Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Celiac's Disease

well, i had an appointment with the hemotologist. my iron level is up to normal and i can even cut back to 2 iron pills a day. great. when he tested my blood, he also tested certain antibodies and he found that i have numbers that indicate that i probably have Celiac's Disease. he tested my antigliadin (or something) antbodies . normal values are between 0-19. mine were 101! so, he recommended a gastroenterologist for further evaluation. he's pretty sure that he will agree with the diagnosis. it would explain why i have trouble absorbing iron, B-12 and vitamin D. it would explain the painful bloating, fatigue and bad reaction to foods/eating. also, thyroid disease is common with those that have Celiac's which is an autoimmune disease. there will be a lot of things i will no longer be able to eat. gluten is the culprit. when i was hospitalized years back for colitis and i was in the pedi ward in a room with a girl with Celiac's. she had been in the hospital for 2 weeks because she accidentily ate wheat.
so, another stupid illness to deal with. it aways happens...go to a doctor for one thing and come out with something new. joy.

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