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Advice For Upcoming Gi Appointment

lalalove

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lalalove Newbie
lalalove
Posted

Hello!

 

UPDATE: My original appointment has been moved from June 15th to Thursday May 7th so I am able to see the GI I was hoping to see :) Crisis averted - but I would still love to hear feedback from my questions below just in case!

 

I saw my physician back in December about fatigue and digestive issues I had been experiencing for years. I had a blood test for Celiac and received confusing results that stumped her and her colleagues, so she referred me to a GI. Unfortunately, there was a six month wait (I'm in Canada) to see the GI, and that appointment is not until Mid-June. I spoke with my physician about the wait times and she managed to find me an appointment for this upcoming Monday for a different specialist at a different clinic.

 

I googled the specialist and read some reviews on him. The reviews are mixed (kind of typical for Canadian doctors), but a lot of them say that he dismisses a lot of complaints as IBS which makes me nervous. I think I'm really going to have to urge him to allow me to get blood work redone as well as an endoscopy so that I can confirm if I have celiac or not.

 

I guess I'm just wondering if it's possible for him to overlook signs when performing the endoscopy? I absolutely will make sure I get all necessary scientific tests done but it's his conclusion (or potentially misinformed opinion) that I'm worried about...I have found that with some issues it doesn't really matter if the doctor is great or not because results are results, and I just wonder if that's the case with celiac testing? I'm the type of person who needs to be confident with results or else I worry/obsess.

 

I'm going to hold onto my June appointment until I see how this doctor handles my case because the reviews have me paranoid? The doctor I am seeing in June has no online reviews at all (but is at Women's College Hospital) so I don't even know what to expect there.

 

Anyway - any feedback would be great! 

 

Thanks :)

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cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

It sounds like you have been doing research. Are you still consuming gluten? That is critical for testing.

lalalove Newbie
lalalove
Posted
  • Author

It sounds like you have been doing research. Are you still consuming gluten? That is critical for testing.

 

Haha yes I am notorious for over-researching. But yes I have been consuming gluten! I posted an inquiry here after my first blood test results and I received a lot of feedback that I should continue to eat gluten up until my specialist appointment :)

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

Just remember that during an endoscopy damage is often not seen. That's why they take about six biopsies in various areas.

I would keep that June appointment as extra insurance!

Getting a firm diagnosis was important for me. Anemia was my main symptom and I could not believe that both my husband and I would have to be gluten free. What are the odds? No matter what happens, I would recommend going gluten free after all testing is complete for at least six months. You might be surprised how much better you will feel.

lalalove Newbie
lalalove
Posted
  • Author

Just remember that during an endoscopy damage is often not seen. That's why they take about six biopsies in various areas.

I would keep that June appointment as extra insurance!

Getting a firm diagnosis was important for me. Anemia was my main symptom and I could not believe that both my husband and I would have to be gluten free. What are the odds? No matter what happens, I would recommend going gluten free after all testing is complete for at least six months. You might be surprised how much better you will feel.

 

That's a good point. :) I am also going to ask for my blood work to be redone to see if there were any false negatives/false positives in my initial sample, as my results were mixed and abnormal. It is probably a good idea to eliminate the gluten as a test once all my doctors appointments are completed.

 

Everyone has different symptoms, it's quite bizarre! 

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