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Hi,
 
I have just subscribed to this list.  My stay here might be short,
as I do not know if I am gluten intolerant or not.  For years I have
attributed my various health problems to candida.  Recently, I
joined the Yeast-Related Medical Discussion List, and after posting
about my symptoms received info from Don Wiss about Celiac disease.
I had never heard of it before.  So, I am sorry that I don't have anything
to offer any of you by joining the list!  You all know about this disease
and, at this point, I know practically nothing.  The reason I am here
is to learn and get advice.  I have read the FAQ, the NEWCEL PACKAGE
info, and several of the files from the listserver....
 
[I am sorry that this post is so long!]
 
After reading a lot about this disorder, I am suspicious that I
might have this problem.  I have some gastrointestinal symptoms that
I never knew were abnormal until now.  (Steatorrhea for one; I'm too
embarrassed to go into any other details!)  Also, throughout most of my
life I've always been able eat as much as I wanted without ever gaining
any weight.  I'm not underweight by any means (5'6", medium frame,
~130 lbs.).  I am very athletic, and always attributed my lack of weight
gain to that (or a high metabolism).  I never thought there might be
anything abnormal about it.  I also have problems with depression, and
a lot of difficulty concentrating.
 
I have a couple of other problems (chronic urinary tract infections,
and severe cystic acne that keeps coming back even after 3 rounds of
Accutane).  I have been attributing these problems to yeast.  I don't
know if they could be related to Celiac disease or not.  Don sent me
some info which suggests that acne could be caused by a high-carb diet,
and a couple of cases of UTIs that were cleared up by a GF diet.  Has
any of you had either of these problems which cleared up after going
gluten-free?
 
I have been a vegetarian for about 4 years (lacto-ovo), and just
recently realized that my chronic problems (acne and UTIs) became
chronic around the same time I went vegetarian (I had these problems
before, but they had not reached a chronic state).  My diet is quite
high in carbohydrates.  I eat a *lot* of pasta and bread.  So, I am
suspicious that my vegetarian diet is somehow related to my current
symptoms.
 
I don't really know what to do next.  How am I going to find out if
I have this disease or not?  I have read the info on the list server
about testing.  I know that I need to see a gastroenterologist.
Whether it's celiac or some other problem, I know that something
isn't right in my GI tract.  But how do I find a good gastroenterologist
in my area (someone who's experienced with celiac)?  How will I
convince him/her to even test me for celiac?  I don't know if a
GI will think my symptoms are enough to warrant testing.
 
I am hoping to find someone on this list who lives in my area
(Huntsville, Alabama), and who might be able to recommend a good
gastroenterologist.
 
I am also concerned about health insurance.  I am now self-employed,
and currently my health insurance is that of my previous employer
(by way of COBRA).  I will have to obtain other insurance by December
of this year.  Of course, any insurance I get will have a preexisting
condition clause.  This makes me hesitant to get tested for celiac
before I get new insurance.  If I were to be diagnosed with celiac,
I know that I would have to periodically be re-tested.  What is the
typical cost of this procedure?  Are there other ongoing medical costs
after the initial diagnosis?
 
On the other hand, I don't really *want* to wait until I get new health
insurance to be tested, because at the end of this year I will be going
out of the U.S. (to Mexico) for 4 months.  If I do have celiac, I need
to find out soon so I will have time to learn about the GF diet and make
the adjustment before leaving the U.S.  Also, for my mental state I need
to know soon if I have celiac or not.  I'm so focused on it right now
that I can hardly think of anything else.
 
I am also concerned about my daughter.  She is 10 years old, has always
been very thin, and is hyperactive and has been diagnosed with ADD.
She has taken Ritalin (don't know if she's still taking it).  Because
of a very bad situation with my ex, I haven't seen my daughter in 1.5
years, so I don't know much about her current state of health.  Whatever,
my problem is, if it's something hereditary I need to know for her sake
as well as my own.  Although, my ex hates me so much it would probably
be practically impossible to convince him to get her tested for anything.
 
As you can see, I am really confused about what to do at this point.
I feel like I'm "between a rock and a hard place" regarding the health
insurance and my upcoming travel plans.  I am also very upset at the
thought of possibly having this problem and that my daughter might have
it.  I hope some of you can give me some advice and guidance as to what
I should do.  Thanks for listening.
 
--angela
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