HISTORY: I started getting very aggressive hive outbreaks during the summer of 2006. After a few weeks of being prescribed Prednisone for short lengths of time for relief we were getting nowhere. I was finally referred to see a Dermatologist. He diagnosed me with Chronic Hives. I was sent for allergy testing in September 2008. I showed being allergic to most types of grass and trees (seasonal allergies) and some animals. I was tested for the more common food allergies which I didn't show a reaction to at all. I was told to take anti-histamines day and night to relieve my symptoms. Finding out the cause of the hives would be difficult to narrow down.
After the miscarriage and suffering for 10 years with Chronic Hives I decided to find a family doctor. I didn't currently have one and it was hard finding a female doctor who was accepting new patients. I always knew something was wrong with me but to pin point exactly what that was is not an easy task. I finally found a new doctor named Sandra. She decided to send me for blood tests to test against various auto-immune diseases that could be triggering the hives. My current allergies in combination with an unknown underlying issue could also be causing the hives to appear.
I went in for the blood test screening on the morning of July 5. I had done a lot of blood tests for my HCG levels so I was getting used to doing blood tests. (I have an extreme phobia of needles.) They had 10 vials to take. I instantly started to panic but told myself "
You can do this!" They set me up in a chair and got me ready. I got through the first 2 vials alright... breathing in and out slow but steady... but then I started to feel very light headed. By vial 4 I was almost to the point of fainting slumped over and I could hardly move. Everything was a blur. They asked me if I was anemic and I told them I didn't know. They stopped taking vials, patched me up, got me ice for the back of my neck and a juice box. I felt awful. I thought my phobia of needles that always made my body over react. Once I felt well enough they rolled over a computer chair so they could take me to one of the beds to lay down. I rested for 10 minutes. The nurse came in and got the last 6 vials with no problems. Laying down really seemed to help!
I went to get my test results on July 11. Sandra said I had elevated levels of tTG anti-body levels. They were at 76.2. Normal range is less than 7. Having high levels of this antibody is generally linked to Celiac Disease.
She sent me for follow up blood tests on July 18 to test my tTG levels again and to also check on my Iron levels. I got my results on July 27. My tTG levels had raised to 90 (I ate lots of bread and bagels!) and Iron was only at 15 (should be 50+). No wonder I had almost passed out so quickly. I was anemic! She told me to take Palafer (Iron Therapy pills) to help get my levels up. She had already put in a request to a Hospital to get a biopsy done to officially diagnose the Celiac.
On August 22 was the day I finally was scheduled for the Upper Endoscopy (Gastroscopy). It was a LONG wait as the hospital was understaffed and behind schedule. I got checked in and they set me up in a bed. Again, I freaked out when they had to put the IV in. I could feel it in me the whole time I was laying there waiting. The doctor came to chat with me about my symptoms. He was skeptical that I had Celiac since I didn't have the digestion symptoms usually associated with Celiac. He told me we're about to find out and that he will give me results after the procedure.
Immediately before the procedure was very overwhelming. You're hooked up to a blood pressure reader on your left arm, your IV is in already, they put a brace in your mouth to keep it open for the camera (and so you don't bite down on your teeth). Then they told me to roll onto my left side which hurt since my arm was puffed up from the blood pressure around my arm. Thankfully they knocked me out after that. I remember waking up and I was back in my little room. A nurse came to take out my IV (yay!) and the doctor came shortly after that to discuss. He did find Celiac damage and samples were taken and sent to get biopsied. He gave me the go ahead to start on a gluten-free diet.
I FINALLY HAVE AN ANSWER! No one in my family has been diagnosed with Celiac Disease before. It can have very minimal signs if you don't have the obvious digestive problems. My Oma did have gallbladder surgery a few years ago and she had started on a gluten-free diet afterwards. They weren't able to test her for Celiac since she had already started on the diet. So it's possible she has it too.
THE HARDEST PART: I'll never know why my baby's heart stopped beating. Was it chromosome
abnormalities? Was it due to my undiagnosed Celiac Disease? Did my baby not get
enough nutrients from me to grow? The hardest part is I will never
know
WHY. Having undiagnosed Celiac Disease definitely put me at a higher risk of
miscarriage. Knowing all this now breaks my heart. I have been beating myself up for not taking better care of
my health. I feel like my miscarriage was preventable and my fault. It's a horrible awful feeling. I'm trying really hard not to think like that. I'll never know
WHY I lost my baby. That really hurts my heart!
At least I have a few answers regarding my health. Doing my best to eat gluten-free so I can get my Doctor's clearance to start trying again. All this waiting is tough but I want to be as healthy as I can be for my next pregnancy.
