Found Doctor in Ct.

I was on a plane yesterday, (coming back from a cruise to Carribean, lucky me!!!)  and sitting next to me was GI doc..from where I live....how ironic. He started the conversation, which again was ironic.
Anyway, bottom line, he told me about himself, a GI doc who does work with hepc patients, He is in Bloomfield CT.
Dr. Richard Stone, he also works in St. Francis Hospital,
and he also referred me to a Dr. Polio, who is a hepatologist, and he specializes in Hep c treatment.
He is also through St.Francis hospital in Hartford Ct. I guess that would be the way to get to him, is through the hospital.
I know I had a hard time finding doctors around this area.
This Dr. Stone was one of the nicest Dr.s I have ever met!
Imagine a doc on a plane, pretty much giving me his time and advice  for free, and he was such a pleasant and caring man...he seemed to really care so much about his patients...
so I hope this may help someone in this area.

Pitter

[Kathy73]

WOW! How strange is that! We've both had bad experiences with doctors in this area. I just transferred all my records, prescriptions, etc. over to Dr. Wu. I know you had a terrible experience with him, but Dr. Israel and his office messed up each and every part of my treatment and I had to get away from him and his office! Are you going to go see this doctor?
Kathy

[pitter]

Hi Kathy,
Wow sorry that it was so bad with Dr. Israel...
and I hope it goes well with DR.Wu for you. He has an angry side to him, that I happened to experience when he did my colonoscopy (of all times!!!!) I don't think he likes his job!!!  (he he) He did personally call me and apologize tho...
I may go to Dr.Polio for another biopsy in a year. Dr. Stone (on the plane), thought that would be a good idea to watch my liver, for now, and see if there is any progression.
To see if I should treat.
How are you doing now?

[Proactive]

I'm curious why you wouldn't seek a doc out at Uconn? If you're going to go to Bloomfield, why not go to Farmington, only another hop skip and a jump..I see this doc was involved in the Halt-C study, and I'm a firm believer in getting tied into a teaching hospital

Dr. Herbert L. Bonkovsky, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington

"Herbert L. Bonkovsky, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Molecular, Microbial, and Structural Biology, and Director of The Liver-Biliary-Pancreatic Center, at The University of CT Health Center, is known nationally and internationally as a clinical hepatologist, teacher, mentor, and clinical investigator. Dr. Bonkovsky is a graduate of Earlham College and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. His Post-graduate training was at Duke University, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, The U.S. National Institutes of Health, Dartmouth Medical School, and Yale University. Dr. Bonkovsky has served as Director of the Division of Digestive Disease and Nutrition at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and as Director of the Office of Clinical Research and the General Clinical Research Center at the University of Connecticut Health Center. His currently funded research is in porphyria and heme metabolism, chronic viral hepatitis, and the drug-induced liver injury. For the past twelve consecutive years, Dr. Bonkovsky has been selected by his peers as one of America’s Top Doctors."

[pitter]

hi,
I did got there, and saw DR. Wu,
I am g 1, stages 0-1 I am afraid to tx cuz of rheumetoid arth, insomnia, depression, all of which I already have. Dr.Wu told me to wait and watch., and to get ultra sounds frequently.
But as I said above, I had a very unpleasant experience with DR. Wu. and they are sooo soo busy there that the attention that  I felt I got was not that great. That is why I was so impressed with this Dr. Stone on the plane. He was such a gentleman.
I searched to find a hepatologist in this area, and only came up with  Dr.Wu., at Uconn...And I specifically made an appt. w him and waited months, and someone else did all the exams, he popped in for 2 mins. And he had an angry out burst during my colonoscopy, so I just couldn't bring myself back there...Dr. Wu 's assistant seemed very knowledgeable tho..
Dr. Polio is supposed to be specializing in Hep c tx. in St Francis hospital. I am going to research that more too.Do you know anything about him?
I never heard mention of  or found any info on this Dr. Bonkovsky.

[cwar]

I understand this doctor has a bedside manner issue however is he a good doctor?  this brings me back to ER when you had Dr.Green, whom had a great personality and Dr. Benson, who lacked the warmth and understanding that Green had yet was a surgical genious.  Which one would I want treating me?  The genious.
What medicine do they practice the interferon/pegatron? Or do they have alternate meds they use on Hep C?

thank you,
cwar

[cwar]

Hi.  
No it is Dr. Wien de Ren from China whom is practicing in New York, NY.  Do you know of him?  He is at the University at Union Square in New York City. Apparently he studies your blood levels, viral load, biobsy etc and then puts together a specific herb/vitamin pill just for you to combat this virus? Does anyone know about this?  

The more I think about it the more I am thinking that vitamins and herbs may not be strong enough to combat this virus however I wish there was something other than the interferon and riberviron.

WE ARE NOT SURE HOW PROGRESSED HIS CASE IS.  IS THERE A DOCTOR ON HERE THAT CAN LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS FOR ME AND LET ME KNOW?

ASPARTATE TRASAMINAASE (AST)  189
WHITE BLLOD CELL COUNT                3.7
LYMPH                                                 .9
PLATELET COUNT                               70
RDW                                                   16
ALANINE TRANSAMINASE (ALT)         239
AFP ONCOLOGY                                 6.5
ALBUMIN                                             41
RED BLOOD CELL COUNT                  4.57
HEMOGLOBIN                                    140
THYROTROPIN                                   1.53

He has been taking Milk Thistle daily, Vitamin K1 and K2, Selenium and Serrapeptase.

Thank you,
cwar

[pitter]

yes I think he probably is a good doctor. In knowledge.
But there are lots of good doctors.
I do want someone who does care at least a little.

[pitter]

ps. I believe in excellence and integrity, in what ever you commit to doing in life.
And expecting others to pick up your short fall is not right.

[pitter]

like. would you eat a really good hamburger off a dirty floor?

[Kathy73]

There are good doctors and substandard doctors. I was going to another hepatologist whose office, PA and himself screwed up every phase of my treatment. I would go to an appointment just to have the PA not be there. Pre-authorization screw ups, medication screw ups, stress upon stress upon more stress. It got to the point where I was fighting to get someone there to do there job every week. They induced stress instead of alleviating it. When I couldn't take it anymore I went to Dr. Wu. He asked me why I wanted to switch doctors mid-treatment and I told him because I couldn't stand the incompetence any more. His answer was that there is incompetence in Hartford too! Be that as it may, there are even levels of incompetence and I'll exchange for a smaller amount.

[pitter]

Hi Kathy,
That kind of slack you had at Hartford was crazy....I hope Wu. does better for you...like I said, he is knowledgable. and when I did see him for hepc, the intern that saw me seemed very good., altho he didn't follow up on doing some things he said he was going to do, like contacting my GP , and sending her my records.. But I qiut there mostly bcz of the incident w/ the colonoscopy mistreatment.
You are right, nothing is perfect I know.
Do you see WU himself?
Best wishes.:)

[GoofyDad]

This thread starts out like a Lost episode.

[Kathy73]

Yes I saw Dr. Wu and his intern. I think the only reason he was interested in me is because my platelets have gone up on tx instead of down.

[jdwithhcv]

I have a great doctor in Danbury.  Send me a pm if you want info.

jd

[pitter]

is that why they call you GOOFY?
I was joking, I hope you were too! :)

hi jd, thanks, Danbury is quite a hike form here, but what is his name anyway, just in case?

[pitter]

why did your platelets go up instead of down?
How are you feeling?

[Proactive]

speaking of "lost" looks like my post got lost!
Pitter, you've pretty much stated that you don't want to treat your Hep C with the current drugs and the reality is, these drugs will continue to be used long into the future even with the new drugs on the horizon. So I guess the question begs, what are you looking for in a doctor, if it's not treatment, do you just want a doc to monitor your HCV's progression?
If you live in Ct. you are surrounded by world class doctors, NY city, Beantown, Yale in New Haven, imo, if you're looking for a cure, a few hour drive wouldn't kill you. Many here have traveled long distances for treatment, myself included with a 4 hr roundtrip. I understand the hardships involved, whether they be financial or other, sometimes it just comes down to, how bad do you want it..
Best of luck in whatever you decide, pro

[jdwithhcv]

Robin Forman Rose - she took excellent care of me and her office staff was excellent.  Good luck.

jd

[Kathy73]

I'm doing pretty well. Had to have a MRI because of constant headache and to exclude a sinus infection. My brain is fine so its just a side from the meds. Yeah, my platelets have really gone up since starting tx. I have been in the 40s range for over 5 years and now I'm over 150 which is almost normal. Go figure! Neither Dr. Wu nor my hematologist can figure it out. Usually people's platelets go down (sometimes dangerously) on tx.

[nygirl7]

Pitter, you've pretty much stated that you don't want to treat your Hep C with the current drugs and the reality is, these drugs will continue to be used long into the future even with the new drugs on the horizon."

I agree - if you aren't going to be doing anything about the hep anytime soon pretty much you can go to any doctor to get a biopsy or blood work.  Really don't need a specialist for that however I did treat with my regular GI doc but go to Dr. Jacobson in NYC because he was one of the top at the top for a second opinion to make sure my treatment plan was in order.

He was willing to work with my doctor up in Westchester and advise him so that I didn't have to travel to the city all the time.

But I was treating ultra-aggressively.  If I was just going to watch and wait I would have just gone to anybody as it really didn't make any difference.

CWAR -
The more I think about it the more I am thinking that vitamins and herbs may not be strong enough to combat this virus however I wish there was something other than the interferon and riberviron. "

Unfortunately the ONLY current cure contains interferon and ribavirin nothing else will cure him or do much of anything, NOTHING.  Also when he does begin treatment you need to stop the milk thistle before hand it is one of the supplements that will render the combo meds ineffective.

[pitter]

Thanks all for your input.
I am monitoring right now, so I guess it doesn't matter who I see like you say.
For the bloodwork monitoring, etc. But I do want to be confident with whom I do consider to  be my doctor, and I want to be treated like a human being.
I haven't had alot of luck with doc's the last few years.  I had a bad experience last summer.
anyhow...
thanks :~)