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I have been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Immune Deficiency Syndrome,
Hypothyroidism and severe anemia (iron deficient). I have had trouble with
anemia most of my life. My iron levels seem to drop for no reason at all. I
have had several tests run to find out why but they haven't come up with
anything. I can not tolerate iron pills or iron in vitamins pills. Besides
they do nothing to bring my iron level back up. I have been hospitalized five
time for dehydration and had a blood transfusion because of my Ferritin level
was at two and hemoglobin drop to six.

While in the hospital they did a D-Xylose Absorption Test. My doctor never
did explain what the test was for or what the tests results meant. I
researched on the Internet for the meaning of the test. My blood test was
normal but urine excretion was at 2.8 gms. It stated that in sprue and sprue
like conditions the urinary excretion is lowered due to impaired absorption
and that normal was greater than 5 gms.

I have had problems with keeping my weight on. A couple years ago my I lost
30 lbs in a very short period of time. I went on a very strict diet. But it
seem like everything I ate upset my stomach and wouldn't stay down. I tried
eating oatmeal and it made me sick. I had to constantly rotate my food.

I have allergies to about everything...cat, dust mites, cockroach, grasses,
weeds, trees, molds. I have hay fever. Diagnosed with Eosinophila. I am
allergic or sensitive to yeast. When I would eat bread, it started burning
down my throat. It just hurt really bad. When I told my doctors that, they
just looked at me funny. My allergist wouldn't even consider allergy shots.

I have had the irritable bowel syndrome. But year ago I was constipated most
of the time. Now I seem to go back and forth between the two. I know my
doctors were looking into malabsorption problem but because I didn't have
diarrhea  very often, it was dismissed.

I am trouble with swelling in my feet, ankles and legs..sometimes in my hands
or face. I am vomiting a good bit of the time. Right now I am not dehydrated
but I have to be so careful. I don't know what foods I can eat. I am also a
reactive hypoglycemic.  My sister was just diagnosed with diabetes II.

I am telling you all this to see if there is any reason for me to be
concerned with sprue. And also what is sprue like conditions? I have had such
a hard time with doctors just to get a diagnoses of CFIDs. They just kept
telling me that whatever I had would just go away. It just some of the things
I have read about sprue..the chronic iron deficicent anemia, stomach
problems, the allergies and food allergies and the D-Xylose test makes me
concern. What else could impaired absorption?

I just want to be armed with good information when I go back to the doctor.
Last June I got diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. I had to switch doctors so
often. I just had to switch doctors because I am hard to stick because of
being dehydrated so much. They need to have a baby needle to stick.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration in this matter.

Rosemary Wolf