My Results Are In

[conniebky]

Well yall, my doctor called and said:

I don't have celiac or any sign of anything.

My blood sugar is fine. The lowest it went was 67 at 4 hours and that's normal.

My hormone level is supposed to be between 2 - 22. Mine is 3.

He does not believe in HRT - too many risks.

I haven't told this but my fiance was riding in a pickup truck without his sealbelt on and an elderly man turned left in front of them and George went through the windshield. They pronounced him dead on the scene, but someone there cut his throat, did a rigged trach and he came back. He also broke his ankle. This happened on his way home from work in a tiny country town. They took him to a "hospital" where they put a cast on his ankle, but they didn't wait for the ankle to swell up all the way so his toes turned black and he lost that leg below the knee.

They finally took him to Louisville where he was in the hospital for three months. Staph got into his bloodstream and then they took his other leg, above the knee. He tried really hard to hang on it was miserable for him. I never left his side except to go to work. He was my first love, high school love, only love. He passed on a pretty Saturday morning and I just have not gotten over it. People tell me to, but it's easy to say...Since he passed, I have tried to date 2 other people, but I guess he spoiled me for other guys cuz he was just the mackdaddy of humans, he really was. Our relationship was so innocent, new, fresh, and it never lost that. He was the best friend I ever had. I was Blessed to even know him. And I could give a crap if he had legs or not, we talked about it, we were ready for that fight.

Soo....all these symptoms started at the beginning of this year with me. Also when I FINALLY landed a good job and also when I started with the babysitting. He said that the symptoms I was having, with the dizziness, etc., were caused by stress and that when I quit eating gluten, I convinced my mind that it made me feel better, but obviously it didn't make me feel better because, as you all know, I kept getting worse.

He said that stress is also a hormone and the symptoms from that are the same as the ones I was having. He said that he thought it was me stressing that was causing my symptoms, but he felt better running all the tests to be certain. So, he told me "I gave you those nerve pills because you need to take them and you don't take them. HE said the reason they don't make me sleepy is because they are doing what they're supposed to do - level everything out.

He wants me to - get this - go to a baseball game, walk my dog, go on a date (gross) take those pills as he prescribed. He said I'm just sad and overwhelmed and I need to take back my life and he even asked me if I put out my garden this year. nope. He told me to do that. In one week, he wants me to go to my mom's and eat 2 crackers and see what happens. He was my doctor when George was sick and passed, he knows everything there is to no about me. In short, he says I'm sad and stressed.

My song for George is Sinead O'Connor's Nothing Compares to you (written by Prince).... that line in that song,

"I went to the doctor and guess what he told me?

he said 'girl, you better try to have fun no matter what you do

but he's a fool

cuz nothing compares to you"

I kept hearing that line in that song the whole time my doctor was talking to me. If it turns out I'm not gluten intolerant, I hope I can still hang out with you all!

[ravenwoodglass]

Connie I am so sorry to hear about your fiance. My heart goes out to you. The people who tell you to just get over it have never suffered that kind of loss. The pain does dull but I don't think it ever fully leaves.

(((((((((((((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

[kareng]

I had a feeling this was going to happen. All the stress is causing problems. Do take that thieving pooch out to walk or chase a ball. When I was feeling really tired and sad, seeing my dog happy made me happy. A little light exercise will help, too. Get your daughter to at least get you some help with the kids.

My SIL doesn't have celiac disease but she has had a lot of other health problems. Her doc told her to eat gluten light as gluten is hard to digest. Maybe, that would be a good plan for you, for now. Don't eat large amounts of wheaty bread and pasta but don't sweat the small amounts.

I do speak and am friendly with people who do not belong to the Celiac Disease Club. I cannot teach you the secret handshake, tho.

[Looking for answers]

Hi,

I'm terribly sorry to hear of your loss and subsequent health issues. I could tell by reading your posts over the past few weeks that you've been in distress...my heart went out to you. On the positive side, you've learned more about gluten intolerance than you probably cared to and now you can be another ambassador out there informing people of the evils of gluten

I can tell that you are a very special, warm person . . . you'll pull yourself through this. I've gone through some trying times myself; god, church and yoga have been my salvation during these times. Oh, and my little dog who puts a smile on my face every day. Love that little guy.

You have a great doctor and a new set of friends on this board. Take care of yourself.

[GlutenFreeManna]

I'm sorry for your loss You know, there's nothing wrong with being sad because of your fiance, but the fact that the test results are negative also doesn't mean there's not a physical cause for some of your symptoms. Your doctor cares about you very much and that is not an easy thing to find, but he sounds like an old country doctor that may not really know about the newest research in some diseases. I think you should consider counseling, and also consider looking for another doctor to run more testing. If gluten is a problem you will know without a doubt when you eat some crackers. I was not diagnosed with celiac, but I get very sick when I eat anything with gluten. I've decided I don't need a doctor to tell me to avoid it, but that is a personal choice. One only you can make. From reading your other posts it really sounds like you could have other health issues. If you are desperate I suggest you try Doug Kaufmann's Phase One diet, which would eliminate pretty much anything that could be bothering you food-wise. You can read about it at knowthecause.com I wish you the best!

[jerseyangel]

Oh Connie, I was just heartbroken for you when I read about your George. What a wonderful man he was, and know that he came into your life for a reason.

Please take care, be good to yourself, and heal in your own time--whatever your health issues turn out to be, don't be a stranger here.

[mushroom]

Oh Connie, I am just so sorry for your loss of George, your soulmate. Yes you will always remember in your life what a very special person he was. You are lucky to have such a great doctor who is able to look at the whole person (and also one who knows your history). He is kind and wise, and he is giving you good advice.

When you breezed into the forum you were like a breath of fresh air, but I could feel that there was an undercurrent you were not talking about And what an undercurrent it was. It is not something you can snap your fingers and get over, but you are going to have to work at building a new life while still holding precious what you and George had together. Stick around with your new friends here and keep us entertained as you put your life back together.

[conniebky]

Y'all done got me misty now. This happened in January and about the middle of February (not this year) the nurses got him to sit up in his bed and gave him a milkshake with all this protein stuff in it, and they had me come in there and try to talk him in to drinking it, cuz he was getting better.

And you know what that sweet creature did? Before he even tried to take a sip, he looked at me and said, "want some?"

That's just how he was. A gentleman. We all hear so much terrible news about terrible people, and they say only the good die young, and maybe that's true, maybe it's not, but it's probably not cuz this forum has been a saving grace to me, each of you has been just as kind.

[GFinDC]

Hi Connie,

I am sorry for your loss. It seems strange sometimes how life works out. May the Lord keep you and bless you.

I do want to suggest you stay with the gluten-free diet for a few months more. The celiac testing process is not a perfect thing, and sometimes they give false negatives. So the best thing in the case of a negative is to do the diet for 3 months or so and see if there is any improvement. It is a healthy diet so not a bad thing to do anyway.

[lucia]

Connie,

I was so sorry to hear about your loss. You've been through a heartbreaking experience. Healing can only take time.

I know you're feeling discouraged right now about everything, including your health, but I think you've shown us that you're really persistent about finding what you need. You've been really resilient in the past few months about pursuing a diagnosis, even when you've felt like crap. That says a lot about you as a person, and about your ability to recover from this difficult time.

I agree with other people that testing negative for celiac does not mean that you're not responding to gluten (heck, I tested negative too). Something is clearly wrong with you physically. It could be that stress is manifesting physically, but that doesn't mean that the problem is just mental. At this point, it's physical, and your body needs care.

I think that diet can help you heal, whether your issues are gluten-related or not. In my own life, I've been impressed again and again by how food affects us. A balanced diet of unprocessed foods that is heavy on fruits and vegetables has worked miracles for me. People report recovery from hypoglycemia, diabetes, fibromyalgia and depression through changing their diet. That is powerful. We have a whole group of people here who are intent on making their diet work for them, and we can all help each other.

Best to you. Enjoy walks with your pooch. I'm jealous that you have a dog. Here in NYC, it's hard to make that work, but someday ...

lucia

[lynnelise]

I am so sorry to hear about George! I can't imagine what you are going through. Thoughts and prayers to you!

Definately try the crackers and see what happens. If you have any sort of reaction I would stay with the gluten-free diet. My bloodwork was negative as well (my doctor didn't tell me I needed to be eating gluten at the time of the test!) and I know I have a serious issue with gluten so I avoid it.

[luvs2eat]

I'm so sorry. It's no wonder your poor body is in crisis! You've been thru more than some people go thru in their whole lives!