Happy New Year!

When looking forward to the new year, I can't help but reflect on the changes that 2010 brought. We gave Iivana back in February after fostering her for 3 months. She started military working dog school and was on the cusp of making it. She didn't have enough drive so in September, we fully adopted her.  Now our lives are filled with puppy classes, walks, and frisbee fun. She is going to be the next Zeke the wonder dog.

In June, I started classes at University of Texas at San Antonio to begin my masters. I completed 15 credits in 2010 and will continue to work towards my masters in reading throughout 2011.

This is me and Rowdy the mascot at a reading celebration.

In May, I visited my primary care doctor because I needed refills on my allergy medicine and iron.  I remember a Friday night at the Alamo Draft House, I received a call from my doctor saying she was concerned about my anemia. This was no shock to me, since I was first diagnosed with anemia in the second grade.  I was like big deal. Back when I was 8, they ran a variety of tests and concluded my red blood cells were smaller and as a result did not carry as much oxygen. I thought here is another doctor (since with the military my primary care is constantly changing) thinking my anemia is a concern.

Well today I should thank that physician.  She recommended I see a hematologist.  I first went at the end of May and discussed my history with the doctor. They ran more advanced blood tests.  My hemoglobin and ferritin levels were very low. After months on iron, I went back to see my hematologist and she said, we need to figure out why you are anemic. Through a couple of visits during the summer, we set up a plan with different possible things to look into. An antibody test of tissue transglutimase (TTG) and endomysial was ran on my blood and came back normal. This was the first test to see if I had Celiac Disease.  It was negative, so this took us back to the drawing board. After describing symptoms I felt, which I often attributed to stress, my hematologist referred me to a gastrointestinal doctor (GI).  By this point, it was already my final days of summer. I had an initial appointment with my doctor where I again described symptoms I'd been feeling. At this point, I had been researching Celiac Disease on my own and felt certain I did have it.  

My GI doctor scheduled me for a colonoscopy/endoscopy to see if I had any bleeding in my colon and to look at my small intestine. Yes folks, both ends were getting looked at!  On September first I had the double procedure completed. There was no bleeding in my colon although, they did find a polyp that was not cancerous, but in time could become cancer. They removed the polyp and said I would need another colonoscopy in 3-5 years, especially because of my family history (My dad had colon cancer).  They also took a scraping of my small intestine because it was abnormal. I waited anxiously for the phone call to explain what the microscope showed. For the days to follow, I ate gluten like there was no tomorrow. Despite the sorrows it caused my belly, I indulged in pretzels, cereals, and bread! I think Justin and I ate fresh bread from the commissary at as many dinners as we could.  

This is me embracing a bag, after I finished 6 lbs of pretzels.

I remember the day I received the call from my GI doctor. It was Tuesday, September 14 and I was at school.  Pillsbury pancakes were for the school breakfast that morning, this would be the last time I would enjoy these delightful snacks. I missed the call early in the day because I was teaching.  I called the doctor's during my lunch leaving a message to call back before my lunch was over, which at this point was only about 15 more minutes or to call back after school. I carried my phone tight for the rest of the day. After school, I went to make copies and did not hear or feel the vibrate.  I arrived back at my room at noticed I had a voicemail! How I did I miss the call?  I frantically called back. Luckily the doctor was right by the phone and he explained it all to me. They looked at my villi under a microscope and there was "blunting." From the scraping they were pretty sure I had Celiac Disease but would have to do a more advanced blood test to confirm it.  

I went back for blood testing, this time it was genetic testing for HLA typing. This blood work had to be sent out and took about 3-4 weeks to get the final confirmation. My hematologist told me to notify my sisters as well because they had anemia, but never as severe as mine. Julie had blood work done which was negative. Although, I wonder what type of test they did on hers because my first one was negative too.  I think she might have CD because her symptoms are similar to mine. Kristen saw her doctor as well, which was a horrible experience for her.  She had blood work that was positive and also had the EGD. She had an official diagnosis before my final blood work came back. Jill has not had any testing yet, since she is pregnant! I wonder who in my family has Celiac since it is an autoimmune disorder which means it is genetic.  

Finally I had answers! We began cleaning the pantry and shopping GF at Whole Foods, Sun Harvest, and becoming familiar with the options at the commissary. My ferritin levels were still extremely low, any thing less than 30 is low and mine were about 3. Ferritin is my stored iron. My hematologist wanted me to get an iron infusion, which means I would be connected to an IV for 4-5 hours while iron was injected into my body.

I scheduled an appointment for the next week, which was the beginning of October. On the day of the procedure, I insisted Justin go to work and not come with me because I had plenty of school work to get done. I arrived with my backpack full of class work and my laptop to write some papers. I shared a room with two others who were receiving chemo treatments. Unfortunately my doctor was on leave, which I was not aware of when I scheduled the appointment. Another doctor came to explain the procedure to me before they began the test dose.  I already feel anxiety when at the doctors, so having my doctor not there did not help!  They had to administer a test dose first to make sure I did not have any reactions to the iron infusion.  Since I drove myself there, they were going to give me Claritin instead of benadryl. The nurse began with a small injection needle to put in the IV. I instantly felt the iron in my veins. It was painful and I grabbed my chest saying, "I can't breathe!" I broke out into a deep sweat and felt cramps in my stomach. I was crying that it hurt. The doctor injected something, I think benadryl to counteract the symptoms I was encountering.  They gave me oxygen to stick in my nose and I began to breathe easier. I had to use the bathroom though! They helped me to the restroom and I still felt like absolute crap trying to figure out what just happened. I was in there for a bit with sudden diarrhea, trying to relieve the cramping. I decided the cramping would not go away, so I left the restroom.  I quickly washed my hands because moving was not helping anything.  As I began to walk back to my seat, I couldn't see anything. Everything went black and the nurses had to rush to get my a wheelchair. I was wheeled back to my seat. Sight came back but I was incredibly groggy and began to experience chills so I took a nap and wrapped myself in a blanket. When I felt better I called Justin to come pick me up to take me back home. For the rest of the day I slept. I was a terrible experience!

I saw my hematologist in December.  More blood work was conducted and I am still waiting for the results. I'm hoping my ferritin levels have increased since being on a gluten free diet, that my small intestine is healing, and I am now hopefully absorbing iron. I don't think I've heard yet because of the holidays. I think I should be hearing from her next week.

So this brings me to today, reflection of the process of my diagnosis. Although eating gluten free can be difficult, there are many options out there. It does require more planning and costs a little more but it worth it. I feel so much better and can't wait to see what 2011 brings.