<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> This arrived tonight, and is so good it must be shared immediately. GK **** >There are good doctors out there - who are aware of the failings of the >rest of the medical community (my OB/GYN - a male - when my husband asked >him why they couldn't tell when the baby was going to come, said "It's >because men don't have babies. If they did, we would have a blood test to >tell us to the second when the baby was going to arrive!"). > >My son's pediatrician, a mere GP, is highly critical of many of the >gastroenterologists. He diagnosed Jimmy, after intensive research into >what possibly might be wrong. When the gastro wanted to do a biopsy on >Jimmy - no sedation because of other medical problems, he wanted to 'just >tie him down so tight that he can't move' - and said that "a little gluten >- a cracker - every day or two for a week should give a positive if he's >really a celiac" our doctor adamantly said no. When the same gastro said >that Jimmy didn't have celiac because the blood tests were negative for >antibodies (after more than a year on a gf diet) our doctor terminated his >contact with our son's case. Jim's doctor has fought for him non stop - he >has searched for medications that are gf, and has written prescriptions >that explicitly state that there cannot be any wheat, oat, barley or rye >derivatives in the medications. He has spent hours discussing celiac with >Jim (who was diagnosed at 2 and is now 7 1/2). And he has avidly read any >and all information that I have found for him. There are doctors who care, >and don't mind learning. >Lee Sawyer ***** Then there were others that were not as cheering: **** >I also have a couple comments about doctors. Usually when I go to a doctor >here in Warsaw I walk away with a pile of prescriptions, anywhere from 3-6. >Most of the time I never get them fulfilled and the minor ailment gets >healed by the body in a reasonable amount of time. Still, even here in >Eastern Europe there are some doctors who are not so quick to prescribe a >handful of pills . When I came down with the flu a couple months ago the >doctor I visited told me I had two choices: either he could prescribe >antibiotics and I'd go back to work in a day or two or I could stay at home >for a week, take it easy and not take antibiotics. He seemed to prefer the >second option and that's what I did. Antibiotics always mess up my stomach >anyway. When I asked him whether or not I should get a flu shot he said >that he preferred giving shots only to people in an at-risk group, such as >older people, people with heart trouble, etc. >I have found that the best thing to do is to become an informed,proactive >patient, which to me means using the internet to find info in English >that's totally unavailable locally. The gastro I'm seeing now seems to >appreciate this. A few weeks ago he told me that he wanted to do a biopsy >for a type of gastroenteritis and I asked him to write down the name so I >could check it out on the internet. When next we met he asked if I had >found some info, which I had. I think this is a good way to do things >because if nothing else it saves him from taking the time to explain the >condition in detail. Also, in my case I can read info which was written by >a native English speaker, which can be clearer at times than my doctor >explaining something to me in his imperfect English or me trying to >understand his native Polish with my imperfect Polish. >In general Polish doctors have a tendency to the "God complex" mentioned in >your posting. Even so, I have found that when asked they are quite willing >to answer all my questions in detail. >As for finding out the GF status, etc. of medications that issue is a major >problem for me. Thankfully I really haven't been in a situation like an >operation where serious meds are absolutely called for. In Poland it is >impossible to find out the GF status of meds or anything else without >calling manufacturers directly, which is what doctors/pharmacists advised >me to do. So far I haven't bothered. Pharmacies don't have databases with >this stuff the way I heard some US ones do. Pharmaceutical companies don't >have 800 numbers for customer service. My written Polish isn't good enough >to write a fax/letter asking about the GF status of whatever so a friend >would have to help me with that. It's all too much trouble, though a Polish >member on the List has helped me out with a lot of things and even given me >a copy of a letter he sent to manufacturers. The whole situation has >essentially forced me to stay away from all processed food, most of which >is full of things I can't eat anyway. Sometimes it seems like people on >this list are obsessed with finding a gluten-free Twinkie or Ring Ding. I >can understand wanting to be able to use convenience foods as I get very >tired of making most of my food myself, but at least this way I know what >I'm getting. >Well, I may have strayed from the topic a bit but I thought you might be >interested in what the situation is like over here. > >Dan >Warsaw, Poland **** > tell me about it! today my doctor tried to find a gluten free >antibiotic and decongestant for me and gave up. I told her try doing this >everyday! my first diagnosis was horrible-the doctor said after awile I >could eat wheat again. talk about getting my hopes up. the diet would just >be for a little while they said. thanks for a chance to let us vent. >-Aimee