A stretch ??

How did you ge diagnosed with coeliac in the first place? You need to have duodenal biopsies to be positive? It will make it a lot easier for you if you don't have coeliac just have to find out more with other tests unfortunately..... Let us know how you get on....

Hey mapmar
I've recently been seeing a haematologist as it seems chronic anaemia is not linked to my gynae problems. Long story short, everything came back fine and I asked them to re-run the coeliac antibodies blood test. Anyway so this time it came up negTive for antibodies or a 1 on their 1-5 scale so my haematologist said I dont have coeliacs which I was so relieved at- really you can't even imagine.

But thAt leaves me at a total loss for my other health issues. I just can't get any answers. Where is dr house when you need him ?! Lol.

At the moment I'm blown down with a chest/throat infection so I've been utterly miserable and I'll be calling in sick again tomoz. Probably for the week. Thanks poor immune system !

How's everyone else doing ? And thanks for thinking of me and posting. All of your support is what keeps me going.

Sami Xx

Sami.... have you been on your coeliac diet as yet? As you are probably aware that there are many side effects of not being on a coeliac diet.

http://www.coeliacsociety.com.au/con-general.html


Some of the suggested associated diseases and conditions are listed below:
A-1 atrophic gastritis
Addison disease
Alopecia
Colitis (especially microscopic/lymphocytic colitis)
Congenital heart defects
Dermatitis herpetiformis
Down's syndrome
Hypo-splenia
IgA nephropathy
Infertility and recurrent miscarriage
Liver enzyme disturbance
Neurological associations include neuropathies, ataxia, memory impairment, migraines, epilepsy, or muscular stiffness
Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
Psoriasis
Sarcoidosis
Serum IgA deficiency
Sjogren syndrome
Thyroid disease (autoimmune hypo- or hyper-thyroidism)
Turner syndrome
Type 1 diabetes
Vasculitis
Williams syndrome
Turner syndrome


Having any of the abovedisorders may raise the suspicion of coeliac disease.
There is also a small, but real,increased risk of certain forms of cancer such as lymphoma of the small bowel.

I am sure you have been told about it before but it can be serious.... malnutrition even cancer..... So your hair falling out may be a problem with coeliac not the sleeve... so if you don't correct your coeliac diet your hair may not grow back. personally I would be really concerned especially if you are not on a coeliac diet. I see a lot of people through my work as a secretary for a Gastroenterologist and it is not pretty when people don't stick to a coeliac diet.... in the long term it can cause a great deal of damage....

Please take care of yourself.......

Not enough weight??! Geez. What were they expecting you to have lost? You will have to post a pic of you in your pretty new wig :)

Thanks for the supportive messages guys ! In really not looking forward to shave my head but I keep weighing. Up the pros- it'll come through nice and healthyand narural, I won't need to keep spending a fortune on salon products, it'll grow back my natural colour so I won't have to deal with that nasty regrowth stage. Cons- looking like sinead oconnor/ gi Jane for a few months but I'll have embellished turbans and lovely wigs... Might even make it a trend !!!!!

I'm hoping the stretch just makes me comfortable !! I got my arse kicked for not losing enough weight today. I was like WTF ?!!! So much for supportive !

Hows everyone else doing ? Xx

Oh Sami! I feel for you, that must be awful!! Hope it grows back for you ASAP

OMG I have never heard of hair loss that bad before!!
When my hair started falling out I upped my protein to 80+ gms per day.
It definitely slowed the hair loss down, but I still kept on losing it for about 4 months.
It has grown back and thickened up again now.

Good luck with your stretch.

Hi everyone,
Well I've been booked in for my stretch on the 08th dec. I'm not looking forward to it but I'm hoping it brings some serious relief !!!

While I was there I got a letter about my hair loss from him. It's so bad I have to shave it and buy some wigs so in order to get a rebate from my health fund I had to get the letter.

Shaving my head is scaring the shit out of me ! Does anyone know how long it takes for
Your hair to grow back or has actually been through the shaving ?

I'd love to hear from you.
S Xx

Thanks guys for your replies, I see him Monday and I'll definitely be having a few words about her. The thing is that I have a negative metabolic rate so if I don't eat enough I don't lose either. I'm just totally disgusted with her suggestions when she knows nothing about my history, or my other medical problems !!!

Hopefully he'll book me in for a stretch sometime next week or the week after !!

Hi Sami,

I've had 3 stretches/dialations to try to fix a kink that kept developing in my stomach (I have just been into hosp for a hernia repair, so the surgeon performed a gastropexy at the same time which should fix it permanently for me now)

The stretch is just a same day procedure. They knock you out and put a balloon into your stomach at the point that needs fixing, and inflate it to stretch that area only, then take it out again.

I am very relieved to say that it hasn't increased the overall capacity of my stomach at all. I could eat appx 1/2 a cup max. prior to the stretches, and that is still the case. I was terrified it was going to make my stomach bigger, but that is not the case. They don't stretch the whole stomach, just the problem area.

There's a little more about it here: Carrie's stretch thread or in my diary.

SamiB wrote:

My surgeons nurse said I need to go to the dietician, I'm so cranky- I'm thinking I'll lose it at my surgeon on Monday. How dare she ?!!

Obviously I don't know how the nurse spoke to you, but she probably meant well... If you aren't eating enough and not losing, then it wouldn't hurt to talk to a dietician. They could have a look at what you are eating and see if it needs tweaking a little to make sure you're getting enough nutrition/protien etc, as well as spotting any potential problems.

Good luck with your appt on Monday.

Cheers - Carrie :-)

Hi Sami,

I found this by doing a search for 'stretch'...there is probably more info lurking around. I have read about stretches and I understand its nothing painful or major (comparitively anyway).

Good luck and I hop you get everything sorted soon....hugs, Jiggly x


I had to have the stretch done 3 months post op as I couldn't get any food down.

You are right in that it is just the same as going back in for endoscopy. There is no overnight stay involved although I had a very sore throat for about a week afterwards and had to take a couple of days off work but that's me as the anaesthetic affected me and I had breathing problems afterwards. I had the same after my surgery too and is likely that with any operation I will have this same problem now.

But usually it should be a straightforward procedure and no different to the endoscopy although because they stretch you will have a sorer throat than you did with the original endoscopy (I had no sore throat with that).

After a couple of weeks I was so much better and able to eat food and keep it down and have had very few problems since. Any problems I have had with food since has been my own fault and nothing to do with the stretch.

Good luck and hope you are feeling much better soon.

steph

PS It's well worth having!

Hi Sami
I am a band-sleever and my surgeon has told me he might have to stretch about 6 months down the track - didn't say what to expect in the meantime - so now I better prompt him for more information.

You have prompted me to check up on lots of things with this thread - hope you go ok and that if you have to have it that it makes an immediate difference.
Will check in to see how you go - and will now go poking around to read what Chris mentioned.
Best wishes
Loz

Hi Sami
Absolutely, have a frank talk with your doc about it and see what s/he has to say.
Steph had a stretch - she's not on much any more, but if you go into her diary (she was done around the same time as me, about 2.5 years ago) you'll find a bit of info there - and she does pop in every now and again, so maybe PM her and she could get back to her.
Good luck!

Hi everyone,
I'm contemplating having a stretch. I'm still unable to eat anything of substance and I'm finding nearly 6 months on I've lost nowhere near as much as the others and I need to have a maxolon after a sip of tea.

I was just wondering who on here has had a stretch- does it improve things after you have it ? And what's the actual experience of the stretch ?

My surgeons nurse said I need to go to the dietician, I'm so cranky- I'm thinking I'll lose it at my surgeon on Monday. How dare she ?!!

Anyway, peoples experiences will be greatly appreciated.
I need help !!!!

S Xx