Dr. Chris Steele
Dr. Chris Steele is a TV doctor. I’ll admit I’d never heard of him before, as he’s on ITV and I try not to watch any program with adverts.
But he has now been diagnosed with coeliac disease as the Daily Mail reports.
I’ve tried to put a comment on the web site, but I can’t seem to get registered. So I’ll post it here for now.
Dr. Steele’s case is typical. For some reason, doctors miss diagnosing coeliac disease all of the time. I know of a GP with coeliac children, whose husband family have coeliac history, who missed her own coeliac disease. So it is not easy to get right.
In my case, I was not diagnosed until 55, seven years ago. My symptoms were joint pains, chronic dandruff, extreme tiredness, gall stones, migraines, depression, wind, diarrhoea, mood swings etc. etc. But if you trace my family tree and those who probably had coeliac disease, you will notice that no women in the family have had any children. Could it be that the low B12 levels associated with coeliac disease, mean that it is difficult to conceive or carry a baby to full term?
As to eating out, Dr. Steele should try Italy. Just say you are a coeliachai and you get gluten-free pasta in many restaurants. We should follow the Italians and treat the disease very seriously, as how much does the misdiagnosis cost the NHS.
I very pleased of this for two reasons.
- Every celebrity who is diagnosed with coeliac disease helps publicise the disease.
- His experience shows that when you have been diagnosed the cure is simple and you get better pretty quickly.
So my advice would be if you think you have any of the symptoms of coeliac disease, try a gluten-free diet. It might not work, but it wouldn’t do you any harm.
Unfair Trials Abroad
My late wife was a barrister and I’m proud to have lots of lawyers and judges amongst my friends. If ever I ended up in a court in the UK, I would suspect that I’d get a fair trial.
But! Is it that way abroad? Just take the case of Garry Mann, which has been well documented by Fair Trials International. An English judge has said that his trial was a travesty, but now he will be deported to Portugal to serve a two year sentence.
And there is nothing that the English Courts can do about it, as our human rights have been signed away by this stupid government.
More on Short Sleeved Shirts
After yesterday’s funeral, I cooked dinner last night in a short sleeved shirt. As I said before they are so bad for washing-up.
A Funeral
As you get older, you always seem to go to more and more funerals. They are changing though. Or at least those in the Church of England are, as I have no experience of a funeral service in another religion.
In some way I first sensed the change when Alex died. I had known her for some years and it was on her recommendation that my late wife went to the oncologist, Professor Davidson. Alex, a confirmed atheist or at least an agnostic, had planed the funeral with the vicar, who happened to be married to her best friend. Despite being a funeral, it was in some ways a joyous occasion, with popular hymns and songs, everybody in colours and the ladies in hats. The vicar even blasphemed from the pulpit.
When my wife died, she gave her body to medical science and we didn’t have a funeral at all at the time. We just had a gathering at the house and those that wanted to said a few words. It worked for us.
Yesterday, I went to Christine’s funeral, who was a cousin of my late wife. Not sure what the relationship is, but she came to my wife’s memorial service in Southwark Cathedral. In fact she sat next to me. So in addition to everything else, she deserved my respect and I felt it was essential that I go.
The funeral service was in Minster Abbey on the Isle of Sheppey. I had actually attended two other funerals there of Christine’s mother and sister.
It is a lovely old parish church, founded in the 660s, that is one of the unknown gems of England. Sheppey is not an island noted for very much, but a trip across the bridge from the M2 is worth it, just to view this church.
The church was packed and it was a good service, with a wonderful speech from her sister. It must help friends and family, when so many people come and I would hate to be a lone mourner at a funeral.
It was followed by a cremation at Bobbing. Crematoria of my past, tend to be soulless and depressing places. But this one, which was opened only a few years ago, had been designed to make the passing of someone dear to you, a better experience. That is if there is one!
I shall remember the chapel with the sunlight streaming through the window, until the day I die.
The Anonymous Widower 