I've been thinking of writing this review for the last 8 years, but it wasn't until now that I felt like I could do it without getting upset. My hands would literally shake with rage and anxiety and I would have to stop. In 2011 I was referred to Dr. Ho with GI problems, after moving back to California from Oregon. The year before I had stopped digesting food for about 3 months and passed so much bile through my gut that the lining became damaged. My Oregon practitioner had done some tests that showed an imbalance of gut bacteria -- very low probiotic counts, alongside high Strep and E-coli (the bad kind).
Dr. Ho said she didn't know what that meant, and that she didn't even know what lactobacilli is. The label on a cup of yogurt can tell you what it is, and this woman has a medical degree. In retrospect, these signs clearly pointed to SBBO (small bowel bacterial overgrowth), a condition that can be easily diagnosed with a simple breath test. Dr. Ho did eventually refer me for this test, but not until she wrung my insurance provider dry at the cost of my health and well-being.
After a number of blood and stool tests that were redundant, since I had brought my file from Oregon that showed the same results, she scheduled me in for a colonoscopy. In preparing for it, I emailed her to ask for advice on how to make sure my under-nourished, weak body didn't take too much of a hit, considering the limitations on my diet because of the many intolerances I had developed. She scheduled an office visit to discuss it, and when I showed up, she not only had no idea why I was even there and no memory of our email exchange a few days before, but brushed me off with suggestions that completely went against my list of intolerances. She had no useful suggestions when I reminded her of my limitations, and insisted that I just focus on drinking the whole gallon of colon cleanser the night before. When it came to it, I was less than halfway through the cleanser when its effects had very clearly been achieved, so I checked in with her, as I worried that drinking the rest would affect me badly. She was irritated that I had checked in with her and insisted I drink the whole thing -- after looking into it, I decided not to, because it could have seriously dehydrated me and been dangerous to my health.
After the procedure, I had to be given two bags of saline IV just to be able to be pushed to the car taking me home in a wheelchair. I was in bed for almost a week, had several panic attacks, and took weeks to recover to the already bad condition I had been in before the procedure. Dr. Ho offered no support whatsoever -- I emailed her because I was so unwell, and all she said was that this shouldn't have been my body's reaction. She offered no advice or help. She had also told me after the procedure that she had found intestinal lesions, but in our follow-up meeting said the opposite, and never looked into why she had made the initial statement.
After putting me through absolute hell, she referred me for a breath test, a non-invasive, simple test that showed I had SBBO. She prescribed anti-biotics, which worried me as my digestive system already weak. I can't make this up: she actually said to me that these were antibiotics that didn't affect probiotic bacteria. I've spoken to several GI's since (respected doctors in their field in New York and London) who've all said that no such antibiotic exists, they all affect probiotic bacteria as well as invasive ones, which is why it's recommended for a lot of people to take probiotic supplements when prescribed antibiotics.
Dr. Ho baldly lied in my face about medication she prescribed me and the anti-biotics wrecked my guts. I'm not big on natural treatments -- I believe in medication and vaccines as the primary form of treatment and prevention. Nevertheless, after a quick google search (now that I had a diagnosis) I found that peppermint oil capsules were all that were needed to treat SBBO, and once I had treated myself with these (and intensive probiotic supplements) it only took 3 months before my GI system had not only significantly improved, but I was able to re-introduce most foods that I had been intolerant to, able to work again, and regained my strength. Several GI doctors have since reinforced that peppermint oil is a standard treatment for SBBO, and they wouldn't prescribe antibiotics to someone with such a weak digestive system.
Dr. Ho didn't listen to me as a patient, lacked basic knowledge necessary for her work, and chose the most invasive tests before the lesser ones. In the process she not only didn't prepare me, but made my symptoms worse though this was avoidable, not only with how she approached medical tests, but even in her treatment. Her bedside manner is nonexistent, and I am convinced that she couldn't care less about her patients, only what she can bill their insurance for. read more
