GI Specialist

Did I mention the GI Specialist with whom I had my appointment today is Board Certified?

He is.

Dr. Yakov Shaposhnikov

His staff is unorganized, not very polite, and I didn't feel comfortable with the nurse either. My impression was that he didn't think his staff was "on top of it" either, because he felt the need to repeat his instructions to them for my check-out at least 5 times. He should only have to tell them once, I would think. I assume he is a very experienced Dr. It's been 41 years since his graduation. He seems sharp enough of an older man.

One of the first things he said to me when he came into the patient room I was waiting in was how young I am and that most of his patients are over the age of 50 and that he really didn't understand why I was referred to him. :( I had to wait 2 hours to get into that room.

Needless to say, he did absolutely nothing for me, besides sucking a $20 co-pay out of my pocket, plus whatever bill I will get later from him.

He said I need a Colonoscopy and one of those camera-down-throat and into-the-stomach things and that he would put me to sleep for both of them but that insurance might refuse to pay for the anesthesia. So he would ask for $200 cash up-front for that. But then he said that he won't even do that without permission from my Endocrinologist, which I don't even meet for the first time until tomorrow!

He also said I will need blood-work done, but he said "Surely, the Endocrinologist will order blood-work" and that I can just bring him that. Pfft.

He scheduled me an appointment for 2 weeks from now, and said that if I haven't finished up the stuff with the Endocrinologist to cancel the appointment with him and then schedule with him again after that's all done.

He also said I need to get back in touch with my General Practitioner about my blood pressure. It was high today 156/100. It was also taken at my elbow right after I tripped on the "bathroom-style" scale. I had to take my sandals off. I had my sandals on and literally "tipped-the-scale" and lost my balance I almost fell, but I caught myself on the wall. The nurse was there, but she just ignored me. Glad I didn't fall she might not have known what to do. Maybe she wasn't a nurse at all, who knows.

Anyways I weighed 262 lbs. Which is actually about 15-25 lbs. less than I had weighed at my last regular Dr. appointment (I can't remember for sure), but it's still shameful.

I don't know who to trust any more.

After my appointment I went and picked up two 8 oz. sample cans of Similac baby formula and 4 $5.00 coupons for Similac too. Someone from one of my online "groups" offered them to me for free!! Woo-Hoo!

I have so much pain in my back now that I won't even carry my baby for very many steps. I'm too scared it's going to fail me. I used to carry him with me and hold him while I fixed his bottle for him. Now I have to leave him crying while I make his bottle. Usually my back pops, cracks, grinds, or something else and I have to lean very forward. If I lean too far down I get chest pains and sometimes jaw pain with it. And then sometimes when I stand upright again I get that fluid that comes up into my mouth, and sometimes it's enough I actually have to spit it out!

I can't walk very much or very far without my back giving me h-e-l-l.
I just don't know what to do! I'm becoming less and less functional!
It's not just my body, it's my mind too. I'm literally losing my mind -my memory, my wittiness (which I have been quite fond of about myself), etc. My eyesight is going to s-h-i-t. The fatigue I have is not only irritating but also debilitating. I am the hugest party-pooper. :(

I tried to talk about my back pain with the GI Specialist today, but he wasn't interested and he cut me off mid-mention exclaiming that he wasn't concerned with that. :(


None of the Dr.s I have seen so far are interested in hearing all of my symptoms.

How do they diagnose anything?

They aren't helping me or managing my pain. I am at a loss.

I just want someone to listen. Know anyone? A professional? HELP!