Not a good color for me

Yellow, I mean. And I saw a tinge of beigey yellow in bowl Monday morning, which freaked me out. For it was that yellow that signaled the advent of c. diff back in December.

I most definitely didn't want to revisit that! And yet Dr. Google tells me that it's not unheard for up to 25% of c. diff patients to suffer a recurrence. So I called the office of my new gastroenterologist to discuss how we should proceed from here.

What a massive disappointment that was! Now remember, this is Monday morning at 9:00. I asked when I could expect to hear from him. Nothing as specific as "11:45 today," mind you. Just "today or tomorrow."

"I don't know, ma'am. He's in clinic right now and he won't even see your message for at least an hour."

I explained that I understood that. What I wanted to know was, would he try to call me back Monday, or should I expect to hear from him Tuesday.

"I don't know, ma'am. He hasn't even seen your message yet. I have no idea when he'll call you back."

"You mean," I said, surprised and certain she wasn't understanding me, "he might not call me back until Wednesday?" Remember, this was Monday morning.

"That's right. I don't know when he'll call because he hasn't even seen your message yet."

"I'm sorry, that's not acceptable," I said, and I hung up.

There's a tension component to my gut trouble. When I'm stressed, my gut roils. It always has, ever since I was in junior high. Worrying about this for up to 72 hours would just make it worse.

This man is a gastroenterologist. Clearly he has treated other patients, like me, whose issues are exacerbated by their emotional/mental state. And yet he doesn't have a policy about returning calls that will help alleviate their stress?

He's not the doctor for me.

So I phone by GP. She called back within two hours and prescribed more tests. We're waiting for the results to come back.

I love how responsive she is, but she's not a gastroenterologist. I agree that, with whatever is now going on with me, I need a specialist.

So I'm doctor shopping again. I think I've found a likely candidate. She accepts my insurance, is taking new patients, has positive online patient reviews, and practices out of two nearby hospitals I know well (important because I need a colonoscopy). After my GP and I talk about what's going on right now, I'll decide better what to do next.