This evening I left work early to head over to a walk-in-clinic since I have been consecutively sick for the past 3 months.
After telling the doctor I have ulcerative colitis, am taking Imuran (thank you, Imuran, for screwing my immune system over) and figuring that was why I have been sick so long he agreed and prescribed me some anti-biotics.
He then asked me "Why haven't you gotten the cure for ulcerative colitis?"
At this point I could feel some of my suppressed anger rising up in my throat because I knew he was going to say exactly what he said next, "Ulcerative colitis can be cured by surgically removing your large intestines, living with a colostomy bag for a while and then going back in to have your small intestines re-attached to complete your digestive tract again... well I won't try to convince you to get surgery."
It frustrates me when people tell me "But there's a cure for ulcerative colitis."
I can hardly believe that anyone thinks that disruptive surgery in which my insides are ripped apart and a portion of my body is removed can be called a CURE.
Personally, a CURE is some sort of non-disruptive/non-intrusive treatment which permanently resolves the auto-immune disease for any individuals who are living with it or for anyone who could possibly have had the genes for this disease passed on to them.
P.S. try typing in "Cure for ulcerative colitis" at no point that I found does it call "surgical removal of the large bowel" a cure.
Dr. Outrageous (I won't disclose his ACTUAL name) then asked me whether I smoked or not. I assumed it was a concern with the Imuran, so I replied with, "Ew, no."
He then completely surprised me by saying, "Well you may want to consider it [while looking at his tablet of I'm-assuming-infinite-random-articles-about-Imuran-&-Colitis] because some cases have shown the symptoms of colitis being lessened with smoking."
Again, I stared at him dumbfounded and explained how my partner in my Bone Disease course just wrote a paper on the affects of heavy metals on the human skeleton, one of these metals being Cadmium (Cd) and how it can be absorbed by tobacco leaves and thus smoking it would bring that metal into your system and you are pretty well for shit screwed because you will probably never have it leave your system before you die.
Dr. Outrageous then said, "Well, I'll shut up now, if anyone finds out I am prescribing patients cigarettes I'll be in big trouble."
The next topic was "You should really be careful about getting pregnant while taking Imuran."
Um... ok, I don't know why you would expect me to be thinking about pregnancy, good grief! So I say, "Uh, no, no babies right now."
"Well that's good because you definitely do not want to be pregnant and be taking that medication. But whenver/if you decide to have children you will want to discuss an alternative medication with your specialist."
So add that to my list of reasons to never have children...
He then totally reverts this child-bearing idea and says "Some cases have shown reduced symptoms during pregnancy... however, after pregnancy you'll most likely be sick again."
I respond with, "So I can either be chronically ill or chronically pregnant, is what you're saying?"
Dr. Outrageous, "Basically."
Me: "Good to know..."
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