It makes me cross! Every day I see children who had needlessly suffered. Their GPs and other medics have failed to do blood tests for gluten and coeliac disease. In my opinion, in the year of 2007, the refusal to do these blood tests is negligent.
Caleb’s grandma wrote this to me: “Thank you so much for helping out. We have spent almost Caleb’s whole life trying to find out what has been wrong with him. We have been to allergy specialists, to dieticians, to doctors, to nutritionists, to gastros, and to a paediatrician. All of these people have been of no help. What’s worse, they say “there is nothing wrong with him”. My frustration and anguish led me to email you previously looking for help”. You kindly told me what tests to get done. He had a high IgG-gliadin and high tTG. You told me that he could have coeliac disease. You said: “You need to talk to your doctor about these tests. He needs a small bowel biopsy by endoscopy. He then would be best on a gluten free diet.
“Well, we went to Caleb’s doctor today with your email and the blood tests. He has made sure that we have another appointment with the Paediatrician next month. The thing that still confuses us is why can’t he eat meat, butter, or cheese - he gets very whingy, irritable and aggressive on them. The doctor didn’t have any answers for us and never has had. Sorry to be such a nuisance, but we are at out wits end.” My answer about the meat, butter and cheese is that these foods have fat. With coeliac disease, you cannot absorb fat so well. That causes an upset gut and pain. He needs a small bowel biopsy and then should go gluten-free. Caleb’s grandma wrote this to me at first: “My 2 year old grandson went to an Allergy Specialist and had blood tests done and although we were told everything was okay, we know he is sensitive to something but even with an elimination diet, we are finding it hard to find out exactly what it is. Could it be gluten sensitivity?” Why? Oh why do doctors neglect to look for coeliac disease and gluten-sensitivity? |
