I am so use to going to a doctor's appointment that should only take 10 min - and why, oh why does it take half of a day. With technology these days, the doctors have gotten so lazy that they handwrite notes on lab tests, send it in the mail and with the huge amount of delay you get this handwritten scribble that you can barely read telling you are going to die. Not really, but it almost seems that way. Can you believe it that my doctor called within 24 hours after having a massive amount of blood tests taken. I thought I was surely going to die.
She first started off by telling me that my celiac blood test was "still quite high." Now there isn't much that I have successfully done in my life, but I was quite shocked when she said this since I have been so very good in not eating gluten. I told her that in the last six months I probably have eaten, maybe and I am probably stretching it, probably six times some gluten. She then responded in a shock manner that from the reading I was still quite high.
I asked her again what the count was on the blood test, and she responded 33. Now my mind is definitely going and I couldn't remember what the previous gluten count, so I asked. After looking through my records, she noted that it was 122 at the beginning of this whole episode. Now I am not a brillant person, but I do sort of know how to add and subtract. Isn't that like 89 points.
I asked her what is normal and she said 19. Now again I say I can add and subtract. Isn't that like a 14 point difference. Now which one is better 89 point difference or 14 point difference, hmmmmmmmmmm.
I did admit to having four thin slices of pizza two weeks prior. I broke down when I smelled the very familiar aroma coming out of the oven and since I was so hungry, I had to endulge.
She said that the gluten can stay in the system for up to three weeks and that I needed to be more careful.
Now I am sure as a physician she needs to warn her patients of the foreseeing dangers, but right now I felt pretty DAMN happy.
She also informed me that my liver count was back to normal. I know I should still be as concerned about one aspect of my health as much as another, but knowing that my liver wasn't going to die, I felt pretty, even more, DAMN happy.
After relaying this story to a friend that has a husband with gluten intolerancy, she said "that physician probably didn't even take into account that you probably have never been to a count of 19 since you were ignorant of the celiac disease for your entire life, she should be pretty happy that you finally after all this time have brought it down to 33." It put the whole thing into prespective.
Even if the doctor doesn't want to give me an "A" for effort, I sure in the heck am. I have worked really hard to stay off of gluten. Anyone that has never sat in a wheel chair might want to do it, just get the true feel for it.
