Worried And Embarrassed

[MD2B]

Hi everyone. I guess I'm posting to get some encouragement...

I have pretty classic symptoms of celiac, and a huge part of me wants to go to the doctor and get it diagnosed...

but I'm a med student, and I don't want to be "that girl" that goes to the doctor saying "I think I have X disease," especially since I don't know how it would be received in general by my doc. As med students, we often fear that we are overreacting to our symptoms - and a lot of the time we are (every headache could be a brain tumor), and with something that many doctors think is rare, I can imagine that I might be brushed off as having "med student syndrome."

It's really embarrassing as a med student to go to the doc and possibly know more about it than they do - you really run the risk of looking like a complete jerk in a way a regular patient might not.

I know this all sounds kinda silly but I'm really worried about going in and saying something.

I'm worried about going to the doc, and just being told i have IBS or something, or the doc not wanting to order the tests. I know that if i saw a patient with my presentation, I would certainly have a strong clinical suspicion that it could be celiac, but I don't know how my doc will respond. I'm worried that the tests might come up negative, and then looking like I, in fact, am that crazy hypochondriac med student.

Plus, I have the normal anxiety about possibly having to change all my eating habits.

I'm just scared to make an appointment.

[ShayFL]

Does your doctor know you are a med student? If not, dont tell him. If he does, go to a different doctor and dont tell them.

Or if you dont want any bother with doctors and can afford it....order a Celiac panel yourself. Many online labs will order them for you without a doctor. I like directlabs.com but also use Healthcheckusa sometimes.

You always have options.

[MD2B]

Does your doctor know you are a med student? If not, dont tell him. If he does, go to a different doctor and dont tell them.

Or if you dont want any bother with doctors and can afford it....order a Celiac panel yourself. Many online labs will order them for you without a doctor. I like directlabs.com but also use Healthcheckusa sometimes.

You always have options.

Yes, doc knows I'm a med student - and unfortunately, with my insurance I can only go to the group of doctors associated with primary care practice associated with the school/hospital. I really can't afford paying for the tests myself. Plus, if they are in fact positive, I still would have to go to my doc, looking even sketchier with a bunch of self ordered tests in hand.

I actually just switched doctors within the practice to one I think will be more friendly about all of this. But I'm still kinda irrationally scared about going in.

[ShayFL]

Why not go and tell him your symptoms and just see what he suggests.

Do you have a family history of Celiac? Family members with auto-immune diseases associated with Celiac like thyroid and/or diabetes? Any family members die of intestinal cancer or lymphoma?

These could be valuable clues to give your doctor.

[gfpaperdoll]

So happy you are going to be a doctor!!! I am sure you will diagnosis a lot of people that are being missed!!!

Well you are in a sticky situation at the moment, You could tell a white lie & say someone in your family was just diagnosed... But I think that the truth is always better & I just tell it like it is. Also, you will need to think if you really want an official diagnosis. If I was you I would think very hard about that. You might want to just go with the wheat allergy... But, I guess you know that if you do, then later on if you really want a diagnosis you will not be able to get one. Because a lot of us know that once you go back on gluten it will make you so sick, you might not be able to do it... But, you can always get the gene test - be sure to test somehwere that will also check for the gluten intolerant genes like DQ1 & DQ3 & others...

If you want a diagnosis, (to go to the appointment with some info) maybe do a little homework & take a family history, of everything - I think there are at least 200 symptoms in the back of the Dangerous Grains book... & if you are Irish, just know that you have it - not that other people do not have a problem, but IMO those of us of Irish/Scotch/English descent are doomed... Especially the Irish...

(Be prepared to also give up dairy...& soy...)

Having caivities does not sound like much of a problem, but when you add it to IBS, anemic, low blood pressure, hives, depression & a bad temper you can connect it all with the gluten intolerance issues... Then there are the things that stand out like RA, Lupus, MS, Diabetes, Miscarriages, Fibromyalgia, thryoid issues, failure to thrive...

The real truth is that almost all the patients that you will see will have an underlying problem with gluten.

Good Luck & Thank You for the care that you will be giving people in the years to come...

[*lee-lee*]

if you are Irish, just know that you have it - not that other people do not have a problem, but IMO those of us of Irish/Scotch/English descent are doomed... Especially the Irish...

OMG is that true? my grandma is very Irish and was diagnosed years and years ago with Celiac. and i have Irish (of course), Scottish and German in me. wow, that's bizzare.

anywho - MD2B...just ask the new doctor to run the tests. don't worry about what they'll think of you. if they can't listen to their patients concerns without passing judgment, it's time to find a new doctor.

does Celiac run in your family? (all i had to say to my doctor is that my grandmother has it and i've had diarrhea for a few months and she ordered the full panel.) i agree with gfpaperdoll...maybe it's time for a little white lie. "my sister was just diagnosed...test me please!"

you could always do a gluten-free trial and see if it makes you feel better. of course if it does, you'd have to go back on gluten eventually if you were to be tested sometime down the line.

good luck - let us know how you made out!

[Kitt1027]

I did the same thing when I had my blood tests just last week. I was really nervous that my GP was going to be an a-hole about it b/c he can sometimes be like that...depending on his mood. haha. Anyway, I just decided that it was important enough to me and so I kind of bent the truth and said my grandma was recently diagnosed. It was almost true, except that she has several symptoms of Celiac, but no official diagnosis. She has rheumatoid arthritis, lactose intolerance, psoriasis, and I don't know about the other symptoms.

Anyway, it was like flipping a switch. He was like, well Ok, let's get those antibodies checked. he ordered the Celiac Panel. It was alot easier than I expected. (BTW, still don't have results back)

Just remind yourself that you are the patient in this case. You are asking for tests that you will have to pay for. The doctor doesn't have to do anything other than order them. So, you deserve whatever test you ask for!

Good luck and congrats in advance on being a Dr. someday!

Kitt

[Cinnamon]

I did the same with my son. He had some symptoms that weren't classic celiac symptoms, but his younger brother and sister have done extremely well on a gluten free diet without a diagnosis, but I couldn't get my 16 year old to try the diet without a diagnosis. So in we went to the doctor, and I was nervous about asking him to do a celiac blood test on a seemingly healthy teenage boy with no digestive symptoms. But I just honestly told him my experiences and just asked him to please do the blood test to ease my mind and rule it out. We have the Irish thing going on too, which I didn't mention but the doctor brought it up, and he agreed to do the blood test.

If I were you, I would just walk in there and say, "look, would you please just order the blood test to rule it out? It would really ease my mind" and if he balks, say, "well, will you please just do the test to rule it out, then I can go on from there to figure this out" and hopefully he'll listen to you.

[MD2B]

thanks everyone for your replies. My brother has the same symptoms I do, and I have been trying to convince him to go to the doctor about it, just so that I can say he has a dx when I go in. But alas, he's a pain and doesn't want to go in.

I know just telling her what my symptoms are and what my risk factors are should lead to testing anyway, and she will probably agree my suggestion that celiac is a strong possibility. I also know how to present it in a way that will be the most medically suggestive, and I can certainly make any case for testing me giving such-and-such guideline, or the lecture given by so-and-so expert doctor at the hospital - I just don't want to get to that point, because it's pretty snotty. I just keep imagining the worst case scenario!

I never disliked going to the doctor until I got to med school! Now I second guess everything I say, and see it all through their eyes, and it freaks me out!

I think I'm going to make an appointment in the next few weeks - after enough time has passed since I made the switch to the new doctor.

[MyMississippi]

Another question that we might ask ourselves is WHY ARE WE SO WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THE DOCTOR THINKS ?????????

If not for all us sick folks, they could not buy their new boats, and new sports cars, new vacation homes, etc. etc. etc. WE ARE THEIR PAYCHECK---

They should greet us at the door with hugs, and coffee and donuts.

Here's what I would do--- I would walk into his office--- informed, assertive and POLITE--- I would WITHOUT talking overly much TELL the doctor all of my symptoms and-- then say, I would really like to be tested for Celiac disease.

Have a sense of humour about it and tell him you are NOT another anxious, neurotic, female------- you are just not well and want to get to the bottom of the problem, and from what you know, Celiac disease might be a good place to start.

Good Luck--

[gfpaperdoll]

Well because in this case with a med student it is different. Doctors all know each other & word gets around...

I do not know if this has changed much but when I was around doctors all the time, they only associated socially with other doctors. So, it ends up being a tight community...

[MyMississippi]

Well because in this case with a med student it is different. Doctors all know each other & word gets around...

I do not know if this has changed much but when I was around doctors all the time, they only associated socially with other doctors. So, it ends up being a tight community...

"Word gets around" about what ??? A med student wants to be tested for Celiac ??? There is no problem here that I can see. Give the doctors some credit for having empathy for a med student---- they were once one.

I worked closely with doctors for 20 years, and just like all people. some are good , some are bad.

Pick a good one......

As a med student she should have an inside track on whose who in the doctor zoo.

[dogle]

Hi everyone. I guess I'm posting to get some encouragement...

I have pretty classic symptoms of celiac, and a huge part of me wants to go to the doctor and get it diagnosed...

but I'm a med student, and I don't want to be "that girl" that goes to the doctor saying "I think I have X disease," especially since I don't know how it would be received in general by my doc. As med students, we often fear that we are overreacting to our symptoms - and a lot of the time we are (every headache could be a brain tumor), and with something that many doctors think is rare, I can imagine that I might be brushed off as having "med student syndrome."

It's really embarrassing as a med student to go to the doc and possibly know more about it than they do - you really run the risk of looking like a complete jerk in a way a regular patient might not.

I know this all sounds kinda silly but I'm really worried about going in and saying something.

I'm worried about going to the doc, and just being told i have IBS or something, or the doc not wanting to order the tests. I know that if i saw a patient with my presentation, I would certainly have a strong clinical suspicion that it could be celiac, but I don't know how my doc will respond. I'm worried that the tests might come up negative, and then looking like I, in fact, am that crazy hypochondriac med student.

Plus, I have the normal anxiety about possibly having to change all my eating habits.

I'm just scared to make an appointment.

MD2B, follow your instincts you might be right. You will rely on them once you become a Doctor. I'm sure you will order your patients a lot of test that might come negative and positive, but you know the steps and protocols demand you to follow those guidelines. Go ahead and test yourself you might be right. I, as a patient, prefer to spend money to find out what I have rather than having a Doctor being so doubtful to order a test, don't become one of them and break the habit for the sake of you and your future patients.

[home-based-mom]

It sounds like you are afraid to have tests run that may very well save your life because you are afraid someone else might think you're a weirdo.

Do some research, make printouts from reputable sources, and take them to your appointment. Keep a diary, make, notes, whatever it takes, and present them to your physician of choice explaining that this is why you are requesting the tests.

Make sure they run the entire panel, not just part of it.

You could wind up being as much the teacher as the student.

[gfpaperdoll]

I do not think that ya'll are giving this young woman enough credit, she is a med student for pete's sake.

No one is going to think anyone is a weirdo...

But, the people that she knows in med school, will more than likely be the people that will follow her medical career. & just the fact that she goes to a doctor outside her hospital will be up for discussion, as will any tests that she has run & if they come back negative, then she will get that med student ridicule for thinking she has the disease of the month.

This has almost nothing to do with getting a medical test, but the impact of dealing with your potential employers, and fellow associates. Which is the reason that I think that this person posted in the first place.

As far as picking a good doctor, you should hear what they say when they go home...