Since this blog is about what's on my mind and the gluten-free/Celiac thing is on my mind a lot, I probably should cover it here. One thing I want to get into is whether to try and get Diagnosed or not.
Always start from the beginning.
For the last several years, my wife and I have been trying to figure out why I've been having several health problems. We did not think they were all related, so I seen the doctor about some of them, but not mentioned other ones during those sessions. Some of them were starting to get worrisome, especially the inability to concentrate (fuzzy brain). We had blamed everything from lack of sleep to stress.
About 8 months ago, a friend of Patty's was diagnosed with Celiac disease. Patty felt that her friend's symptoms were very close to my own. At that time, we did not have the money to pay for a lot of tests and or the time and energy to attempt to convince my doctor I was not becoming a hypochondriac. So we decide instead to just go on a gluten-free diet and see if that change anything. We also began seriously researching gluten intolerance.
After reading several books and online articles, the most helpful being Gluten-Free Living for Dummies. I had about 80% of the symptoms listed in the Dummies book. Also, a lot of the misdiagnoses listed were things we had thought I might have, including IBS, leaky gut, migraines, depression. Over the last 6 years or so, I was even developing a blistering skin condition, which I had no idea was connected to anything, but was named and explained in the book as DH.
And I improved considerably. It's has not been 100%, but many many improvements. The DH is mostly gone, only occasional small outbreaks. The fuzzy brain problem comes back occasionally, but the depression seems to be all but gone. My dry skin problems seem to be clearing up.
Meanwhile, I seem to be becoming a lot more sensitive to gluten. A few months ago, I forgot to say something to one of my Pastors and he handed me a communion waiver. Since it bothers me that I cannot partake that part of communion, I accepted it and ate it. I was incredibly sick for about a week after. Occasionally I get sick again, but can usually trace it back to something that MIGHT have gluten in it. Eating at a restaurant is no longer fun, especially eating out with friends or team outings from work. The responses I get vary between, "are you sure you can't..." to "oh that's just terrible, I'm so sorry". Some places I can't eat anything at all.
I did not see the doctor at the beginning of these because of high deductibles on my health insurance and I did not have the time or energy for the multiple tests to convince my doctor and because I did not want to go through a cycle of "try this medicine/treatment, no that didn't work...". Especially when what I've found so far seems to be working.
Now I have insurance that does not have high upfront deductibles (it's a Health Saving program, which I think is great), but after the initial amount my company has put in, I do have a large out of pocket cost (then regular insurance kicks in). Do I go ahead and go seem my doctor and see about getting an actual Diagnoses? From what I read, to get an actual diagnoses, I will have to start eating gluten again, so they have something to test. I can't do that, because of the fuzzy brain problem really effects my job performance. Would it be a waste of time to talk to the doctor without eating gluten?
If I go to the doctor, what do I do if she does some tests, they come back negative, and she says it's all in my head, go get a pizza?
What do I do if she says I have to eat gluten for a month so I can have a proper test?
Is it worth the time and (especially) the money going through a whole bunch of test for other issues, that I'm already sure I don't have?
2 comments:
if you do go back to the md, make sure you chose one with experience in such things. If you can't and want to use your doctor just be firm with all the things you have mentioned. It is obvious you have some sort of aversion to gluten if giving it up has made you feel better. Only a moron doctor would make you go back to eating it to determine a diagnosis. Why do you need a diagnosis anyway? You are sensitive to gluten, period. If you think they have some sort of meds that will help, again let your doctor know that gluten bothers you, you have cut it out of your diet, Is there anything else you should or courld do? They may want to test you to make sure you are getting the right amount of nutients and vitamins in your system...don't want anything to stunt your growth!
if you do go back to the md, make sure you chose one with experience in such things. If you can't and want to use your doctor just be firm with all the things you have mentioned. It is obvious you have some sort of aversion to gluten if giving it up has made you feel better. Only a moron doctor would make you go back to eating it to determine a diagnosis. Why do you need a diagnosis anyway? You are sensitive to gluten, period. If you think they have some sort of meds that will help, again let your doctor know that gluten bothers you, you have cut it out of your diet, Is there anything else you should or courld do? They may want to test you to make sure you are getting the right amount of nutients and vitamins in your system...don't want anything to stunt your growth!
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