (No hissy fits?). I hope everything turns out well for you.

[gaelianbr]

Hi Moggie, the endoscopy would only show gut damage but there is a lot of evidence that some people with a gluten intolerance will not have gut damage but damage to many other parts of the body. There are (like all auto immune conditions) different antibodies other than the normal one which diagnose Coeliac. It may be worth asking for those to be checked before going on a gluten free diet for obvious reasons. Good luck with this it's amazing how doctors can make you feel guilty when results come back 'normal'!

[Moggie in reply to gaelianbr]

I have already discussed this with the gastro - and she is testing for these, there will be four biopsy's taken so hopefully a full range of tests will be carried out. I also made it quite plain that I realise that even if the coeliac tests comes back negative that I can still be gluten intolerant. As I have said in my post and previous answers I dont think this gastro is a forward thinking one and anything which is not strikingly obvious is not going to be looked for.

Thanks for your comments - it reassures me that I am not the only one who knows how important the auto immune and gut issue connection is, and dont worry I never ever feel guilty when a result comes back normal, I think its something we are all so used to on here that it doesn't phase most of us any more - it just makes us more determined to dig a bit deeper, keep on asking question, questioning answers and generally make a pest of ourselves - and so the fight goes on.

Moggie x