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

First, thanks to all who responded.  I learned much and am forwarding
the following summary of responses to share what I learned. A couple of
messages in particular really addressed this issue clearly and
concisely.  It seems the essential points when it comes to informing
doctors, family, and friends about what it actually means to be celiac
and what it means to be TESTED specifically for celiac disease are:

 - Being allergic to wheat is entirely different than having Celiac disease
which is an autoimmune disease (although it is possible to have both
conditions).

 - An allergist's tests are completely different than the tests done for
Celiac.  An "allergy" would be an IgE response.  IgA and IgG responses
indicate celiac, which is a non-allergic immune response.

If you have the IgG antigliadin antibody test done it is a very general
screening test and is not disease specific in other words there are many
false positives. ^ĊIf you have symptoms of Celiac the endomysial IgA test
is recommended as this test is very specific for Celiac.  In other words
if you have a positive, generally your biopsy is positive.

Several respondents stated that they had also been told by their doctor
that they had a very low response to allergens.  Some people do have an
IgA deficiency, (this can be measured with a blood test) which could
mean that even the correct blood work for celiac disease would provide
inaccurate results, possibly reading false negatives for CD.

All those interested in the issue of testing should go to the
listservice website and view the DIAG-TST file, which is a comprehensive
discussion on celiac testing.  A woman in California also recommended  a
publication titled "Clinical Presentation of the Primary
Immunodeficiency Diseases" a resource for physicians distributed by
Immune Deficiency Foundation:  (800) 296-4433.

-Theresa, NYC