First was my family doc, I do actually like him, yet I rarely see him, it's always a PA, unless you book way in advance. The first time I saw him, he did blood work, no fasting, and a Doppler nerve conduction test. The office called me, said I do have neuropathy in my upper body and that my cholesterol was high, adjust my diet! Any time I went in for pain of some kind, they would say, it's because of my neuropathy. Then in Nov I was having terrible stomach pains, I thought maybe an ulcer and the PA told me I was depressed and anxious, take Celexa, all will be better soon--they also did blood work, a thyroid panel, told me everything was fine. Come March, the stomach pains are gone, yet still anxious, terrible fatigue, weight gain, temp fluctuations, brain fog, etc, the doc increased my Celexa I requested an antibody test, which came back high, so I was sent to an endo. The endo said my thyroid numbers look fine and excused me--come back when you have visible symptoms. Not satisfied with that answer, I tried a new doc recommended by a good friend. A gyno who offers emotional help, diet and fitness center--called A Woman's Way. She put me on a 1200 calorie diet to reset my metabolism, 100 calories every 2 hours. She tells me to eat 1 of my ricecakes and peanut butter for breakfast and 2 hrs later, a piece of WHOLE WHEAT BREAD .Wants me to see her nutritionist, @ $50 a visit, no coverage from insurance because I am not a diabetic. Well, that's out, I have so many intolerance's, I would be wasting my money. Add to that, now I need a D&C and probably a hysterectomy.

She sends me to a neurologist to get an official diagnosis from him for the neuropathy, I guess my earlier diagnosis wasn't good enough--to which amazingly, I called for an appt just as they had a cancellation. I saw Dr. Mebrahtu, unhuh, I can't say it either! He says my reflexes are too good for me to have neuropathy, he wants to do a new nerve conduction test himself, doesn't believe the 2 I had done before. He has ordered 2 MRI's, the nerve conduction, and a brain scan. I told him I have to have an open MRI, he asks if I am claustrophobic, when I replied I am, he says he will give me xanax. I said no. He says, I am writing you a prescription for valium, I said, NO. He thinks I have a cervical problem, probably in my neck and shoulders, which is pinching nerves and causing the neuropathy symptoms. Yet when my reg doctor was sure I had a pinched nerve, he ran a nerve conduction to find it, they didn't find any. Dr. Mebrahtu also told me that if I am a self-diagnosed celiac, then I am wrong. So, I remained calm and told him, "If it makes you feel better, you can call me gluten intolerant, but, I can't have gluten! AND, what difference does it make to him?

When I saw the gyno again on Monday for a sonagram, she tells me she had 2 women come in the same day as me and tell her they were just diagnosed with celiac disease by a blood test alone--why don't I try that. I tried to explain to her that I have been gluten free for too long for that test to work! She thinks I am being difficult! When I have requested the gene test be done, it never gets done. If it didn't come back with 2 definite genes they wouldn't believe me anyways.

And--when I told the doc I work for about the polyps, prolapsed uterus (which I have had to deal with for years now) and the probable hysterectomy--guess what he said! This has probably been your problem all along.
Why is it so hard to believe someone can't have gluten and the damage it causes before figuring it out?

Vent over, maybe!