An overseas trip triggered extreme intestinal problems for Joshua, including vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating. More than a year and a half later, Joshua’s condition remained severe, forcing him to take reduced hours at work.

My condition has had a heavy impact on my life”

After reaching out to Best Doctors, Joshua received guidance on which tests would help him arrive at a clear diagnosis, in turn helping determine a treatment plan.

Joshua’s problems began when he became violently ill while travelling in Morocco – this was followed by flu symptoms on the plane ride home. Once back in Australia, Joshua’s doctors performed stool tests and blood tests, but the results didn’t yield a diagnosis. Joshua had a colonoscopy and large bowel endoscopy to test for Crohn’s disease, but those results also came back negative. He tried different elimination diets, but any improvement in his symptoms was only temporary. Doctors speculated he may have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but they never arrived at a conclusive diagnosis.

In search of answers, Joshua contacted Best Doctors, which he had access to through his employer.

Best Doctors gathered Joshua’s medical records and an expert reviewed his case. The Best Doctors expert recommended a small bowel endoscopy to test for Crohn’s disease (the previous endoscopy only tested for Crohn’s in the large bowel). Other recommendations included a hydrogen breath test to determine whether Joshua might suffer from small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or food intolerances. The Best Doctors report laid out a variety of scenarios, providing different possible diagnoses depending on the outcome of the tests.

Joshua said the report helped provide him with clarity about his condition and next steps.

“Mentally it gave me something to tackle, the fact that they laid it all out in front of me,” he said. “The report has helped drastically not only with my own approach to things, it was also a really big help with work and the people around me.”

Having something in writing has also helped his workplace to support him as he continues his medical journey. Joshua is now following through with Best Doctors’ recommendation and is waiting to undergo a small bowel endoscopy.

Best Doctors has been quintessential in putting things to paper which has helped me structure what to do from here,”