G.I. doctors knowledge of Crohn's disease varies greatly.

Schematic of patterns of disease in Crohn's disease (CD). Based on diagram of human intestine in GFDL. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Don't be afraid to change your G.I. doctor if you have Crohn's disease.  I recommend going to a larger hospital with a specialty clinic even if you need to travel a little bit.  Crohn's disease is something that requires a doctor with specific experience.  If your doctor does not have that experience, it is likely that you will get more surgery than you need sooner than you need it.

When I originally started having mild Crohn's symptoms I was only being treated by an internist doctor that was unfamiliar with the disease. He ordered a bunch of tests that said I was fine.  He then suggested everything was in my head and that I should take up yoga to reduce my stress.  The pain finally got so bad that I staggered into his office and said I was going to die right in front of him unless he did something.  At that point it was obvious something was wrong so he finally sent me to the hospital where they proceeded to tell me that I had cancer and made a giant incision on my belly.  Fortunately it wasn't cancer.  After I woke up a nurse told me I had Crohn's disease instead.  "What's that?" I managed to wheeze.  She said the doctor would explain it to me and she walked away quickly.  That is when my new journey with Crohn's began.

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