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What a whoppingly fascinating stack of emails I have to
thwock on the doctor's desk tomorrow ...

I received a total of 45 emails in response to my 5-pronged
question re: "classic" CD symptoms.

1. While my doctor thinks that a 5 minute reaction time
is "too soon" to be CD ... the responses broke down
thusly:

Of the 45 responses, 24 did not mention a specific
reaction time and/or have no gastric/vomiting type reaction.

Of the remaining 21 responders that specified their
reaction time:

13 had a 5-10 minute reaction time
4 had a 10-30 minute reaction time
4 had a reaction time well over an hour

2. My doctor was equally sure that vomiting was
not a "classic" symptom.

Of the 45 emails, 20 folks did not mention the specific
exit route their food took.

Of the remaining 25 responders:
17 did vomit
8 did not vomit

3. The hot/flushed face feeling that my doctor said
was "not" a symptom at all ...

Of the 45 emails, 37 responders did not mention
any hot face situations.

Of the remaining 8 --
6 did have a hot/burning face
2 definitely did not

4. My negative enzyme test appears to be in
good company.

Of the 45 emails, 31 made no mention of what their
results were.

Of the 14 emails that specifically mentioned getting
a positive or negative blood test -- split right down
the middle -- 7 had negative blood tests, 7 had positive
tests. There did seem to be a lot of inconsistency ...
negative biopsies, but positive blood tests .... or vice
versa  ...

5. My biggest worry has been slayed! My fear of being
"too fat to join the club" appears to be unfounded.

Of the 45 emails, 26 emailers made no mention
whatsoever of their weight -- either current weight
or pre-CD weight ... [which I found in itself to be
curious, especially since purists cite wasting
as the "#1 symptom". Either all the bone-thin folks out
there are thin AND shy, or they didn't mention it for fear
of making this bubble-butt feel bad ... who knows...?]

Of the 19 folks that were open about their weight ...
3 had wasting
16 had no wasting ... and/or were overweight
pre-diagnosis ... and a good 5 or 6 lost weight
after going GF. [count me as part of that camp:
down 12 pounds. wahoo.]

*staying GF:  this was never an issue really, but thank
you to all those who expressed alarm that I might be
pondering dancing in the wheat fields. My question/
whine was more sheer crankyness at being poked
and prodded and tested for everything ... but CD ...
seems that he's holding back on doing a biopsy
since I don't present "classic"  symptoms and
is instead running the gamut of tests -- all which
come back negative. GF I shall stay.

*seizures: I received many questions about my seizures.
I was diagnosed in 1970 and have had every flavor
of seizures known to man. The absence seizures
[almost a low blood sugar woozieness] and myoclonic
jerks [an eye twitch, only in an entire limb] have been
the most resistant to increased barbituates ... so, against
doctor's orders, I decreased my anti-convulsants 3 years
ago -- and still had the same # of seizures. Since
being GF, the absence seizures have stopped dead
in their tracks and the myoclonic jerks are down 90%.
Reason enough to stay GF.

*get another doctor!: was the battle cry of many. I am
loathe to do this at this juncture for several reasons ...
the biggest one is that this guy *listens* and doesn't
treat me like a hypochondriack [sic] and has plopped
medical text in front of me and said "does any of that
fit with how you feel?" He treats me like an intelligent-
thinking GI-distressed gal, and after a lifetime of
condescension -- I'll take a little paper-training any day.

Thanks to everyone who responded so candidly and
so thoroughly.

Tracey in Connecticut