(Age: 55 years, female)
In March 1995, at age 50, I had laparoscopic surgery to remove my gallbladder. The following day I remember being very pleased that I had my first post-operative bowel movement after eating oatmeal and toast for breakfast. I was discharged on the third day and had 3-4 bowel movements that day. After about the fifth day post-op, I was becoming a bit concerned as I was then having up to 6 or 7 bowel movements per day!
I decided to phone the surgeon who prescribed Questran 3-4-times per day before meals and told me that things would probably settle down in a few weeks. I continued to have the problem after two weeks and was losing weight. I made an appointment with my new family physician whom I hadn’t seen before the gallbladder surgery. The G.P. told me to continue with Questran, and to take Imodium when necessary and if the frequent bowel movements continued six weeks post-op, I should call the surgeon back again.
The frequent bowel movements continued and I was losing more weight. I phoned the surgeon, and was told that the “only” treatment for my problem was Questran and that I could have diarrhoea up to one year post-op or like 1 in 100 people, “unfortunately” I could have frequent diarrhoea for the rest of my life.
I returned to the G.P. that week and requested a referral to both a GI specialist and a nutritionist. I saw the GI specialist, who did a sigmoidoscopy in the office. He concurred with the surgeon that I continue with Questran 3-4 times per day and Imodium as necessary.
A few weeks later I had the first appointment with a nutritionist who tried by process of elimination to get me on track. I continued despite a very bland, restricted diet, which included white bread and pasta, to have frequent diarrhoea and was losing considerable weight.
The G.P. continued to send me for blood work every couple of weeks.
Over the summer of 1995, I went to three different Emergency departments. Each time I was given IV and discharged again on Questran. As well, the G.P. had referred me back to the surgeon again who did a colonoscopy, which showed “slight inflammation.” I was also referred for a CAT scan, which was negative.
By late August 1995, I was becoming very debilitated, literally wasting. During a trip to Emergency, the doctor who saw me phoned the G.I. specialist on call that weekend and was told to give me papers to come in as a priority patient on Monday am. However, I was so debilitated by Sunday of that weekend, weighing 82 lbs., that I was admitted.
On the following Tuesday, after several tests and lastly the gastroscopy, I was told that I had celiac disease.
I remained in hospital for approximately two and a half weeks on total parental nutrition.
As a registered nurse and daughter of a deceased general practitioner I was and am most grateful to be diagnosed.
