Gastroenterologist in Wisconsin Rapids: Specialist Digestive Care Closer to Home
Heartburn that keeps coming back, a bowel change that hasn’t settled down, or a screening reminder you keep putting off can all lead to the same question of where to see a specialist. If you live in or near Wisconsin Rapids, a gastroenterologist is now closer. GI Associates now sees patients at its Wisconsin Rapids clinic, alongside its clinics in Wausau and Stevens Point.
What a gastroenterologist is
A gastroenterologist is a doctor who trains first in internal medicine and then completes several more years of training focused on the digestive system. That system runs from the esophagus (the tube between your mouth and stomach) through the stomach, small intestine, colon and rectum. It includes the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and pancreas too.
Your primary care clinician handles a lot of digestive complaints well. A gastroenterologist becomes the right next step when symptoms don’t respond to first treatments or a test result needs a closer look. The same is true when the answer requires seeing inside the digestive tract with a scope.
Conditions a GI doctor commonly sees
People come to a gastroenterologist for a wide range of problems, and some of the most common reasons for a first visit are these:
- Heartburn and acid reflux that keeps returning or doesn’t improve with treatment
- Trouble swallowing, or food that feels stuck
- Ongoing belly pain, bloating or nausea
- Constipation or diarrhea that doesn’t settle down
- Blood in the stool or black, tarry stools
- Iron-deficiency anemia without a clear cause
- Abnormal liver tests, including fatty liver
- Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) and celiac disease
- Colon cancer screening, plus follow-up after a positive stool test or after polyps were found
You don’t need to know which condition you have before you book. Describing what you feel, how long it has been going on, and what you have already tried is enough to get started.
Colon cancer screening starts at 45
For adults at average risk, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends colorectal cancer screening from age 45 through 75. The American Cancer Society also recommends starting at 45. Screening finds cancer early, when it is easier to treat, and a colonoscopy can prevent some cancers by removing polyps before they turn into cancer.
There is more than one screening option, and stool tests done at home are one route. Colonoscopy is another, and it is also the test used to follow up when a stool test comes back abnormal. If you have a parent, sibling or child who had colon cancer or advanced polyps, you may need to start earlier. Your doctor can help you work out the right timeline for you.
The two procedures people ask about most
A colonoscopy uses a thin, flexible tube with a camera to examine the full length of the colon. You’ll eat lighter, low-fiber foods and then switch to clear liquids the day before, and drink a laxative prep that empties the bowel. Your care team’s written instructions set the exact timing.
The procedure itself usually takes less than an hour, and you’ll be sedated. Polyps can often be removed during the same exam. Because sedation takes time to wear off, you need someone to drive you home.
An upper endoscopy (EGD) uses a thin scope passed through the mouth to look at the esophagus, stomach and the first part of the small intestine. It typically takes 10 to 20 minutes, and you’ll be asked not to eat or drink for several hours beforehand. An EGD can help explain swallowing trouble, ongoing heartburn, upper belly pain or vomiting. It can also look for problems such as Barrett’s esophagus, celiac disease and ulcers. Either way, your care team will explain where and when your procedure is scheduled and give you written prep instructions.
What to bring to your first visit
A little preparation makes the first appointment more useful. Bring a list of every medicine you take, including over-the-counter pain relievers, acid reducers and supplements. Results or reports from earlier tests, such as blood work, imaging, stool tests or a past colonoscopy, are helpful too.
Be ready to share your family history of colon cancer, polyps, celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease. A short symptom log helps too, noting when the problem started, how often it happens, and anything that makes it better or worse. It is also worth writing down your questions before you arrive, so nothing gets missed.
The Wisconsin Rapids clinic
GI Associates, Wisconsin Rapids
1355 8th Street South, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494
To schedule, call GI Associates at 715-847-2558.
These providers see patients at the Wisconsin Rapids location:
- Omar Calderón Jr., MD
- Adam C. Godsey, MD
- Justin G. Hartke, MD
- Andrew R. Johannes, DO
- Benjamin M. Schneeberger, MD
- Melinda R. Wayde, MD
- Michelle E. Brown, FNP-BC
- Sara L. Gregorich, FNP-C
- Raquel L. Molepske, NP-C
When to see a gastroenterologist
Get emergency care right away (call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room) if you are vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds, passing black, tarry stools or large amounts of blood, feeling faint or dizzy with bleeding, have severe belly pain that doesn’t let up, or have food stuck so that you can’t swallow your own saliva.
For symptoms that are not an emergency, make an appointment with a gastroenterologist if you have:
- Frequent heartburn, or heartburn that returns after treatment
- Difficulty swallowing
- A change in bowel habits that lasts more than a few days without a clear cause
- Any blood in your stool
- Unexplained weight loss or iron-deficiency anemia
- A positive stool test for colon cancer
- No colon cancer screening yet and you’re 45 or older
The gastroenterologists and nurse practitioners at GI Associates see patients in Wisconsin Rapids as well as in Wausau and Stevens Point. To book a visit in Wisconsin Rapids, call GI Associates at 715-847-2558 or request an appointment.
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for medical advice. Talk with your doctor about your symptoms and before changing any medication. Seek emergency care for vomiting blood, black or tarry stools, heavy rectal bleeding or severe belly pain.
Sources
- US Preventive Services Task Force; Davidson KW, Barry MJ, Mangione CM, et al. Screening for Colorectal Cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2021;325(19):1965-1977. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2021.6238 https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/colorectal-cancer-screening
- American Cancer Society. American Cancer Society Guideline for Colorectal Cancer Screening. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/colon-rectal-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/acs-recommendations.html
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Colonoscopy. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diagnostic-tests/colonoscopy
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Upper GI Endoscopy. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diagnostic-tests/upper-gi-endoscopy
- Katz PO, Dunbar KB, Schnoll-Sussman FH, Greer KB, Yadlapati R, Spechler SJ. ACG Clinical Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2022;117(1):27-56. https://doi.org/10.14309/ajg.0000000000001538