Looking for Abnormal

I was trying to think why the Gastroenterologist(s) can't seem to think that something is wrong. Well, besides the obvious that they assume something wrong is obvious, even after the patient flushes away most if not almost all the signs of something with the preparation liquids which cleanses the digestive tract for the proceedure. And besides the fact they're looking for something abnormal instead of normal being abnormal.

Well, my thought while making coffee this morning? It's not what they're looking for that matters but what they're looking at that matters. They're looking for something wrong. When they don't see anything wrong and the lab test (biopsies) are "normal" then they think everything is normal.

But it's what they're looking at that is the problem, the normal which isn't normal, but since the "evidence" isn't there and what they see is normal, then they don't suspect the normal is abnormal. That's because when normal is abnormal, then the abnormality, in their thinking, should be there, and when it's not, then normal isn't abnormal.

That's because they looking for those abnormalities. So when the results are normal, then it's the patient and it must be IBS, age, diet, and all thing the patient is doing wrong. Except when a recent finding noted there are actually three distinct types of digestive bacteria, then what is normal for whom?

When Gastroenterologists have always assumed one size, or type with digestive bacteria, fits all, then what about the others with the other types which are distinctly different? They're not looking for anything different, they're asuming the standard and when there are no signs of any difference, then nothing is different. Except everything is different, and all the abnormalities are different too.

So, what they thought was normal, isn't normal for that type. I can say this because we, as patients, know what are body is telling us, and when it says something is wrong and there is a difference from before it started, then we're frustrated with the medical profession over their inane insenstivity about our condition and us. And blow us off as an overly sensitive and obsessed patient.

And that's also now the crux of the issue. When the patients knows the symptoms and sees the signs of something wrong, including that which seem to defy the Gastroenterologist's knowledge, or what they take as common knowledge, then there isn't much the patient can do short of looking for a specialist who will listen and maybe actually do something to help. What's the adage there, good luck?

Which gets to my question, even if the specialists actually knew something was wrong and they had the test results which showed normal was abnormal, what if there isn't anything they could do anyway? What if there wasn't any treatment, no drug and really no cure. That the abnormal is the patient's new normal. Get used to it?

Gee, that's comforting. But isn't that one of the most common results? How many times do doctors and specialists chase the conditions to find there isn't anything they can determine, and nothing they can do, or at least all the known treatments have little, if any, effect and no cure?

I say that because here's what I know. I have a normal bacteria that is abnormally out of control for periods of time until the body finally rids the tissue masses from the digestive system. The body, meaning me, then feels good and normal again, just like before it all started, for awhile until the bacteria gets out of control again, triggered, by of course, food.

And since it's not a known bacteria which does get out of control, the specialists don't know what do look for or what to do when they see it. And there isn't anything they can do anyway even in the face of all the information. They're as useful as we are about it, meaning useless, so what do they do? They don't see it as abnormal, and our abnormal is their normal, so our abnormal doesn't exist.

It's easy for them to just be blind to see beyond their own knowledge and experience. If it's not obvious and not obviously abnormal, in their eyes and mind, then nothing is wrong except the patient's own view of things. It's, as they like to say now, IBS, age and diet, when in fact it's their own indifference and ignorance, and their own insensitivity to want to understand to learn.

And they blame the patient and cite the common wisdom about IBS, age, diet, exercise, or lack of it, and other things. Have a nice day. Next patient please.