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I'm so doing the happy dance right now!
I ran into a woman I worked with the other day and was shocked at the amount of weight she had lost. She told me that she found this doctor who practices 10 miles away from where I live who is a functional medicine/chiropractor/nutritionist and 'gets it' with the relationship of food and the negative effects it can have on your body. I've been reading his blog and cannot believe I have found a doctor who seems to be on the same page as me! Haven't made an appointment yet but will be calling him after the holiday!
This is his blog: http://www.helpmychronicpain.com/blog/? ... ne+thyroid
I haven't posted in a while but feel like I'm making slow progress. I went gluten free over a year and a half ago, along with reduced dairy (still do a little hard cheeses). I will eat soy on very rare occasions. My progress has been two steps forward and one - sometimes two steps back. Entrtolab test had led me to believe I am Iga deficient, however I've reached a dead end as my GI doc didn't really understand the Iga role.......... Long story short, had colonoscopy last May. Actually couldn't get the doc to stain for mast cells. Went to University of Michigan and was told to see a psychiatrist and nutritionist. She stated she had never seen anyone with a mast cell issue and none of the other GI docs had either......Sigh.
In spite of these ignorant medical professionals, I am slowly making progress. It took almost a year and a half to see anything that resembled Norman, but he will show himself occasionally. I have learned a lesson the hard way too. I gave myself permission to indulge in all those foods I knew I shouldn't on Thanksgiving. As delicious as it was, I am still reeling from symptoms. I'm not going to get mad at myself. I thoroughly enjoyed that meal but I certainly have learned a valuable lesson and one that I will NEVER forget. I have also discovered that when I am in very stressful situations, my gums swell something awful and get extremely painful. Never before realized just how profound of an effect stress has on my body.
But this doctor seems just like the person I need... I can't wait to talk to him!
Linda wrote:I've reached a dead end as my GI doc didn't really understand the Iga role.......... Long story short, had colonoscopy last May. Actually couldn't get the doc to stain for mast cells. Went to University of Michigan and was told to see a psychiatrist and nutritionist. She stated she had never seen anyone with a mast cell issue and none of the other GI docs had either......Sigh.
Wow! One dumbell after another.
Linda wrote:I have also discovered that when I am in very stressful situations, my gums swell something awful and get extremely painful. Never before realized just how profound of an effect stress has on my body.
That suggests that you have serious mast cell issues. You might find that antihistamines may be helpful, not just for the gum issues, but for your GI symptoms, also. Some of us find that taking one 24-hour antihistamine each morning seems to work just as well as taking Entocort EC.
Thanks for the update,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Linda, I'm a Michigan girl too (Brooklyn, MI). I've had similar luck with the U of M Health System docs. Although I'm positive I have mast cell issues, especially since taking antihistamines helps me tremendously, my GI doc says my blood tests were "negative for mast cell involvement". Can they really tell from a blood test?
Pat C.
"Don't sweat the small stuff.
P.S. (It's all small stuff!)"
PatC wrote:Can they really tell from a blood test?
Only if you have had a powerful mast cell reaction within about two hours before they drew the sample, and even then the test result might be negative unless you have systemic mastocytosis. IOW they really don't have a blood test that can reliably test for this (very similar to their inability to test for gluten sensitivity unless the patient has fully-developed celiac disease).
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Pat, thank you for that question, and Tex, thank you for your reply! They did draw blood at the U of M, which did not show an increased count. With the doctors i have seen, I've approached these visits by explaining that I am just trying a process of elimination to exclude what I don't have. I'm not a violent person but sure wanted to slap this doctors attitude right off of her face! Her attitude was akin to that of the 'Great and powerful Oz'. If there is ever a list of doctors to avoid, this would be one. Her name is Beth Rose Manoogian. I'm wondering which doctor you saw Pat.
I saw Dr. Nadeem Ullah in Jackson, at Allegiance Health (now part of the U of M System). He is better than the last GI I saw; his attitude is good. But MC seems to be one of those chronic diseases that we always will suffer more than our doctors believe!
Pat C.
"Don't sweat the small stuff.
P.S. (It's all small stuff!)"
