Need Some Sort Of Proof That I Have Celiac Or Gluten Intolerance

[emcmaster]

I missed several days of class last month due to being glutened accidentally. Because it was a one-month summer class, my grade was severely hurt by missing class, even though I told my professor why I was gone.

To prevent this in the future, he suggested I "register" my "disability" with disability services at the university so they have it on record. I went to ask them what they needed and she said she needed a letter on doctor's letterhead that explained what my "disability" was, what happened to me if it was not taken care of, what tests they performed and how they diagnosed me.

Problem is, I'm self-diagnosed due to positive dietary response. I haven't seen an MD since my self diagnosis because I'm still so angry at the medical community and the dozens upon dozens of doctors I saw over two years that not only didn't diagnose me but laughed at me when I suggested celiac as a possibility. I've seen a Naturopath since then, but Oklahoma doesn't liscense Naturopaths so I don't know if they'd take it.

What would you all recommend doing?

[CarlaB]

I missed several days of class last month due to being glutened accidentally. Because it was a one-month summer class, my grade was severely hurt by missing class, even though I told my professor why I was gone.

To prevent this in the future, he suggested I "register" my "disability" with disability services at the university so they have it on record. I went to ask them what they needed and she said she needed a letter on doctor's letterhead that explained what my "disability" was, what happened to me if it was not taken care of, what tests they performed and how they diagnosed me.

Problem is, I'm self-diagnosed due to positive dietary response. I haven't seen an MD since my self diagnosis because I'm still so angry at the medical community and the dozens upon dozens of doctors I saw over two years that not only didn't diagnose me but laughed at me when I suggested celiac as a possibility. I've seen a Naturopath since then, but Oklahoma doesn't liscense Naturopaths so I don't know if they'd take it.

What would you all recommend doing?

My ob/gyn told me recently that dietary response is clinical proof. You might ask around if you know any docs or have a good rapport with one (I have six kids, so I have a good rapport with my ob/gyn!! ) to see if one would write you a note based on that.

Otherwise, you can check out enterolab. www.enterolab.com. Maybe your naturopath knows a doc that would help.

[snapple]

You might want to look into the possibilty that the school might accept a notarized explanation from you Naturopath. They might accept it. It is worth asking them. If you see a GP, they might be willing to sign something along the lines that patient reports improvement on gluten free diet and admit to not knowing enough about celiac disease to refute patient claims. That might be a long shot, but again just trying to brain storm.

hope this helps and good luck!

[Nantzie]

I would give them whatever documentation you had, including from your naturopath. I would write a letter giving your experience with celiac and the doctors misdiagnosing you, or whatever else they did. I would also find either a news article or medical journal article that mentioned how prevalent and mis/undiagnosed celiac is at this point.

Then let the chips fall where they may.

Who knows, someone from the school's disability office might be an undiagnosed celiac, and this might be something that makes all their health problems make sense too.

Nancy

[lorka150]

Elizabeth - I went through something very similar, as I was diagnosed at a clinic and did not have access to my records (long story). Anyway, the health services at the university had four years (becasue this happened in my fourth) of referrels and tests and my appointments through them (from sleep clinics to MRIs, and so on). I had went to them for most of my ailments, and not to a family doctor at home, as I didn't have one.

Anyway, if you did something similar, could that apply? They helped me register with disability.

Hope that might help.

[Guest nini]

a letter from your naturopath should suffice. In a couple of cases for my daughter, (not related to Celiac) a letter from our chiropractor was enough to explain why she missed school because of illness. (I don't believe in medicating first, I always try chiropractic first and then medicine if needed)... anyway, you shouldn't be penalized for not following traditional western medicine, as long as you have a licensed health care practitioner. Naturopath, Chiropractor, (esp. if the chiro also has certification in other modalities like nutrition and NAET)

[Guest cassidy]

I am self diagnosed as well and needed a letter for work so I could get special food on my business trips. I went to my family doctor and told him about my changes after going on the diet and he agreed that I had celiac. He wrote the letter without a problem. I would think that any doctor would believe you at this point because you have proven how well the diet works for you.

[emcmaster]

Thanks, everyone. I will try to get my NP to do it and if they say they need something from an MD, I'll go that route.

[eleep]

Ah-hah -- It never occured to me that I could register for a disability -- I've got Enterolab results, perhaps I could use those.

In September, I'm going to be applying for a university-based dissertation fellowship and I'm a little concerned my application may be disregarded before they even read about my project because I've been working on this degree for so dang long with a bunch of health-related interruptions. I was planning to write a letter of explanation with my lab results, but actually being registered might also be a good idea.

eleep