Good morning!
I'm wondering what your thoughts are about getting a small bowel endoscopy / biopsy? I've been reading more about the possibility of villous atrophy with MC via the wonderful links from the index. As Polly pointed out, the SB must be where my malabsorption is coming from.
I'm torn between getting more tests or focusing on healing. Being a very practical person, I tend to want to know exactly what the problems are and the extent of damage so I know best how to heal.
I'm curious what your thoughts are on this.
Thanks so much for all you've done on this site. The information everyone has so generously offered is tremendous!
Warmly,
Celia
Question for Tex and Polly
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Question for Tex and Polly
I beleive in magic!
Good morning, Celia,
Thank you for the kind words. We are learning from you, while you're learning from us.
I've never had a small bowel endoscopy, so I don't know what it is like, (as far as invasive tests are concerned). I would assume that it is a somewhat uncomfortable, expensive test, but that's just a guess.
While it's probably not quite as definitive, you could presumably get roughly the same basic information, (that is, a measure of damage to the small intestine), by means of a stool test to determine your fecal fat score.
I would presume that the endoscopy with biopsies, would yield more definitive results than a stool test, as far as damage to the villi is concerned, but there is always a risk of a perforation, or some other form of damage, with the conventional, invasive exams. A perforation, of course, would mean that you would have to have immediate emergency surgery. For me, at least, that risk tips the scales to favor the non-invasive test methods.
If you are cutting gluten out of your diet already, the damage to your small intestine will eventually heal, anyway. One advantage to the endoscopy exam, of course, would be that the biopsy results would definitively document the presence or absence of villous atrophy, so there would never be any question about that issue. If you are already GF, you would need to have that exam done fairly soon, before the villi recover.
I'm probably not a good one to ask, because I'm personally biased against invasive tests, and I'll almost always choose the easy way out. LOL.
Good luck, whichever way you choose to go.
Wayne
Thank you for the kind words. We are learning from you, while you're learning from us.
I've never had a small bowel endoscopy, so I don't know what it is like, (as far as invasive tests are concerned). I would assume that it is a somewhat uncomfortable, expensive test, but that's just a guess.
While it's probably not quite as definitive, you could presumably get roughly the same basic information, (that is, a measure of damage to the small intestine), by means of a stool test to determine your fecal fat score.
I would presume that the endoscopy with biopsies, would yield more definitive results than a stool test, as far as damage to the villi is concerned, but there is always a risk of a perforation, or some other form of damage, with the conventional, invasive exams. A perforation, of course, would mean that you would have to have immediate emergency surgery. For me, at least, that risk tips the scales to favor the non-invasive test methods.
If you are cutting gluten out of your diet already, the damage to your small intestine will eventually heal, anyway. One advantage to the endoscopy exam, of course, would be that the biopsy results would definitively document the presence or absence of villous atrophy, so there would never be any question about that issue. If you are already GF, you would need to have that exam done fairly soon, before the villi recover.
I'm probably not a good one to ask, because I'm personally biased against invasive tests, and I'll almost always choose the easy way out. LOL.
Good luck, whichever way you choose to go.
Wayne
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.
Hi Celia!
I'm kinda weak and unfocused just now (see my post "Whatta Night", but wanted to respond. Basically, I can't add much to Wayne's excellent discussion.
In general, I also like to avoid invasive tests unless absolutely necessary. But I also think there is value in having all of the scientific evidence available before embarking upon a longterm treatment plan. If you are one who would have no trouble initiating and staying on the GF diet longterm, then I'd say the test isn't all that necessary. However, if you think you eventually might start to waver and question the necessity of the diet, then it might be good to know for sure. Either way, once you start the diet, your villae should return to normal if they are indeed damaged.
Let us know what you decide to to do, kay?
Love,
Polly
I'm kinda weak and unfocused just now (see my post "Whatta Night", but wanted to respond. Basically, I can't add much to Wayne's excellent discussion.
In general, I also like to avoid invasive tests unless absolutely necessary. But I also think there is value in having all of the scientific evidence available before embarking upon a longterm treatment plan. If you are one who would have no trouble initiating and staying on the GF diet longterm, then I'd say the test isn't all that necessary. However, if you think you eventually might start to waver and question the necessity of the diet, then it might be good to know for sure. Either way, once you start the diet, your villae should return to normal if they are indeed damaged.
Let us know what you decide to to do, kay?
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.