Northeastern Ohio.. Good News

[chasbari]

I know I haven't been around here much in the last year or so but that's because things have been going relatively well. I was a bit discouraged for a time because my gastroenterologist, whom I trusted so very much during my whole diagnosis process, had sort of disappeared. He left he practice at Alliance Community Hospital and there was no word of whether he retired or was going to resurface elsewhere. I got my records from his practice as I was not interested in the new doctor there.

I was referred to another gastro closer to home and went for an initial visit. He is on the teaching faculty at NEOUCOM and so I figured there might be some potential for meaningful discussion. I was wrong. He wasn't at all interested in why I was getting better and dismissed me with a "see you next year" send off. Well, next year rolled around and I discovered my original Gastro, Dr. John Park, had resurfaced with the doctors at Clinical Gastroenterology, Inc. in the Belden Village area here in Stark County.

I cancelled my yearly follow up previously mentioned doc and scheduled with Dr. Park. He sat and patiently questioned what I had been doing since we last talked. He listened. His assistant took copious notes. He was very pleased at my progress. The last time he had seen me was after my last upper endoscope which had raised the specter that I might have to be considered as having refractory celiac as there was not the healing he had expected in light of my strict compliance with gluten free. I related much of what I had been doing to address gut flora health and spelled out my radical diet. After a physical exam he encouraged me to keep on doing what I have been doing as it was obvious to him that it was working well. We talked about some endurance issues. He explained that, although I was doing so much better there might be some ongoing issues with endurance as a result of celiac but that my overall improvement was encouraging and not to be too concerned about the endurance issue.

He said that unless I encountered any sudden changes in my health that I was good to go for another year. So different from when we were in crisis mode early on when nothing was under control and things were looking bad. I know that doctor patient relationships are sometimes dependent on how the dynamic works from individual to individual but I would encourage anyone in the NE Ohio area who is in need of a good Gastro to consider Dr. Park. I hope I am not out of bounds by suggesting this but I had to relate my good experience. It has been a difficult journey but things do get better as you figure things out. Best to all.

Chuck