Blood Work Results Timeline

[Songbirdy]

I'm waiting on my blood work and am getting very impatient.

I'm in Ontario and was told that my sample would get shipped away for testing as it is not done in town.

I'm just curious because when I called in I was told it can take 30 days.

Is this common?

[psawyer]

Welcome!

I'm in Ontario too.

I don't know what the normal turnaround times are.

In 2000, when I was being tested, the blood tests were not yet available in Canada. They were still very new in the US. I waited five months for an endoscopy, which was strongly positive (Marsh III).

[Songbirdy]

Thank you. I shall have to exercise patience some more then.

[Songbirdy]

Going on three weeks of waiting here. I had a 'day surgery' two weeks ago and choose to go gluten free to heal.

I am in a quandary now. My doctor promised that if my blood work comes back positive that I would not have the biopsy. I had requested that he book a scope right away but he said no for that reason.

I am feeling that the choice I made to be gluten-free after the surgery was right. But I also worry that I should have to return to gluten if the test is negative.

But I really do not want to and my family and extended family have seen enough improvement that they are supportive. If I go back I almost feel I will have to keep it silent!

But part of me feels that as my symptoms are strong enough, a few gluten-free weeks wouldn't erase all intestinal signs and I could just work on getting the biopsy ASAP.

[nvsmom]

As I understand it, going gluten-free for a few weeks can affect your biopsy results. If you want the biopsy, you should probably switch back to gluten ASAP.

If you are not interested in the biopsy, then stay gluten-free. I had positive blood tests results so I felt no need to have the scope done since I already knew I had celiac (positive EMA can only be celiac with a high ttg IgA). The scope seemed like an invasive procedure that wouldn't do anything to help me. if you are seeing improvements on a gluten-free diet, you might want to question if you really need the scope or if you should just stay gluten-free for life... but that's just my own opinion.

Best wishes.

[Songbirdy]

Oh boo! The bloodwork has come back negative which means that I will need to go onto the scope if it is decided I need an official diagnosis. I don't need one but my husband would prefer that I got one.

The thing is that I'm sure I am gluten-intolerant. Perhaps Celiac as too much fits.

I really was hoping for a positive result. I won't see the results until next week as the doctor's office is booked for non-urgent cases. But fine, I'll wait. I'm hoping that it is a case where they didn't run all the tests or something. Or something like that, lol!

Meanwhile I really do not want to go with the gluten challenge. I will be needing to have a serious conversation with my spouse!

[CHunter]

OK from what I read about the timing for blood work is that it can take a while, like up to a month and that if the blood work comes back negative then there is the need for a biopsy. Hopefully I got all of that right so If my sons test comes back positive then he will not have to have a biopsy?

I've only known about Celiac disease for a day since the doctor decided to test my son. I thought it a long shot that he could have it until I found the family history on my husbands side a few hours ago. At this point I'm still getting used to the idea, but my son is only 4 so no matter how small, the idea of a biopsy on him is a little upsetting.