4 years ago
I really wanted alternative care medicine to work,...
I really wanted alternative care medicine to work, but unfortunately, I really needed and MD. I went to Dr. Kilcup for hormone imbalances, not realizing the GI distress I had been experiencing was an important piece of the puzzle. During the consult, being a functional care provider, he was very interested in my gut health. After completing a long list of tests, he put me on a long list of supplements. I followed his regimen strictly for about 5 months with no change in my symptoms. His plan was to retest, which would have meant more expense and more guessing as to what was wrong. By this point, my stomach problems were simply unmanageable and I desperately needed to find out what was wrong. I sought two MD s who were not of any help. One prescribed lipase and sent me on my way and the other wouldn t even talk to me. After consulting with his PA and completing a couple of tests, he wanted to explore the possibility of Crohn s, which did not even match my symptoms. I called, wanting to speak with him, but his office said he does not speak with patients. All questions had to go through his PA. I was concerned about putting myself through a colonoscopy, looking for something that didn t fit. Frustrated, I sought a DO who also practices functional care medicine, but he turned out to be a money pit. My last resort, was to seek care at the Mayo Clinic here in Arizona. When I was finally able to speak to a GI specialist, his first impression was Celiac Disease. Unfortunately, I haven t been eating gluten so blood tests will only yield a negative result, potentially a false negative. After completing an endoscopy and a colonoscopy, visual results point towards Celiac Disease (not Crohn s). I am still waiting for the biopsy result, but the doctor suspects is could come back negative because of my gluten free diet. I think that alternative care medicine could be of help to some individuals. For example, if you are experiencing symptoms related to a food allergy/sensitivity, identifying those allergens would likely provide miraculous results. If symptoms are a result of a nutritional deficiency, then again, results will be miraculous. And, I am sure there are plenty of other scenarios where alternative care would be a wonderful option. Unfortunately, telling someone to avoid gluten, is very different than diagnosing them with Celiac Disease. A celiac cannot tolerate even a crumb of gluten from cross-contamination, so proper cleansing of a home kitchen is vital. Without a formal diagnosis of Celiac, being so careful, seemed a bit overboard. It has been a long road and I still have a ways to go in order to fully heal, but at least I am getting real answers.
At the end of the day, a person will have to decide for themselves between alternative and conventional medicine. I haven t written off alternative care entirely, just in this case, I really needed an MD. If you decide you want to meet with an alternative care provider, I say go for it! But, if you are not improving after months of treatment, don t be afraid of conventional medicine. Keep in mind you can find bad practitioners in both types of medicine. It may take multiple providers to get an answer. In the case of alternative care, I think Dr. Kilcup could be a great option. Dr. Kilcup and his office are very nice. He believes in and loves what he does, genuinely wanting to help his patients. Unfortunately, for me, I had a condition that needed more advanced testing than what he had at his disposal.
Please keep in mind that this review is in no way meant to condemn Dr. Kilcup because if you want to go the alternative care route, I think he could definitely be a great option!
Hope this review helps!