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

We share listmembers frustration regarding some physicians. My wife
would not have been diagnosed had she listened to her GP. He said "I
know you don't have it. I can tell by looking at you. "  Of course he
dismissed the fact that she had two sisters already diagnosed with CD
and had all the classic symptoms.

Things have gotten somewhat better since we have tried to " educate "
him about this disease.

One thing that must temper our judgments of the medical community is the
relative rareness of this disease. Recent studies showing incidence at
1/250  would still mean that a over 99.5 % of the US population will not
have celiac disease.This fact will also come into play when trying to
change product labelling rules etc.

As part of our education process it might be helpful to know some
statistics on the frequency of other diseases with symptoms(Classic)
similar to CD. (anyone have any)

I believe that the  managed care einvironment has a great deat to do
with the the decline of medical treatment in this country. The solution
then ,is not privately griping about  a particular physician but
publicly denouncing the system. The solution is not medical , but
political.

Recently, we have heard outcries against  managed care on  the popular
media. Concerned consumers  of medical treatment should add to this
with letters to elected officals , newsletters etc.

Thanks
Dan Davis