moonablaze

happens to all of us. I actually have nightmares about it sometimes. I'll dream that I'm halfway through a donut or a cookie or something when I realize and then I am just so SCARED when I wake up.

Apparently another of the tests was for H. Pilori antibodies and was positive, so there's a good chance I have an ulcer. joy.

I've apparently put the cart before the horse. Because I don't have a proper diagnosis (And I will not be getting one as I'm not going to do a gluten chalenge), the GI docs want a series of tests before I can come in. Today they took 4 vials of blood (liver panel, kidney panel, cbc, lipid panel, fasting blood sugar and various vitamins), and on thursday Friday I'll be getting a fasting abdominal ultrasound to check my gallbadder and pancreas. Granted, for all I know it will turn out that I'm having some unrelated issue. Who knows.

I figured out that I have celiac 2.5 years ago from a combination of elimination diet, symptoms and 23andme results (I had previously been diagnosed as having IBS for 5 years, getting progressively worse). My GP at the time felt that was good enough after I tried to go back on gluten to get tested and ended up curled on the floor of my bathroom for 2 days. My new GP was comfortable enough to put the diagnosis in my record but I have been having more symptoms since a recent glutening, and I want to go see a GI specialist. My GP/insurance company is making me go in to see the GP for a screening first but I know I can get past that (my belly has been distended for 2 weeks, I've been constipated and I've been having pain after almost every meal, among other things).

What I'm afraid of is that I'm going to get to the Gastroenterologist and be told it's all in my head, have my diagnosis blown off and/or be told the doctor won't do anything unless I go on gluten for a month to get a "proper" diagnosis. I know a gluten challenge is out of the question, (I'd be incapacitated and I have a physical job that I can't take that much time off from). I do have one test result that supports the celiac diagnosis, a deficiency of intrinsic factor of B12.

What would you guys do? How can I prepare myself to get what I need from the doc? I'm comfortable arguing with doctors in general, but I don't know what I'm asking for at this point. I have no idea what's wrong!

thanks guys, I'll stock up on peppermint and ginger teas. I've got a feeling it's gonna take a while before I'm able to assure I'm eating safe foods.

I'm new to this. I'm not formally diagnosed but when I tried to go back on gluten after what amounted to an elimination diet I had intense pain and bowel symptoms as well as joint pain and brain fog (so it may be gluten intolerance but I'm working under the assumption that I need to be gluten free either way). I'm still figuring out all the things I need to avoid. Today I had some blue cheese and apparently that was enough to hurt me.

What do you do to soothe your symptoms when you've been exposed?