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Results Are In.....


Canadian Karen

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Canadian Karen Community Regular

Hi!

Got the results of the colonoscopy. No cancer, thank God!

It did show collagenous colitis though, so he wants to see me on Oct 26th to start a treatment plan. I won't know what that is until I see him..... I haven't gotten the results yet of the bone density scan.....

Huge sigh of relief!!!!

Thanks to all for your prayers and support!!

Karen


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Guest gillian502

I have a similar disease, Karen. Mine is referred to as "Lymphocytic Colitis" simply because there is no collegean to be found in my biopsies, but otherwise it's the same disease. It's also sometimes called "Microscopic Colitis." Your doctor will probably suggest a drug such as Asacol or Azulfidine, or maybe a steroid if your symptoms are troubling enough. But, at least you have a diagnosis to work with! I've been through the whole colitis thing, so if you have any questions just ask!

Gillian

Carriefaith Enthusiast

Hi Karen

I'm sorry to hear that you have collagenous colitis but glad to hear that you finally know what's wrong and that it's treatable. I was interested in what this was so I was doing some internet research and came across these web site

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

and it seems to me that this type of colitis is related to celiac disease.

As you probably know I too have been struggling. The medication I've been on for the past 3 months is slowly not working anymore, leavng me with the usual symptoms I had before I went on it. I have appointments with both of my doctors so I am going to suggest collagenous/microscopic colitis as a possibility.

Good luck with your treatments

Canadian Karen Community Regular

Hi Gillian and Medaka,

Thanks for the support and Gillian, it is good to know someone else is here who has this - from what I have found so far, apparently it is only 2 out of 100,000 people who get this!!!

I don't know what treatment plan he will start me off on, from what I have read, there are several possibilities.....

Medaka, at your next dr. appt, make sure you suggest testing for this, it just might be the answer for you too!! Now I am off to visit the sites you have discovered!! Thanks!

Have a great day!

Karen

celiac3270 Collaborator

I just read an article from one of the links that Medaka provided. It sounds like there isn't really a cure for it so you could be dealing with the symptoms from it until.......they find a cure. It just seems so unfair that it happens to someone like you, one who is still dealing with symptoms from something else and already has a restrictive diet for life. I just hope that this is the source of your symptoms and that if there's a way to get this under control, you'll be fine.........

Best wishes as always,

celiac3270

Canadian Karen Community Regular

Thanks celiac3270!

Actually, I feel pretty positive about being able to deal with this! One of the articles I read is that the people who do best in controlling collagenous colitis are the ones who keep a postivie attitude.... Blows me away that only 2 out of 100,000 people get this, and I have to be one of them!!!!!

It really does make a lot of sense to me though..... First off, the permanent watery diarrhea regardless of how careful I am, the nocturnal nature of the disease (which explains why I am up during the night for 2 - 3 hours going to the bathroom every 10 - 15 minutes.... That is why a lot of my posts are during the night.....) Then having to wake up, get four kids ready for school/day care and get to work for 8 a.m. just kills me.....

The move is more imminent for us now, and I now know 100% that I will be off on sick leave, which means I will only have 55% of my income, and moving to a cheaper house outside the city will be much more manageable for us.....

How is school going for you? I hope things are going well for you. Although I just read one of your posts that you were up all night with your stomach problems... I pray that they will settle down for you. The good news is that your villi are growing back....

One of the day care supervisors was at my work (I work for a government office that regulates day cares in Ontario), and she saw my "Karen's Gluten Free Cupboard - DO NOT USE", in our kitchen, and she mentioned to me that her husband is celiac and she knows three other celiacs. Made me feel kinda good to talk to someone else who is quite knowledgeable about the disease. Anyway, she makes her own gluten-free bread and she is bringing me in a loaf on Thursday.. Yay!!! She is also quite knowledgeable about a gluten-free diet for autism in children.....

Okay, enough rambling......

Karen

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      Forgot to add...  Quite a lot of 'tapas' are gluten free. Ones to look for:  Tortilla de patata (a thick omelette made with potatoes and onions) should be 'sin gluten', and chorizo cooked in red wine makes a nice dish.  Look out for sobrasada, which is very Mallorcan, a softer type of sausage/pate which you can spread on gluten free crispbread which you should be able to buy for supermarkets.  Until very recently we could not buy it here in the UK but we've managed to find a local source, and Lidl have started to sell it in tubs, too. Here's more info on it: Sobrasada is a soft, spreadable, cured pork sausage from Spain's Balearic Islands (like Mallorca), distinguished by its reddish color from paprika, sweet-spicy flavor, and pâté-like texture, perfect for spreading on toast, cooking into dishes like eggs or pasta, or drizzling with honey. Its unique texture comes from the island's humid climate preventing full drying, resulting in a semi-soft sausage that's gently aged, unlike drier mainland chorizo.
    • hjayne19
      Hi @cristiana   Thank you so much for your reply. This is so helpful. I definitely suffer from anxiety mostly related to health. Brain fog definelty doesn’t help this when it comes. I find my 4 am wake ups are potentially more food related if that’s a possibility (eating enough carbs with protein and fats) and if I eat a small snack before bed to hold throughout the night. I just haven’t been able to help the sudden increase in more days where I can’t fall asleep for hours - it’s those racing thoughts like you describe. I feel like a machine that’s running and can’t shut down.    I will try the epsom salt bath that’s a great suggestion. I think I’m probably working through some other food triggers that may be contributing as well with brain fog.    Anyways sorry to go off. It feels so reassuring finding this community and being able to chat with others. I was definitely feeling a bit crazy until I realized there are many others going through the same thing. 
    • cristiana
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