Coeliac Disease

 Well our daughter today had a Gastroscope and Colonoscopy at the Fremantle Hospital, the next step in determining whether she has Coeliac disease.

The initial blood and fecal tests showed positive.

Today the surgeon has verbally told her both before and after completing the two procedures, that he strongly believed she has Coeliac disease.

Now we are waiting on the results of the biopsy's that they took.

Is there something else hiding in the wings as well? The specialist and surgeon seem to think so. Lets hope not. Coeliac disease will do thank you.

Our daughter turned 22 this year. This adventure for want of a better word, started last October 2015. She told me that she had a slightly upset stomach and asked for a tablet to stop the diarrhea.

Then on the Sunday 1st November 2015, she came home from the 'Colour Run' in Perth. W.A., sore, hot, covered in colour and tired. She complained of aching in all of her joints and that evening was running a slight temperature and had diarrhea. (the previous year she came up in allergic welts!!)

She went to the doctors on the Tuesday as she was still feeling quite ill - now adding nausea and vomiting to the list. She was very tired and listless. The Doctor gave anti-biotics believing she has picked up a virus.

Wednesday evening she was still ill with vomiting, nausea (movement made this worse), diarrhea and was showing signs of being dehydrated as nothing will stay in her.

Rang health direct to get advise and it was suggested that we should return to our GP the next day or if that was not possible to go to the nearest emergency.

After checking online we could see that our doctor's surgery did not have appointments the next day. Decision made - emergency it was.

We presented to emergency and within an hour went in to see a doctor. They put her on an I.V. drip to get fluids into her and after about 5 hours decided to admit her into an isolation ward as the initial blood tests were showing some extremely elevated results, which were a concern.

Numerous tests, discussion with surgeons etc followed. Medical history of all in the family shared and more tests again. Thursday came and went, so did Friday. Saturday mid morning they decided that she was well enough to go home - she is fixed!!!! No we don't know what was wrong with her. Maybe colitis??

They made an appointment to see someone a week later to followup how she was going. Yes we think it is colitis? And what do we do now? Just wait and see if the symptons come back. If they do, come back to emergency or the GP.

Fast forward to 2 weeks before Christmas. Symptons are back, daughter does not want to go back to emergency and is getting worse again. At this stage has lost about 8 -9 kilos.

We saw a different GP and got a referral to my gastroenterologist. Could not see him till the second week in January. This amazing doctor, when we see him, sends her off for two more tests, that he is amazed that they did not do in the 2 1/2 days she was in hospital.

Initial blood and fecal tests show that it is possibly coeliac disease. He believes maybe? maybe a false positive, maybe something else, maybe both.

Thank god I managed to get her in to see him.

At the moment she is maintaining her weight loss - a total of 12 kilos since October 2015 (2 dress sizes). We are starting on a gluten free diet, organising to see a dietician and waiting on the last test results. With fingers crossed I hope that is it.

Ps. 12th April 2016 - tests have confirmred she has Coeliac Disease. Thankfully she doesn't have inflamatory bowel disease or any other nasty disease. Gluten free diet will make her healthy again.