In the fall of 2011, entirely without warning (up until that point I had been a healthy 33-year-old…read morewoman in good shape as I was biking to work semi-regularly and taking Taekwondo twice a week), I couldn't get up from a seated position. Shortly thereafter, both knees and hands were incredibly painful and virtually unusable. I couldn't walk well at all, and I could barely stand to unfurl my hands.
I wound up going to nine different kinds of specialists, had an MRI, CT scans, and countless amounts of blood drawn. I was my own little episode of House.
I quickly realized that despite all having taken the Hippocratic Oath, not all doctors are created equal, and many make you know exactly how much of their time they feel you're wasting. The only specialist who never gave up on me was Dr. Schwartzfarb.
From my first visit with Dr. Schwartzfarb, he took an incredible amount of time with me. Yes, you may find the wait to be long, but be patient. He will afford you the same time and attention he gives all of his patients. He's soft spoken and a great listener, which I mention only because I've met some physicians who are overly loud and obnoxious, which can almost be distracting as you're trying to remember all the symptoms you need to discuss. Everything about this doctor lends itself to the fact that he is there to find out what is wrong with you. In fact, he writes down everything you tell him (he may ask you to pause so he can catch up to you). His exams are so thorough you won't believe you're at a specialist's office in the non-stop hustle that is Manhattan. He'll ask you a million questions, examine every single joint, and if necessary, he will send you to get every diagnostic test possible until he figures out what the problem is. He's relentless in that regard. And, he saves you time and money by offering in-house x-rays and a nurse who does expert blood draws.
I've been going to Dr. Schwartzfarb for over a year. He was able to determine that I have Crohn's Disease. As you can imagine, getting from arthritis to an irritable bowel disease was like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack, but Dr. Schwartzfarb did it. And now he's been helping me get into remission with a treatment of Remicade infusions and other drugs.
His staff also makes my recovery possible. Every month I need to get my blood drawn and his nurse can do it blindfolded. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that I have possibly the worst veins in the history of circulatory systems, but Dr. Schwartzfarb's nurse can do it on the first try, with barely any pain and make me laugh at the same time. She saves me an untold amount of anxiety/stress, and I'm forever indebted to her.
Remicade is an incredibly expensive drug, and Dr. Schwartzfarb's office manager is like the insurance whisperer. This is the first person in my entire 34-year life to date who makes it a point to do everything in her power to handle and conquer the insurance bureaucracy. The amount of times this woman has gone above and beyond so that I don't have to stress on the phone with my insurance company is staggering. And, she possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of insurance costs and procedures so she'll help you navigate the often confusing waters. There's no way I would've been able to handle the insurance side of my treatment without her, and the weight she's taken off my shoulders is immeasurable.
In this day and age, it is so profoundly rare to find a practice like Dr. Schwartzfarb's. Usually, you're lucky if you get five minutes with a doctor, let alone if you're remembered or treated like a patient, instead of a file. And that's another thing: So many doctors want to treat the diagnosis, instead of the patient. They don't really take the time to learn who you are and why--even though you may have the same disease as another patient waiting in the waiting room--you may not require the same treatment. Dr. Schwartzfarb really only looks at you and your case and your symptoms and the best course of action for you. He is committed to you as patient and figuring out a plan that works optimally for you as a person.
Speaking of, I'm happy to report that while not entirely out of the woods, I am able to walk and even ride my bike again. I was so happy the first time I was able to ride my bike again that I teared up, and when I completed a 30-mile ride last October, my heart swelled and I cried huge tears of joy as I neared the finish line because I honestly wouldn't have imagined that that would have ever been a physical possibility for me.
And I owe it all to Dr. Schwartzfarb, who never gave up on finding a diagnosis and who remains completely committed to my recovery. He's given me my life back and so much more.
