Recent Doctor Visit

My daughter and I just recently went in for our allergy checkup. I asked my doctor if they did testing for wheat. I was hoping I could get the testing done there and that it would be covered by insurance. He almost immediately became defensive. Wish I had never opened my mouth. He told me he had already tested me for wheat. (Everyone receives a sheet with everything they are allergic to; however, on the sheet it never mentioned wheat, which didn’t really matter because it was skin testing.)

The test I was interested in was a stool sample, but after my “wheat question,” I was unable to offer more than a nod or a one-word response. He asked me why I wanted to know about the wheat. I said I had been seeing a Naturopath and, based on my history, he felt that I was gluten intolerant.

You should have seen my doctor’s face!  “What is a (bungled word for Naturopath) and what kind of degree do they have?” “How many years of schooling do they have?” I did my best to define Naturopath, though I wasn’t quite sure how many years they go to school. But I do know they have extensive education in nutrition. He was rolling his eyes and shaking his head. Then the lecture began. He told me that we are only on the infant stages of nutrition, so basically any information I got was subject to change. I do believe that we are in the infant stages, but we do have to start somewhere, and that doesn’t mean that I should just continue to suffer in the state I was. Ironically, he said he believed that eventually they will be able to link the majority of diseases to nutrition. That was the most positive part of the conversation.

He asked me why I thought I had a problem with gluten. I told him years ago I had been diagnosed with IBS. I felt as if it were an interrogation at this point. Then he shot these questions: “Who gave the diagnosis, when did you get it, what were your symptoms, what were the credentials of the doctor, what was his name, do you know what IBS is, did he put you on medication and what kind.” I gave him all the information.

He was then on a mission. In fact, I knew he was making other patients wait because, as he was running out of the room to get his prescription pad, a nurse caught him in the hallway to remind him about his other patients. I think he was on a mission to prove me wrong. He was very passionate. Maybe it was just that he was concerned that I was going astray. Anyway, he came back with a prescription pad and a magazine and started writing a prescription.

He was talking so fast he never let me say that I didn’t want a prescription, that ever since I am off gluten products, my condition has improved.  Then came the dietary lecture. “Did your doctor give you any information on dietary restrictions for IBS?” I told him, no, my doctor had basically told me that I knew what foods to avoid and wrote a prescription. I could tell that bothered him somewhat. So he went on to tell me to avoid greasy foods, caffeine and dairy products. He gave me a lecture on what IBS was and then once again ran out of the room and got his medical book for me to read what Celiac Disease was and left me in the room to read this passage, which was actually quite small. He came back and asked me if these are my symptoms and I said they were, but since I have been off wheat, that I do not have the symptoms. This was the first time he had listened long enough to hear me say I was better being off of gluten products.

He said, “Oh well, then don’t take the prescription.” My response was that I wasn’t planning to. Awkward!!!! Every time he left the room, my daughter would say, “Great mommy, you really did it now.” This is the second time I have been in a medical physician’s office and been lectured about doing anything outside of the “medical community”.

One thing I find so interesting is that, when I have tried to get help outside of the traditional medical community, they are so threatened, but if you talk to a Naturopath or Chiropractor, they are not threatened. I wish that the medical community could see some value in what other health practitioners do. (Remember, I’m an RN.) It would be great if they could work together. I believe there is extreme value in both realms. As much of a pain as it was to have to listen to him carry on, it is always important to let your doctor know what you are doing; and you never know, you might plant a seed. When they see you doing well, they might think about it the next time they run across another patient with your symptoms. Maybe it will get them to do a little more research.

Cheryl