Answers.... Finally

Well, yesterday was a big day.  After years of searching and going to doctor after doctor just to be told that I am fine and that nothing is wrong with me, I finally have answers.

After I had Olivia (who is now 11 years old) I never felt like I ever got back to my "normal".  I went to a lot of doctors over the years and they could find nothing so they ended up dismissing me telling me that I was fine and that there was nothing that could be done.  I was just tired because I had 6 kids.  So, I would go back home, suck it up, and do my best to keep going.

A few years ago I got uveitis in both of my eyes.  I had to have my eyes constantly dilated for over a month.  I ended up having to get injections in both my eyes.  After about 6 weeks, it had cleared up. Uveitis, when you have it like I did, is usually caused by some sort of autoimmune disease.  I had all sorts of blood work and everything came back fine.

Less than a year later, I got the uveitis back in my left eye.  Again I got an injection and after a few weeks it had cleared up.

Seven months later, I got iritis in both eyes.  Since the inflammation was just in the fronts of my eyes I was able to clear it up with eye drops.  However, 3 months after that, I got uveitis in both eyes again.  I went to a retina specialist and got injections in both eyes and he recommended getting blood work done again.

I started a long road of blood work, doctor visits, a CT scan, MRI and more.  I tested positive for lupus but after seeing a rheumatologist that was ruled out.  Everything else came back fine.  Nothing was wrong with  me.

In May, I ended up with uveitis in my right eye.  I ended up getting an injection and within a month it had cleared up.  However, when I went back for my followup visit with the retina specialist, I found out my right eye was cleared up but I had it in my left eye.  That meant another injection.

During this time, I had been going to a new doctor (we moved to Montana in February) in Three Forks.  She was the answer I needed.  She would not give up.  She tried tests that no one else had tried even though I didn't have classic symptoms.  My fatigue had worsened and I was also having abdominal discomfort.  She found out I was low in iron and vitamin d.  However, even with the supplements I was not feeling better.  She referred me on to have a colonoscopy and an EGD.  On a last minute thought, she decided to have me tested for Celiac even though she didn't think I had it because I didn't show classic symptoms.

My Celiac test came back positive so she added a biopsy to the referral with the EGD.

Yesterday was the fun day that I got to have all these procedures done.  That is where the answers came from.  After everything was done, the GI doctor came to talk to me.  He took biopsies of everything for which we will have to wait a few days for the official results but he confirmed that I do in fact have Celiac disease.  Along with that I also have Crohn's disease.  I also have esophagitis.  The biopsies will tell us more about that.   Uveitis is caused by Crohn's disease.  Both diseases cause fatigue, abdominal discomfort, iron deficiencies, bloating, weight issues and a lot of other things.

While I am not super excited about the conclusions, I am relieved that there are answers.  I am relieved to finally not be turned away and told there was nothing wrong with me.

I have a lot to learn about eating.  Some foods that I can eat with Celiac are foods that are not recommended with Crohn's so there will be lots of things I have to learn and cross reference with both diseases.  There may be even more restrictions when the results come back from my esaphogus biopsies.

I am a little overwhelmed right now.  I have not wrapped my head around it all yet and I don't think I will anytime soon.  But at least I have a starting point and I finally have answers.