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>> One of the things that patients will tell you is most troubling
to them is that feeling of isolation.
That feeling that they're the only one in the world that's suffering with these problems.
That feeling that there's no way for them to share their illness experience
with even their loved ones in many cases.
These patients suffer in silence.
It is remarkable the stories that you hear from patients.
Everything from patients literally not wanting to leave their home
to when they leave their home having to know where every bathroom is between where they leave
and when they get to wherever they're going to.
These problems really profoundly affect patients' quality of life.
>> We probably see thousands of patients every year as a division.
My job, I think, in the initial visit especially is to educate them that what they have is real,
what they have is affecting their lives.
What they have is, therefore, treatable, and then we would work together to come up with
that treatment plan so they can gain some control back.
>> What works for one person may not be the same thing that works for you.
If the symptoms are severe enough to where they're getting in the way of their being able
to enjoy life or carry out their jobs, it really is time to go see a physician.
>> A lot of doctors aren't comfortable with telling people necessarily
that they have a condition like irritable bowel syndrome or functional bowel disease
because then they don't really know then what to offer that patient.
I think that's where a lot of patients get frustrated.
Being told that nothing is wrong, but then they're not left with any plan.
>> The University of Michigan is really one of only a handful of programs in the United States
that can provide a comprehensive multi-disciplinary approach
to patients with functional GI disorders.
We have two dedicated programs which can cater to patients with disorders
like irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia,
severe constipation, or fecal incontinence.
>> We have gastroenterology physiology lab that can offer certain breath testing
and monometry testing, but also our interpretation and quality
of those tests are very, very [inaudible].
>> We're helping the field to better understand what causes these disorders.
So the underlying science behind the symptoms that define these disorders are helping
to better understand how to evaluate and diagnose these patients.
This is literally what we do every day.
The most important thing for patients with functional GI disorders
and IBS to realize is they're not alone.
There are many patients who suffer with the exact same symptoms, and there are doctors
at the University of Michigan that can offer a diagnosis and solutions to their problems.
They shouldn't feel hopeless.