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          I am very worried about three-year-old Evan. If you have any ideas
          for me, please e-mail.

          One year ago he became very ill. Evan had always been a "high-
          needs" kids with a poor appetite, but the constant diarrhea, salty
          sweats, fatigue, occasional vomiting and irritability were new. We
          eliminated milk which ended the vomiting, wheat elimination saw
          some improvement, then eliminating all gluten stopped the diarrhea.
          Blood tests taken two months after being ill and before the gluten-
          free diet did not suggest malabsorption. His pediatrician suggested
          a biopsy which would be done in her office with no anesthesia. We
          refused this brutal and invasive procedure for our little boy. Our
          G.P. gave Evan a diagnosis of celiac disease with no further
          testing.

          Not seeking new pediatrician may have been our big mistake.

          It took us a while to discover all the hidden forms of gluten in
          his diet. I can only guarantee the strictness of his gluten-free
          diet for the last seven months. But, in retrospect, Evan should not
          have gone gluten-free before more testing was done. A bowel biopsy
          performed under anesthesia was never offered as an option. Antibody
          testing was not performed, either.

          Evan is now 12--18 months speech delayed, has terrible tantrums
          during which he bangs his head, and still fits the clothes and
          shoes he wore before he got sick. He is growing, but very slowly.
          He refuses all but a very limited repertoire of foods (gluten-free
          pancakes enriched with almond flour, soy formula and shredded
          carrots; homemade french fries; muffins and cookies; peanut butter;
          fruit juices; cheddar cheese...not much else). He eats very little
          food at all. We honestly don't know if Evan's problems are
          behavioral, developmental, or medical.

          Friday we drove for three hours to see another pediatrician at the
          Children's Hospital. This doctor wants to do a sweat test for
          cystic fibrosis, blood tests for antibodies and nutrition, and will
          likely have the G.I. team do a biopsy under general anesthesia
          after we re-introduce a regular diet.

          QUESTIONS

          - Must the regular diet continue for at least six months, even if
          diarrhea returns (and stays) much earlier?

          - Can cystic fibrosis and celiac disease be confused? Evan has no
          respiratory problems.

          THANK YOU

          Thank you in advance for your ideas. I appreciate the support I
          have received from this list over the last nine months or so.

          ...Pam