View Full Version : Celiac hikers
sdoownek
10-13-2003, 19:03
Anbody out there a celiac?
Didn't you mean to say, does anyone have celiac sprue disease that hikes?
sdoownek
10-14-2003, 09:11
Those of us who have it, deal with it daily, and fully understand, it don't refer to it as celiac sprue disease. It’s much the same as someone who has influenza has “the flu”, or a person who has mononucleosis has “mono”. A doctor doesn’t call for a “complete blood count”, he’ll ask for a “CBC”. Does anybody refer to a computerized axial tomography? No, it’s a CAT scan.
“Hey,Bob, I’m going to get a MRI”
“Hey, Bob, I’m going to get a magnetic resonance imaging scan”
Nevertheless, I’ll ask again.
“Anybody out there a celiac?”
Footslogger
10-24-2003, 14:56
I may be ...I'm being evalutated right now against a set of symptoms that seem to fall into that category. But the vote is still out. I'll let you know once I have a definitive diagnosis.
What I do know is that I hiked with a lot of gut pain this year. I can only imagine how much more enjoyable my thru hike would have been without that distraction
sdoownek
10-24-2003, 15:17
Have your doctor/lab run a blood test for the following:
Anti-gliadin IGA antibody
Anti-gliadin IGG antibody
Anti-endomysial antibody
Without that, they're pretty much guessing......
Just make sure that they don't dismiss it as IBS or diverticulitus,(sp?) or whatever. If they don't want to do it, go to an independant lab and get the bloodwork done.
I've been gluten free for about 2 years now, and I'm not looking forward to doing mail drops every 5-7 days to remain so. Ugh.
Let me know!!
sdoownek
10-24-2003, 15:19
BTW,in my response to you (above), I came off like a real *******.....I don't know what my problem was; I must have been pissed off about something!!
In any case....sorry for being a dick.
Streamweaver
10-24-2003, 16:14
A doctor doesn’t call for a “complete blood count”, he’ll ask for a “CBC”. Does anybody refer to a computerized axial tomography? No, it’s a CAT scan.
He does if he wants the general public to know what the hell hes talking about!!! Streamweaver
I posted something on another thread about the colonoscopy/EGD that I had done today, then I did a search and found this thread. I'm interested in the blood test thing..my doctor told me that they did a biopsy of the ileum to check for celiac disease. Will that actually work or should I request the blood tests also? Thanks for any advice.
Mindi
Mindi, I have niece who has this condition. (celiacs) I'll try to get in touch with my sister in law about good references. It is a manageable condition that requires lifestyle changes, but it really encourages healthy eating.:sun
Thanks, Ed!! I will let you know when I get the biopsy results back. Right now it's looking like it is probably IBS and diverticulitis,but it'll be a couple of weeks before the results come in and I can rule out Celiac disease. I'm hoping the biopsy will give me a clear yes or no as to that and that I won't need blood tests too. Whether it is Celiac or IBS, I'm definitely going to have to make some lifestyle changes and I appreciate all the help I can get!
Thanks again..this board is great!
:) Mindi
Mindi, Send me a PM if you want some info when you have a better idea about your tet results. My sister in law has more info about celiacs than a lot of doctors do. She has dedicated herself to helping her daughter cope with the condition. Good luck to you!:sun
I'd never heard of this condition until a buddy of mine explained why he couldn't drink beer. He's told me since he can drink a few micro type made without the barley or whatever it is they can't drink or eat. Damn, It would be a sad day for me and the local pub if I contracted this condition.
Good news..my biopsy came back negative for Celiac. I am still going to get the blood tests though, because I've read that the biopsies aren't always accurate. So right now, even though I have to change my diet for the IBS/diverticulosis, it looks like gluten is still okay. Thanks everyone for all your help!!
:) Mindi
Terraducky
07-23-2006, 22:47
My husband is celiac, and I have found food for him to eat...It's not that bad of a diet, actually, and very healthy!
My husband is celiac, and I have found food for him to eat...It's not that bad of a diet, actually, and very healthy!Very true from my sister in law's experience with her child. May actually end up being a blessing in disguise considering the poor diets many have these days.
Mystic's Journey
07-24-2006, 16:23
My son, Mystic, is a 2006 AT Thru Hiker and had asked that I hike with him for some a while. I have Celiac Disease and felt that it would be too difficult with my diet to do so. I send him his mail drops and the majority of the food that I send him would be unsafe for me. The risk of me getting gluten on the trail would be very high and would result in a lot of discomfort along the way.
I tried to think of various ways to avoid gluten with frequent mail drops, but finding the right foods in small towns could prove to be a challenge and finding a restaurant that could provide a safe meal is very tricky.
For any of you that do have Celiac Disease, I would highly recommend connecting with a support group as they provide a wealth of information on what is safe to eat, restaurants that have GF menus, health updates, and other very useful information. There are a lot of great websites out there that can also provide you information.