While there have been great strides with diagnosing Celiac Disease, doctors need to be a little bit more sympathetic when diagnosing a patient with Celiac Disease. I have read stories about the day a Celiac was diagnosed. The doctor would call you, telling you the test results are in. "You have Celiac Sprue Disease," the doctor says. They tell you that you are not able to eat wheat, gluten, rye, barley, and oats. They may give you a link to a website to check information about the disease, then they hang up.
The day I was diagnosed, it was a late September afternoon, in 2011. The RN called and told me that I tested "very positive" for Celiac Disease. I swear, my heart jumped in my throat and I thought I had choked on it. I asked her what this meant, and she told me to check out www.badgut.com. Then she said that I need to begin eating gluten free food, immediately. Again, I asked her what that meant. She said the website would have all the information I needed, and I needed to make an appointment with a GI doctor. Then the conversation was over. How can someone diagnose me with something so life-changing, and only give me a web site URL? What happened to the days when the doctor would ask you to come in, and sit with you, letting you know the situation? When did the medical field become so impersonal?
Many people have the same experience when they are diagnosed. It is as if they tell you what is wrong, give you a band-aid, and send you on your merry way. Basically, once you are diagnosed, you are on your own. I understand that Celiac Disease is outside the Primary Care Physician's jurisdiction, but, they could at least be understanding.
What happened when your doctor diagnosed you with Celiac Disease? Did they just diagnose you and run? Or, were they sympathetic?
(photo courtesy of: http://www.dreamstime.com/doctor-and-patient-thumb22842738.jpg
