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Hey everybody

I went through the scopes last Friday, colonoscopy and upper endoscopy, and
they took biopsies from about ten spots in me. I'm still having some pains
today, and my stools still aren't back to normal. I had to drink that gallon
of laxative stuff, it was called Colyte, and had to take four Dulcolax
tablets. I had to do the solid food fast for 24 hours before the exams, and
the stools haven't been back to normal since. They kind of look like
steatorrhea right now. They are slowly getting better every day, and the
pains in the abdomen were actually going away pretty well, but I had a
gluten slip-up. I tried some tortilla chips that I never had before that are
made locally. They only say corn, corn oil, and salt on the ingredients, but
I'm pretty sure they had wheat flour in them. I had about ten of them on
Monday, and had problems pretty soon afterwards. Diarrhea twice the next
day, then pains in the abdomen on the right side. This turned into achy
pains all over, and kind of feels like it got inflamed inside my gut for a
while. I threw the chips out as soon as I realized what they did to me.

These were my first scope exams, and I am wondering how long does it usually
take before the stools come back to normal? Also the same question with
regards to feeling like my insides were punched with an ice pick in about
ten different spots, how long will it be before the pains are gone?

OBTW, my colon looked pink and healthy, no signs of inflammation or
infection, no sores, polyps, nothing but healthy colon. He got the scope all
the way up to the ileum (I heard him say). Upper intestine on the other
hand... GI doctor who did the exam winced at the monitor and took biopsies
from five different spots in upper intestine. After the exam he patted me on
the shoulder and told me "Keep doing what you are doing, don't eat grains".
My follow-up appointment is May 1. This was done at the County hospital, so
I guess I was still pretty bad inside from ten years of grains three times a
day, which gave me daily diarrhea, steatorrhea, bloated abdomen,
malnutrition, body-wide inflammation, etc, etc. Even after being 99% GF
since June last year, then taking L-Glutamine and probiotics since about
November last year when I found St. John's, the years of damage must have
left obvious scarring in me. I heard him mention the term "cholangitis"
while he was examining me. I guess Celiac Disease was fairly obvious to this
GI who did the examination (he looked to be about 55-60 years of age).

Well Crohn's and ulcerative colitis are about ruled out. I'll let you know
what they tell me about the biopsies they took. I'm kind of amazed the
County hospital was able to diagnose Celiac in me, but I think I am true
Celiac, and the years of damage must have made the diagnosis easy for this
trained doctor to immediately see with the scope.

Looking forward to your input about the pains and the stools, the times to
healing, etc.

Stay GF (now more then ever!)

Jerry