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Hi!  My mother has just been tentatively diagnosed with celiac disease.  I am
aware that most of you on this list are not doctors, but I would like to see
if maybe I could get some reassurance from all of you more experienced with
celiac disease.

My mother recently landed in the emergency room for severe anemia.  The last
two years she has suffered from severe stomach pains and has all her life been
diagnosed with some type of anemia.  There is much debate about what her
hemoglobin count was when she went to the hospital.  Whatever it was, it was
severe enough to warrant a blood transfusion.  She was so weak, she could
hardly even walk and would have severe shortness of breath.  The doctors
performed a sigmoidoscopy to see if there was any GI bleeding to explain her
severe anemia, which there was not.  However, they did a biopsy and found
signs of celiac disease.  We are still waiting for the results of the blood
tests to confirm this diagnosis.  Her gastro doctor seems pretty sure that
this celiac disease and has already placed her on the very strict diet.  She
is also getting B12 injections and has to take iron pills.

My questions for you are:

1.  If a biopsy indicates celiac disease, will blood tests almost always
support the biopsy?
2.  Have any of you experienced such severe anemia with this disease?
3.  Does the above sound like the normal protocol for diagnosis of sprue?
4.  Does having celiac disease predispose you to any bone marrow diseases or
leukemias?

This may sound weird, but I am hoping and praying that this is celiac disease
and not something life threatening.  When the doctors took a first bone marrow
test, they stated that they were either looking for pernicious anemia or a
bone marrow disorder called myelodysplastica (the latter has me worried
immensely).  They will be taking a 2nd bone marrow this coming Monday, I guess
to see if the vitamins are helping her make healthy blood cells again.

I am sorry for the length of this message, but I am ridden with anxiety over
this.  I am very worried about my mom.  Any reassurance you could provide (or
if you would like to share your similar experiences with this disease), it
would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Sonja