I Had My Doctor's Appointment!

[jester]

And I LOVE my new doctor's office. The whole office was very nice and super professional.

The doctor I met with listened and asked questions and let me go through my list, asking about correlations and if I had noticed X or anything, treating me like I had a brain. It was lovely. I mentioned wanting to be tested for celiac and he said absolutely; said he was glad I mentioned the rash because that's not uncommon with celiac; he consulted one of the other doctors in the practice who I then met and he asked me some follow up questions and they both prodded my tummy.

They said together that it sounds like there's definitely signs of malabsorption. He started out with thyroid tests and an anti-gliadan panel, I THINK it's the full set of tests but that's how it was listed on my lab sheet. I'm somewhat surprised he didn't toss in iron and vitamin levels but as he put it, we're just getting started and he'll call as soon as he has results and with any luck we might even have a diagnosis before my appointment with the GI on 10/27.

SUCH a difference in attitudes. Being open to possibilities and not just writing me a prescription for symptoms? Holy cow! A real doctor!

So now I wait. When he calls I will ask what exactly my results are, not just pos or neg, and share them, and that way too I can confirm that the full panel was run - like I said, I think so, it did say panel. I didn't check explicitly at the lab because there was nothing they could have done if it wasn't the full set, so if it's not I can talk to the doctor himself when he calls.

I appreciate that as soon as he heard that my mom has thyroid problems he didn't just dismiss other options. My old doctor would have.

(That said, it's highly likely I do have a problem with my thyroid, but it wouldn't account for everything the way celiac would.)

[jester]

Oh! Also as soon as I mentioned I'd been on prescription antacids for a year and finally stopped taking them because they weren't working, he asked if I just had heartburn or also reflux and when I said reflux he said we're probably going to want to scope to check how the lining of your stomach and throat are holding up.

I was first diagnosed with GERD and given those antacids in... 2007? 2008? And this is the first time anything like that's even been mentioned. Stoopid old doctor. Why did I put up with him so long?

And I wanted to add I've been dutifully charting for a week now, food, how I'm feeling and bowel movements.

Here's something.

I only had a bit of gluten Tues/Wed and by Thurs morning wasn't feeling so horrible. But since I knew I'd probably get my lab done today I figured let's see what happens if I make sure to eat lots of gluten all day Thursday. So I did.

After my appointment I went to brunch with a friend, had a muffin, came home and had to lie down. I took an hour and a half nap and felt like I had last week (before my D stage on Tues), back to completely bloated and going to vomit and heartburn and everything. I had a lot of cheese, though, so I'm going to see about cutting dairy completely (NOOOO! I love cheese), too?

[ravenwoodglass]

Glad to hear the appointment went well. If you have been gluten light please let the doctor know as that will cause a false negative on the testing. I would call and ask if they want you to go back on gluten until the testing is finished. Dropping or limiting dairy might be a good idea if it is causing you distress but please don't drop gluten until your testing is done.

[jester]

I was only gluten-lite for maybe thirty-six hours or so, inadvertently. I can assure you I've been devouring gluten like crazy otherwise.

[ravenwoodglass]

I was only gluten-lite for maybe thirty-six hours or so, inadvertently. I can assure you I've been devouring gluten like crazy otherwise.

That's good. There are so many false negatives that 'devouring gluten like crazy' may make you feel like crud but it will give a better chance at an accurate test. I hope your done with testing soon so you can get started on a strict trial and hopefully feel better.