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[peggles]

I found this site a couple of weeks ago and it's great. It was suggested last month that I most likely have celiac disease. I tested highly positive on my blood work and was referred to a GI doc. I am going in tomorrow for an endoscopy. Since I am anemic and there is a history of colon cancer in my family (my grandfather) they want to do a colonoscopy too. I was really suprised when the doctor told me that celiac disease was most likely the problem. I had only heard of it when I was researching information on food intolerance. No one in my family has ever been diagnosed with this.

Looking back there were probably symptoms that I have had for quite a while that I have just brushed off. I have always been thin and I have had a lifelong tendency to be slightly anemic (now I'm really anemic). Back when I was a teenager and through my 20's (I'm 43 now) I occassionally would have episodes of intestinal pain that were unexplained. I couldn't seem to attribute these attacks to any specific thing I had consumed. The only time I ever did see a doc about it (back when I was in high school) he told me I probably just had gas and told me to take a teaspoon of Mylanta every day. What a jerk.

About 3 years ago I problems with diarreah for about 2 months. I went to a doctor who apparently was not tuned into the idea of celiac. Her only suggestion was that if I continued to have problems that I should see a GI. Well, I just started to mysteriously feel better a few weeks afterward, so I was just convinced that it was the stress that I was under at that time.

I don't always have obvious symptoms like diarreah but that is what finally drove me to believe that I had a problem and that it wasn't just "all in my head". I had been having chronic problems since February that seemed to let up once in a while. I finally couldn't take it anymore and was able to see a different doctor. She seemed to be tipped off right away from taking my history and ordered the antibody panel. When she called me with the results I got off the phone and cried. It was such a relief to have someone tell me "YES there is something real going on with you!! You aren't nuts!!"

Now that I have learned more while I have been waiting to get in for this biopsy I am convinced that the results will be positive. I also suspect that my 14 year old daughter is too and will discuss it with her when I take my daughter in for a physical next week. I'm wondering if my other two kids should be screened too even though don't have symptoms.

Peg

[rattaway]

Welcome Peg. Definitely have your kids tested. If they are gluten intolerant, you are sparing them years of damage by getting them tested now and on the gluten-free diet rather than waiting until they have so many symptoms that they are in agony. That is if they have it. Guess you won't know until they are tested though. Best wishes to you and your family. All the celiacs here are awesome and so helpful.

Rian

[lovegrov]

ALL first-degree relatives should be tested -- parents, kids, and siblings. All mine were and my 70-year-old father came back highly positive despite only minor symptoms.

From what you've described, you have celiac, no matter what the biopsy says. With highly positive tests and symptoms, it's nearly a 100 percent sure thing even without a biopsy.

Sometimes biopsies come back negative either because they didn't take enough samples or because you quit eating gluten (did you?). The ultimate proof after the biopsy is to go gluten-free and see if you improve.

richard