<<Disclaimer:  Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

From a non physician standpoint, allow me to make a few comments without
upsetting some professionals.

You have walked into one of the horror stories about how the biopsy can be
performed.  As a patient I would ask your GI what is the next step in
determining the problem.  Since CD was ruled out, what is left or is it a
classic case that all of your problems are in your head.

Since you are on this listserv, I have to ask if you were on a GF diet at the
time of the biopsy, if so there is a very good reason that your biopsy was
normal.  A celiac on the diet cannot be diagnosed by the biopsy.

When I talk with people about the biopsy in an area where I am not familiar
with the physcian.  Some of the key points that I pass along are:

Ask how many celiac patients this physician has diagnosed.

What is the purpose of the biopsy?  To evaluate the mucosua for damaged villi
that indicates CD or another reason.  This forces the physician and the
pathologist to spell out the diagnosis in reference to CD.

Ask if the physcian supports the concept of performing the celiac serologic
blood test before the biopsy.  Especially if going from a GF diet to a wheat
containing diet.  If the biopsy is negative and the blood test is postive,
then CD still should be considered as a possibility.

A few physicans have recommended the GF diet as a trial for a person with a
negative biopsy.  If good response is obtained, then CD is considered a
higher probability.  This happen to me on my first biopsy, but my physcian
made a mistake and did not explain the diet.  I had oats every morning and of
course I showed no change in my condition.

In my case, two years later after checking out every organ, we came back to
the biopsy with the intent of resolving the issue of CD.  I knew nothing
about CD and thankfully, my physician was determine to resolve the issue.
This time the physcian corrected his mistake and explained the diet with
excellent results.

If you would like to continue this discussion offline, please contact me at
my ID ([log in to unmask])

Michael Jones
Living a wonderful, GF life in Orlando, FL