G.i. Doctor

[whtswrongwithme32]

Do you prefer to go alone or take someone with yoy to see G.I? How much blood do they draw for celiac panel? Asking as I am anemic and have fainted from blood drawl before (when pregnant though).

[icelandgirl]

Hi...that's a tough one. I've gone to appointments by myself and wished I had someone with me. I've also dragged someone with me and then realized I didn't need anyone. Lol! If you are anxious about it and feel like it might help to have someone there then do that. My husband is such a calming presence when I'm worried...it's nice to have him at appointments that make me really anxious. Good luck with your appointment!

[Fenrir]

Well, it all depends on how comfortable you are with medical terminology and if you think you will be able remember to ask the questions you have. You really have to be your own advocate, so if you think you can do that and are comfortable going by yourself that is just fine.

 

As far as the amount of blood, it depends on what your Dr. orders. They might want to run vitamins, minerals, in addition to blood counts and antibody tests...ect.

 

I work in a lab and have been doing testing and drawing blood for years. My guess is it will be somewhere between 3-5 tubes of blood. Even if you are very anemic this really shouldn't cause you much problem because it's only a few tablespoons of blood. It looks like more blood than it is, the tubes volume is actually pretty small. Most people have more of an issue with being squeemish about seeing blood than having blood volume level issues from your  typical blood draw.

[cyclinglady]

Bring a notebook. It is hard to recall everything said during an office visit.

[Fenrir]

Bring a notebook. It is hard to recall everything said during an office visit.

I know when I was fulltime glutened I couldn't remember much to begin with, so probably a good idea.