When my surgeon, who managed my pouch, retired, I found a gastroenterologist who put me on Humira. It took a while, but my pouch has been doing well - this after a lot of years of ups and downs pre Humira. I liked this gastro., but I had a hard time communicating with her so chose another highly recommended gastroenterologist. During all of this, I had been having a lot of issues with passing stool, blood, rectal pain and was using enemas on a semi regular basis to empty completely. I also knew I had a 1/2" polyp right where my pouch was stapled.
Si I go to this other gastro., and she takes me off Tincture of Opium. First, she wanted me to try Immodium even though I told her it stops me up. Sure enough, the Immodium ( 3 a day) shut my system down. I could not pass stool and was having abdominal pain and other issues. She wanted to see my pouch, so we scheduled a scope. She switched me to Lomotil, which works better, but I still struggle to pass stool. She did a scope the other day and she believes my issue is the polyp that is plugging me up. I have an appointment with a surgeon about removing it. She also said my pouch is the healthiest one she has ever seen, that biopsies show I have very little if no cuff, and she wants to get me off some of the meds the previous gastro. put me on - specifically, Uceris for the bleeding and inflammation in the "cuff" and the Humira.
I just have a lot of questions, most prominently, how come two different specialists interpret my issue with the polyp so differently? Why, if my pouch looks so good, does she want to take me off Humira, when I feel like it has helped me a lot? And how the heck can I be treated by my surgeon and the first gastro. for cuffitis when this second doc says I don't have enough cuff to cause cuffitis?
I know I need to meet with the second gastro. again and discuss these things. She told me this after the scope and I was still drugged so did not have the brain to respond. Some of the info. I did not get until I went into My Chart. Does anyone have advice for me when I meet with her or the surgeon? I feel capable to navigate this myself, but like to research as much as I can before I meet with my doctors.
Sorry this is so convoluted. I am tired and have a bad head cold and I am not putting ideas together well.
