Greetings And Salutations! :-)

[SaraNade]

Hello all! I'm a new member, but have been reading on the celiac forum for a little while now. I decided to join to share my own stories and symptoms because the main thing I think I'm learning so far is that every single person's experience is different, but everyone is looking for answers. Therefore, it stands to reason that the more information everyone has, the better, right?

I'm 29 years old. I'm going to be thirty this year ( !!). I do not know if I have celiac. A lot of people talk about being sick a lot; some are REALLY sick...I'm not like that at all. I actually hardly ever get sick, BUT...

When I was in high school, a mysterious pain began occurring in what I've by now learned is the lower left quadrant of my abdomen. It was never that bad, but it was very frequent, so I eventually wound up going to a doctor because I automatically assumed I have cancer. (This is, unfortunately, a very bad habit of mine...) The doctor initially told me to eat more fiber, but did send me on to have an ultrasound, which, of course, came out perfectly normal. There were no blood tests run, but they did want me to do this awful stool sample test; at that point I gave up and got on with my life....and I took my faithful mysterious pain with me.

Fast forward several years. I graduated high school and discovered the wonderful world of the internet. I went to college, graduated from college, and went to work at a library. The little pain came with me through all of that. There were times when I thought it was gone; looking back, I think it's more likely that I just learned to ignore it. But occasionally, it would make it's presence known a little bit more forcefully; on one of these occasions, I started looking around the internet for answers....again. Only this time, I finally stumbled upon something; I couldn't even tell you where, but someone, some place, mentioned the same kind of pain that I'd always had with some of the same tests, plus countless others, with no answers, and some God-sent fellow blogger commented that it could be celiac. "Celiac? What the crap is that?," I thought. Dutifully, I typed this word into google and promptly dislocated my jaw when my mouth fell open after reading just what celiac is and what it does. All of a sudden, things began to click. Symptoms that I didn't even KNOW were symptoms were popping out all over the place. Like pooping. I've never been a pooper; I'm quite famous for going up to a week without making even one deposit at the porcelain bank. When I DID go, it would often be, uhm, of the loose change variety. This was normal to me, so I never thought of it as a problem...just a fact of life. I've always been on the extreme side of thin, I bruise easily, and, although I'm not anemic, I apparently look the part. I've never had much energy, running even short distances gives me the most horrible stitch in my side, and then there's the....flatulence. I'll spare you the gory details and just use one of the most horrifying memories of my tween years to give you a little taste of what that's like: when I was thirteen people began to wonder if an animal had gotten under my room and died. Not embarrassing AT ALL.

Anyway, to be perfectly honest with you, there were so MANY symptoms and illnesses attributed to celiac that I began to feel like it's sort of a catch-all for any old thing that ails you. But then I went to the doctor, who ran some blood work. Everything seemed fine, except that I apparently have high cholesterol and my lipase is slightly elevated. The high cholesterol I've heard before, but this "lipase" thing is new to me. I wound up trying out a new doctor after completely losing faith in the first (she diagnosed me with: a urinary tract/bladder/kidney infection, I think IBS, and diverticulitis at different points and kept feeding me different kind of pills like it was going out of fashion. I don't generally have much faith in doctors anyway, and I hate Hate HATE taking unnecessary medications); this doctor immediately did an x-ray and discovered that my intestines were all full of...well, you know what, and also went with the IBS theory. She also gave me a prescription, but told me that I didn't have to fill it unless I felt it was necessary and suggested some natural means to help instead....a woman after my own heart. And that, my friends, would probably have been that, except that she also did blood work that also said I have slightly elevated lipase. This, of course, won me a ticket to get an ultrasound which, according to the girl who ran it, looked completely normal. I have to wait about a week and a half to get the official word back after the radiologist takes a look at the pictures, but I'm almost positive that they will say the same thing.

Oh! I forgot one detail. I did ask to be tested for celiac, just to get it out of the way. My doc said that was cool, but the lab, in their infinite wisdom, decided to not actually go through with it bc they weren't sure I really wanted it, since insurance may not cover it. Uhm, gee, could you not have just called and ASKED me before making that decision for me?

Anyway...I'm sorry this is so long-winded; I tried to cut it down to just the most pertinent information, but I do tend to get carried away at times.

[Marlie]

My teen was diagnosed with celiac not long ago. She's had various ailments over the years and on a couple of occasions the doctors suspected appendicitis. The ultrasounds were always neg, the blood work pretty normal. Well the latest episode we hit bullseye. She landed in the hospital twice over the course of 48 hours, which means they can't dismiss you so easily. It wasn't until the second er trip they did an xray after an ultrasound and cat scan that showed nothing that they found a mass of stool stuck next to the appendix and they couldn't clear that won her admission. They released her days later with the pain resuming within hours. She no longer wanted to eatbecause it was so bad and virtually stopped eating. Wind forward a few weeks and i recieve a call from the GI who ran a celiac panel and voil

[Dixiebell]

Welcome to the forum SaraNade.

Be sure to keep reading and ask lots of questions.

I've never been a pooper; I'm quite famous for going up to a week without making even one deposit at the porcelain bank. When I DID go, it would often be, uhm, of the loose change variety.

This had me cracking up!

[mushroom]

So are you going to get a new order for the celiac panel?

[SaraNade]

Hey everyone, nice to meet you all!! Marlie, I'm glad to hear that your daughter was finally diagnosed and on the way to getting better; sadly, the celiac diagnosis seems to be easier said than done for most people...not sure why at all. My doc said something funny when I was there last about how she doubted it is celiac because I don't have "attacks" when I eat wheat or something like that, like I'm only supposed to have symptoms after I consume gluten. Well, hello, doc; I eat gluten *all* the time, and I have symptoms *all* the time! Bah. So, in answer to your question, Mushroom (love your name, bee tee double you), I have no idea what's going to happen next. The ultrasound results did come out clean, as I suspected; I was a little disappointed...I had high hopes of having a little miniature version of the Epcot center camping out in my pancreas, but alas, no such luck. She wants me to come in on the 7th to check my blood again to see if my lipase is still high.

[SaraNade]

Heeeey everyone! I'm not sure if it's more appropriate to keep adding to my original thread or start a whole new one, so I figured, for posterity's sake, I'd just keep adding.

Anydoodles. I went back in for more bloodwork today (yippee, my favorite!). Of course, I don't know the results yet, but I have a beautiful, shiny new bruise to remember the occasion fondly. I'm thinking of calling this one "Dexter." After the bloodwork was done, and the doc asked me to do my routine urine test, she informed me that she's sending me to a gi. That is so very very exciting. I just cannot believe my luck. I might actually get to have a colonoscopy before I'm thirty -- and who says Christmas never comes early? At any rate, the first visit is just a consultation -- I know, I was disappointed too -- but I figured I wouldn't bother making the appointment until after the latest blood results came in.

However, to tide me over -- and also to provide to my new best friend, Dr. GI -- my doc gave me a copy of my last bloodwork. I have no idea what most of it means, although it's very interesting. I thought I'd post it up for everyone who needs a little extra stimulation in their lives, because I believe strongly in sharing the love. Also, I'd love any input as to whether or not anyone feels that the findings are relevant to my celiac journey.

Thanks in advance, and happy reading!

SaraNade's Super Awesome Blood Results from 9/30/10

Glucose, Serum: 85 (65-99)

BUN: 11 (5-26)

Creatinine, Serum: .70 (.57-1.00)

eGFR: >59 (>59)

eGFR AfricanAmerican: >59 (>59)

BUN/Creatinine Ratio: 16 (8-27)

Sodium, Serum: 138 (135-145)

Potassium, Serum: 3.8 (3.5-5.2)

Chloride, Serum: 102 (97-108)

Carbon Dioxide, Total: 20 (20-32)

Calcium, Serum: 9.2 (8.7-10.2)

Protein, Total, Serum: 7.3 (6.0-8.5)

Albumin, Serum: 4.4 (3.5-5.5)

Globulin, Total: 2.9 (1.5-4.5)

A/G Ratio: 1.5 (1.1-2.5)

Bilirubin, Total: .7 (0-1.2)

Alkaline Phosphatase, S: 45 (25-150)

AST (SGOT): 20 (0-40)

ALT (SGPT): 16 (0-40)

LIPID PANEL

Cholesterol, Total: 206 H (100-199)

Triglycerides: 67 (0-149)

HDL Cholesterol: 71 (>39)

VLDL Cholesterol Cal 13 (5-40)

LDL Cholesterol Calc 122 H (0-99)

LDL/HDL Ratio: 1.7 (0-3.2)

TSH: 2.720 (.450-4.500)

Lipase, Serum: 62 (0-59)

She made a really big deal about the lipase. She's not too keen on my cholesterol, either. What can I say, I like my fried twinkies and boiled...uh...insert something really unhealthy here.

I've got my pee tests, too, if anyone is still with me and dying for more material! Either way, thanks for reading!