Is a clinical diagnosis of celiac disease necessary or important? This is the fourth time this month we have discussed this month. I promised that I’d share my opinion in this article.. Rembember this is strictly a personal opinion and not any sort of statement by an expert in celiac disease.

You’ll need to know a few things about me to understand my diagnosis experience. I worked overseas  so when I retired I experienced the adjustments that everyone makes when they leave the work force and the culture shock that comes to anyone who is living in the United States for the first time in 22 years. This was enough to kick my as-yet-undiagnosed celiac disease into overdrive. The first really important thing I did after "coming home" was to fall apart. My doctors admitted that they could find nothing wrong and I  was blood-tested and biopsied during what my doctors freely admited was a "fishing trip".

I first heard the word "celiac disease" and "gluten free’  when I was receiving the doctor’s report. I had been diagnosed by accident. I did not have to make any sort of decision. So my diagnosis situation is very different what most celiacs face. I felt better after a day or two on the celiac diet. I was totally bored with the food I was eating (primarily Cream of Rice cereal) but ecstatic about the gluten free diet. After ten years, I’m still enthusiastic about living gluten free and have found abundant opportunities to eat varied and delicious meals.

So, in order to do what I promised to do in this article, I’ll have to answer a few "what if" questions:

What would I have done if the doctors had asked my permission to test for celiac disease before anything was actually done?  I would have been complient. I probably would not have admitted that I did not have any idea what celiac disease was.

What would I have done if I had tried the gluten free diet for several months or even years  and it had  relieved some but not all of my symptoms? Depending on the severity of my remaining symptoms, I might have decided that a clinical diagnosis was worth the hassle of eating gluten and thereby making my sicker for the sake of eventually getting better. I might attempt what the doctors call a "gluten challenge". This is a very hypothetical question!

Would you consider a "gluten challenge" if there was a very real possibility that your original diagnosis in 1999 was in error and that you might not really be afflicted with celiac disease?  Absolutely not, even if it left me in the rather awkward position of being a gluten free blogger who does not know whether or not he has celiac disease. I thrive on the gluten free diet. I am 70 years old but I currently have more energy, enthusiasm, and mental sharpness than I had in the two years prior to my diagnosis. Sure, we face problems — everyone does.I’ll list some of these issues  later this week and then publish articles that allow you to share your feelings and experiences on this subject.

Published 10/28/08