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Hi all,

I have a colonoscopy and upper endoscopy appointment on March 29. These are
my first scope exams. I admit I am apprehensive and not sure what to expect.
My GI is going to be checking me to see if I am Celiac. I told him my
history, about all the problems I'd been having the last ten years, the
malnutrition, steatorrhea, rashes, etc. The mental fogginess, bone pains,
fatigue, anemia, distended abdomen after I eat wheat, etc. Blood tests in
August 2001 were negative, but at the time I had the blood test I was 8
weeks GF.

My family history is I am Scot-Irish/Italian ancestry. Grandmother on
father's side was Irish, grandfather was Scottish. Grandmother died of
intestinal lymphoma at the age of 60. Father died at the age of 57. Father
was the "runt" of the family, 5' 8", 150 pounds. His brothers are all 6' 2"
and taller, all over 200 pounds. He has 5 brothers, and was the second
oldest of the brothers. My grandfather on my father's side died of old age
at 92 years. There is nothing spectacular on my mother's side. My
grandmother and grandfather on mom's side lived to be in their 70s and 80s,
and died of old age.

I began to suspect I was Celiac in June last year, after eating two
tablespoons of wheat germ put me into the ER. I ate the wheat germ with
juice the night before, and the next morning I woke up and my abdomen was so
distended it looked like I was 9 months pregnant with twins. I had nausea,
vomiting, and diarrhea. The doctors kept me under observation thinking
emergency surgery was going to be needed in case something had ruptured or
was blocked. They reported hearing hyperactive bowel sounds 15 hours after I
had eaten the wheat germ. They finally gave me an antihistamine, and within
5 minutes all the nausea and "sick" feeling was gone. That's when they
started asking me what I'd eaten last. When I told them they recommended I
be seen by a GI.

The reason I am having the scope exams done in two weeks after being nine
months GF is because I have been out of work while all this happened. I am
having them done at the County hospital here, because my medical insurance
lapsed a long time ago. I got laid off a year ago and haven't been able to
get a job yet. So I saw the GI at the County hospital back in January 2002,
and they gave me the scope exam date at the end of March. Beggars can't be
choosers, and I am grateful they even offered them to me in the first place.
So having to wait a few months for them is not a problem.

So my question is, what should I expect on March 29? Are the tests
difficult? Also, since the GI is trying to confirm or rule out Celiac
Disease, and I have been GF since June last year (I made the decision to go
GF after I did a little research about Celiac Disease and found I had about
all of the symptoms of it, since going GF I have gotten about 99% of my
health back), should I eat some gluten grains before the exams in two weeks?
From some of the members of the group I was getting info that my intestines
have probably healed up quite a bit since I went GF in June last year, and
they will be checking me for damaged and flattened villi. All it takes to
make me sick is gluten at this point. If I have gluten for a few meals I
immediately get reactions from it, so if I should have it before the tests
to help confirm the diagnosis, I need to know.

Thanks much for your feedback.

Regards, and stay GF

Jerry

* Visit the Celiac Web Page at www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html *