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

I am writing this so that you celiacs will know what to expect from doctors.

I am going on 70, however when I was 41, i started having cd symptoms.  I
went to my doctor, and he told me that i had a spastic colon, gave me
"lomatil" (not sure of the spelling) to stop the diarrhea, which worked.  but
after a while this did not help.  i kept eliminating foods that i thought was
giving me the diarrhea, till i was eating almost nothing.

This continued till 1982 when i started coughing and urinating blood.
x-ray's were taken, and the conclusion was that i had a mass on my left
kidney.  I was admitted to the hospital for removal of that kidney.  I wrote
to the post last week just partially of what happened.  therefore i will
repeat with more detail.

when admitted, the doctors told my wife to just let me die as i had cancer.
in a period of maybe 2 hours, i used the bedpan 8 times, with just foam.  my
wife God bless her made a fuss, till a blood doctor came in felt my stomach,
and on a hunch,sent me for a biopsy with a gastro doctor.  the test was
positive, and i was put on a celiac diet.  now when i was admitted, i weight
about 80 pounds, after a few days, the bleeding got lighter, i started
gaining weight,my stool became firm, and the mass on my left kidney started
to go down in size.  I would have had a kidney removed because the doctors
did not know and were too proud to say I don't know what is wrong with you.

one more thing.  while in the hospital, they decided to do an angiogram on
me.  now from the malabsorbtion, i developed malnutrition, which led to the
absence of the K factor (clotting of blood) had they done the angiogran, i
would have bled to death right there on the table, lucky for me, the
technician took a last minute blood test.and found this non clotting which
had developed.

I hope that this gets to be posted so that everyone can read it, and if
needed, confront their doctor when they poo poo your condition.

there are other conflicts i had with doctors, but that is another story.

i will answer any questions you might have

alex schwedack