Jerri

[Guest guest]

Jerri,

Good grief - you have every right to feel both frustrated and worried about both your problems and your son! Vent away! That's what we are here for.

I'm having a bit of a pity party myself right now or I should say I'm trying to fight off a pity party.

I'm a little bummed because one of the tests that my internal med doc did for celiac disease came back positive. By the way, celiac disease is yet another autoimmune disease. Essentially people with CD cannot tolerate gluten and unless they are on a totally gluten free diet, the intestines are destroyed and it can lead to all sorts of problems including pancreatitis and autoimmune hepatitis (both of which I already have).

A member of my pancreatitis group had sent me an e-mail suggesting that I ask my doc to do the blood tests for celiac disease since it can cause both pancreatitis and AIH. The Gliadin IgA came back positive at 57. My internal med doc sent the results to my GI doc and I will discuss this with him at my next appt on Sep 22nd. I know many in my AIH group have celiac disease and if I do have it, I will do what I must and deal with a gluten free diet. However, it will mean a major lifestyle change for me and the thought of it is quite depressing at this point. I know it could be so much worse, but it just seems that my health issue mountain just keeps getting higher and higher. I am usually able to keep a very good attitude but right now I really just want to cry. For the first time in my life, I am sitting here thinking - just how much more can I take? How many more medical issues am I going to have to deal with? Hopefully I am overreacting and I really don't have celiac disease, but right now I am just about to have a pity party, but I'm trying not to.

By the way, I do not think you are being unreasonable in expecting the doctor to talk to you over the phone and answer your questions. Be persistent!

Hang in there and take care.

W