New Here

[Joss]

Ok I went to see my new doctor today, but somehow the appointment was made with the test mad idiot doctor instead. Now my regular doctor for some reason abruptly closed down her practise without notice earlier this year. The first I knew about it was when I received my medical records in the mail. Now of course I am left shopping for a doctor that knows nothing about my history.

Anyway I went because I want to join the local Celiac Society and they require my doctors signature. So off I went only to find I was stuck with this guy. First after telling him of the misunderstanding, I explained why I was there. He again wanted to send me for blood tests. I veoted this by telling him I had been restricting gluten for sometime. He still insisted that there would be enough antibodies to test.

I again declined. Then he wanted to know when my first tests were carried out. I was able to tell him the name and address of the doctor my mother consulted in 1953. No good of course, so then I told him I was being treated in Tasmania, but I could not remember the name of the specialist, or even my local GP as that was about fifteen years ago. Anyway that practise too has now closed. I could remember the name of my naturopath but it seems they are not counted as being true professionals. So now unless I can produce enough evidence to prove my gluten intolerence I cannot join the local support group. Makes you wonder why thaey are called a support group and why they are being elitist?

Of course I thought that the doctors could check my blood tests and recognise that I have chronic iron defiencies that remain the same over several years and that they are treating me for osteoporosis and that might be enough. But no, now I have to remember who performed that vital test.

Joss

It's just that I ge flack from members of my family, who think this is all in my head. Because this has been an ongoing problem for most of my life, they think I should be better now.

No way can I convince my daughter that food makes a difference to diseases like asthma, osteoporosis and heavens above, RSD.

I thought if I get a medical diagnosis, then she would understand and let up with the chipping away at me. Yhe latest was last Saturday when she told me that "scientists have said for sure that burping is not in any way connected to food. It is more about how you eat food that causes burping. This gets to me and I am pretty depressed. Also I need more local knowledge and the local society will not accept anyone with any FAD diagnoses. it seems as if they have an exclusive club and wannt to keep it. I feel pretty depressed right now. I have tummy aches and alternative D and C to boot.

Ok so I am just going to get over this. If I get anything gluten free when I am out I get a lot of abuse. This usually means I either eat nothing or risk getting cross contaminated from eating foods that others have deposited toast crumbs in.

WHHHHAAAAAYYYY I want some support. it is NOT all in my head!

Joss

[ravenwoodglass]

Joss I think of lot of us have families like yours. Mine was very skeptical at first. I ignored them because I had no choice. What made a believer out of them, in particular my DH was when I no longer needed to see a doctor at least 2 times a months, they no longer had to help me get to hospitals for testing half a state away, and our copays went from 17 thousand dollars a year to less than 500 dollars. Sometimes the only proof we can give is how well we do on the diet. It made enough of a believer out of my family to get them to each get tested, they were all positive, after about 6 months except DH who waited for a couple of years to test since he didn't think he was symptomatic. Turned out he really was, he just wasn't half dead and he thought all the little things like the brain fog and tiredness and skin issues were just part of aging, they weren't.

Hopefully after you have been gluten-free for a few months they will be more supportive, if not you always have us here.

[Joss]

Well I am so much better. I haven't been admitted to hospital with asthma since 1986. Still they are not believers.

I am not going to pursue this anymore and I am not eating any food just to please others either.

Joss

[loco-ladi]

Basically what this boils down to is that your old enough to drive and drink and do pretty much whatever you want, you also appear so far to be a relatively intelligent person (even with my typo's people say that about me so take that at what its worth, lol about .00000002 cents!)

Its your body and your life, your family has no say in what you do with it and indeed it is yours to do with as you please until "the end" at which point my guess is you pretty much wont care

So, they complain about your eating gluten free tell them to go to hades! (see I used my nice words there but feel free to use any colorful 4 letter words you want)

As for the flack they may or may not give you, look at them and ask when they became the parent and you the child?

I am having 5 family members as houseguests the beginning of next month, they all know of my eating issues and if they were not prepared to deal with it, they should not have bought the airplane tickets! Thats because its my house my rules (gosh isn't that what my mother said to me all those years ago? ) OMG I am turning into my mother!!!

OK, getting off my pedestal now and turning it over to whoever is next in line.