My first tribute goes out to the first person who learned of my disease: my gastroenterologist. I'll call him Dr. K, for the sake of anonymity. I often stress the importance of a good GI specialist for any UC patient on this blog. Good communication helps to individualize treatment. As mentioned in an earlier post [link], good communication does not only mean articulation and thorough description, but also active listening. My appointments comprise mostly of me telling Dr. K how my condition is, any patterns I recognize, my suspicions about treatment or happiness about treatment, my eating habits, financial constraints, how UC affects my family life, how my research is going, how my training is going and how my condition is during different types of training, the level of stress that is in my life, and the list goes on... This is a lot to listen to for a busy doctor. I have been fortunate to find a doctor that does take the time to listen and even tease it out of me if I feel shy at the moment. He listens well and takes all of these factors into account when deciding and modifying my treatment. I know Dr. K does this because he then takes the time to explain how he arrived at the best treatment regimen for my life; including examples from the mostly one-way discussion I just had with him.
However, rather than just facilitating a good recovery and maintenance of remission through treatment, he also becomes a part of the treatment. Dr. K actively participates in my treatment by reducing stress. He is soft spoken and creates an open environment that allows me to speak freely about UC. Most importantly, this confidence translates outside of Dr. K's office. Being able to speak about UC in his office has gradually made me comfortable to speak about my condition with others in the various aspects of my life (family, friends, colleagues, etc.). This has greatly reduced my stress and improved my condition. Being apprehensive to discuss UC created more stress and worsened my condition. Fortunately, the practice in Dr. K's office has enabled me to over-come the apprehension, reducing stress and aiding my treatment.
Thank You Dr. K !
However, rather than just facilitating a good recovery and maintenance of remission through treatment, he also becomes a part of the treatment. Dr. K actively participates in my treatment by reducing stress. He is soft spoken and creates an open environment that allows me to speak freely about UC. Most importantly, this confidence translates outside of Dr. K's office. Being able to speak about UC in his office has gradually made me comfortable to speak about my condition with others in the various aspects of my life (family, friends, colleagues, etc.). This has greatly reduced my stress and improved my condition. Being apprehensive to discuss UC created more stress and worsened my condition. Fortunately, the practice in Dr. K's office has enabled me to over-come the apprehension, reducing stress and aiding my treatment.
Thank You Dr. K !
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