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Sunday, August 20, 2017

Questions for Doc and Taylor Eating Salad

I'm supposed to write a list of questions to ask my colorectal specialist on Tuesday. I looked up to find when my previous MRI was. It was November 13, 2015. I looked up an old blog post where I stated the November 13th MRI results: There is swelling in my small bowel, a possible fistula, and I was constipated during the MRI. Since I do not remember the conclusion of the "possible fistula" and whether or not we did anything about it, I'm going ask my colorectal specialist if she can pull up those results or look in my file to see what we did to address it.  I have numerous questions based on what the gastro nurse told me. Basically, I want to know what exactly is wrong with me and what options I have to fix it?

Questions regarding current MRI results:
  • What are the results of my MRI?
  • What do the results mean?

  • If she gives me the same results as my gastro nurse, who determined that the MRI showed significant inflammatory changes? SimonMed, Gastro, Colorectal?
  • Inflammatory changes compared to what? What did the inflammation change from?
  • Where did the MRI show inflammation?
  • What does "probable fistula to the bladder" mean?
  • Can you provide a probability rate?

  • If she concludes there is indeed a fistula to the bladder, how do we fix it?
  • Medication, surgery, or a combination of both?
  • Are additional tests required?

  • If surgery is recommended, can I postpone until the beginning of the year?
  • What does surgery entail? 
  • How long is recovery?
  • What's the probability that surgery will work?
  • What's the probability of getting additional fistulas?
  • If we manage with medications, how does that interact with Remicade?

  • What are the risks of having a fistula to the bladder?
  • If we can postpone surgery, what's the plan to monitor urinary tract infections?

Questions regarding previous MRI results:
  • I had an MRI back on November 13, 2015, and I found personal notes that the results showed a possible fistula.
  • Can you look up those results?
  • Do you know what we did to address it?
  • Was it possibly showing the same fistula that's probable now?

Taylor face timed me while I was writing this post. lol