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

Hi everybody...

I've had several people ask me why I don't want my illness to be CD.  I
haven't mentioned that I've already had MS, lupus, cancer and a variety of
other "worse" diseases ruled out.  I would much rather this be an allergy (or
another treatable digestive problem making my gut hyperpermeable), instead of
CD, because at least with allergies, as long as there isn't an anaphylactic
reaction the outcome of a slip up, though uncomfortable, isn't as serious as
with CD.  My son is allergic to wheat, eggs and peanuts, and a good friend
that I often cook for is allergic to milk and eggs, so I'm already used to
label reading, avoidance, and alternate diets.  Being CD would add yet
another dimension to this, and for someone who has never paid much attention
to food or eating, the whole idea of having to think about every bite of
food, every medication, and even non-food items that come in contact with my
body, is almost more than I can handle.  If I have it I will deal with it,
but at the begining of the learning curve it is more intimidating than
anything I've ever had to do before (and I've done some pretty challenging
things in my life).

I went wheat-free in December, long before my initial CD blood test.  Every
time I've tried to add wheat back into my diet I have had major setbacks
(unable to eat for 3 days).  I may try adding a slice of bread back to my
diet until my GI appointment.  I've eaten some barley recently and had no
problem with it (I might have had symptoms, but they weren't as severe as the
last time I ate wheat bread and thus I didn't notice them).  I can tolerate
some pain, I just can't tolerate being unable to eat (I only weigh 100 lbs.
My "normal" weight after the age of 30 was between 115 and 125, but never
below 115, even with dieting/exercise).  When I stopped eating wheat I had no
idea that I might have CD.  I cut back on wheat when I was battling candida,
then stopped it when I realized that a symptoms I'd had for a long time had
gone away when I'd cut out the wheat.  After a month totally wheat-free I ate
some bread (2 home made sweet rolls) and then proceeded to be unable to eat
anything for the next 3 days.  In the process I've also found some food
allergens that also have the same effect, and I might have eaten those at the
same time, which might have contributed to the effect of the wheat being so
much worse.  The fact remains though that I did have the high positive IgG
antigliadin antibody result (48).

I'll ask again... has anybody here had a rectal challenge test?  This is a
relatively new procedure where a biopsy is taken of the rectal mucosa, and
then that biopsy area is coated with a gluten-containing slurry and
rebiopsied 4 hours later.  This doesn't involve an oral gluten challenge.
I'm curious if anybody has had this done or even had it offered as an option
by their doctor.  Apparently a positive result can occur up to 6 months after
going GF.

Thanks,
Andrea

* Please include your location in all posts about products *