Gastroenterologist #1

The first gastroenterologist I went to see was probably in his 50s. This was my first sign that this appointment probably wasn't going to go very well. I know I should judge people based on age, but when it comes to doctors I've found a few things about their credentials and time practicing that can seriously affect the way they see Celiac Disease. One thing you have to understand about Celiacs is that only in the recent past has it come to light A) how common it is, and B) how much the symptoms can vary from person to person.

Since I had been told to consult with a GI doc, I didn't really have any specific questions for him. So, when I went into the appointment he asked why I was there, so I told him pretty much that I had gotten the blood test a few months before and had gone gluten free and needed to see where to go from there. He told me he didn't think I had it because I didn't have the typical symptoms (diarrhea, malnourishment, etc.), and if I wanted to have the endoscopy to confirm the diagnosis (the diagnosis that he pretty much rejected, even though my antibody levels were so high), that I needed to do a gluten "challenge" for about 3 weeks before the scope. I wasn't about to make myself sick again, so I decided against that.

All in all, appointment with Dr. #1 was the worst $50 and 15 minutes of my life. I got nothing out of it except the impression that he thought I was an idiot and he had better things to do with my time. So I decided to just do things on my own and continue being GF, since my impression of doctors so far was that they suck when it comes to long term treatment and managment of Celiacs.