I’m thinking if the $159 package comes back negative, I’ll wait a month — continue eating gluten 😖— and then purchase the $340 complete and comprehensive package.
Thanks again to everyone who has responded. I feel more hopeful than I have in a long time.
I think keeping the information to yourself is a good idea. In fact, many doctors won’t give an official diagnosis without a biopsy so if someone asks if you have celiac disease and all you have are blood test results a “no” answer wouldn’t be totally wrong🙂. Until I had a biopsy my medical chart just said positive celiac antibodies, not celiac disease.
If the WalkinLab $159 panel is negative you could still have celiac disease however. It is a good start, testing for TTG IgA antibodies which most people with celiac disease have. However, some people have IgG antibodies instead, and some only have antibodies against DGP (deamidated gliadin peptide). WalkinLab can also do those tests but the comprehensive panel is more expensive.
WalkinLab celiac disease profile
My vitamin D is a bit low, but now too low, and I have just started taking 5000 IU again. In the past I have done 50.000 IUs at times to get the levels up higher, and might try that again, after I speak to my doc this week.
Wow. Okay. I’m definitely going with private testing. And since my sister was diagnosed just last month, I’ll have her as a great resource. I’m otherwise in excellent health for a 60 year old woman. No diabetes, normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels. I work out regularly, although I’m too thin because I’m afraid of food. I appreciate both of your helpful, informative insights - Scott Adams and @plumbago. I’ll let you know the results of my panel (giving blood sample on Wednesday) here on this thread.
Celiac disease was considered a pre-existing condition that affected costs before the ACA, and I was paying life insurance premiums at age 45 that a 70 year old would have to pay because of it (this was back when it was my only diagnosis--not that case now).
I don't disagree with @plumbago's approach here either, but just keep in mind, it will be on your PERMANENT RECORD!😉
On top of this, a majority of job applications that I've see in the past couple or years include "celiac disease" as a pre-existing condition that the employer requires you to disclose--do you have the same shot at the job if you say yes?: