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Saturday, June 23, 2018

It was time

Have you ever convinced yourself you're not sick when there really is something wrong? You make excuses:
  1. I probably ate something unsettling - I'll feel better in a few hours.
  2. Yeah, I don't feel good, but I can't go to the doctor because...(work, busy, finances, don't like needles, afraid there actually IS something wrong, etc.).
  3. Maybe other people feel the same way, and I need to just tough it out.
It's easy for me to list the excuses because I've made them all. I can't even pinpoint the time when I started experiencing discomfort because it was a subtle, slow, downhill slide. All I know is the symptoms increased to a point where I could not brush them aside any longer. 

In January of this year, I finally decided it was time to take action. I reached out to a friend of mine who is a P.A., and she recommended a G.I. doctor. Being a fairly meticulous note-keeper, I gathered all of my notes on symptoms, along with medical history, and prepared for my first appointment.

While I could sit here and type out a wordy dissertation on all the events that occurred between the first appointment and today, I think it makes the most sense to list the highlights - for your sanity and mine.
  • 11 vials of blood to test for celiac disease and other levels
  • 2 fat malabsorption tests
  • Endoscopy and colonoscopy
  • Bone density test
  • Parasite test
  • EnteroLab test for gluten, casein, soy, and egg sensitivities
  • Breath test for SIBO
  • MRT blood test for food sensitivities
Curious about the results? Here we go...
  • Test: blood tests for celiac disease and other levels
    Results: high liver and kidney numbers; negative celiac blood panel
  • Test: fat malabsorption
    Results: 2.5x normal
  • Tests: endoscopy and colonoscopy
    Results: no significant abnormalities but indications for further testing
  • Test: bone density
    Results: osteoporosis (ongoing from early college)
  • Test: parasites
    Results: negative
  • Test: EnteroLab test for gluten, casein, soy, and egg sensitivities
    Results: non-celiac gluten sensitivity (G.I. doctor said the gluten results were high enough to say "celiac" if it makes things easier), and sensitivities to casein, soy, and egg.
  • Test: breath test for SIBO
    Result: negative
  • Test: MRT blood test for food sensitivities
    Results: sensitivities to so many foods I eat on a regular basis
It's overwhelming, isn't it? I think it's time to take a break - just typing it all out is exhausting! I'll come back and go into more depth on the MRT test results and how they have changed my life so far.

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