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

Hi ALL!
About three weeks ago I was diagnosed with Celiac's Disease (CD) this
was done via endoscopy with biopies.  I immediately stopped eating the
no-no's and began to feel a difference (I had been quite ill off and on
for years, not really knowing why).  This CD diagnosis was reconfirmed
yesterday when I recieved the results of the serum tests.  My IgA
Endomysial antibody titer was a positive 2560 and my Anti-reticulin
antibody a positive 1280.  I have two questions for all/any of you that
may be able to help me out:
         The first ? may seem silly, but my Dr. doesn't want any calls to her
office, she wants me to write all my questions down and wait until my
next appointment, which isn't for another two weeks (she's the only
gastroenterologist within about 100 miles of me!)  So anyway, my
question is what do these values mean?  Are they REALLY elevated?  What
kind of numbers are considered to be within normal range?
        The next question is perhaps a bit more technical, I just hope someone
out there can help; my insurance company covered a good part of the
endoscopy (and colonoscopy too) mainly because my Dr. is a
"participating provider".  However, the pathologist who looked at the
biopsies is NOT a paticipating provider, so I am left with a bill of
over $400.00 that my ins. company won't pay.  I feel stuck between a
rock and a hard place!  First, because I live in a very rural area, I
really didn't have much say in which pathologist I used.  Second, my
insurance company does not consider the reason for having these biopsies
done to be "life threatening" and therefore, they will not cover them.
I am in the process appealing this decision that my ins. co. has so
graciously made for me regarding my quality of health.  And so, finally,
my second question is: does ANYONE have any information or suggestions,
or CREDIBLE sources for me to send into my insurance co. with my letter
of appeal to say INDEED CD is/can very much be a life threatening
problem IF left undiagnosed and untreated!! And the best method to
diagnose CD is with a biopsy!
         My symptoms prior to my endoscopy was iron deficient anemia (taking
900mg a day for MONTHS with NO improvement), malabsorption
(steatorrhea), weeks straight with diarrhea, chronic fatigue, weight
loss, and abdominal pain. . . I WAS SICK!  And getting worse! It drives
me batty to think "they"(ins. co.s) feel at liberty to say this isn't
considered necessary or "life threatening"!
        So, my health is FINALLY getting back on track(YEAH!), meanwhile my
stress level isn't doing so great!  I'm a college student just
struggling to get by!!  Anyway my apologies for the LONG whine session,
but if anyone thinks they can be of any help to me, your replies would
be GREATLY appreciated!
MANY, MANY, thanks in advance!
Very Sincerely,
~Whitney~