# LEAP?



## tdellaringa (May 15, 2002)

Hi,I've just been lurking here, been on other boards. Have had IBS-D for about 1.5 years, it is *somewhat* under control right now by me trying to avoid trigger foods and eat well. I basically eat chicken and ham and turkey, some fruit and drink water.Anyway, I'm curious, what in the world is LEAP. There seems to be a lot of discussion about it. I saw the one where the person said she was *reactive* to certain foods.The last bad attack I had was after some pork, and me and my wife swear I have a problem with pork. However, I have eaten it with no problem at times as well, and my doctor says don't worry about it, I cannot be allergic to pork.I'm sure as you guys know though, if you feel you have a problem with something you avoid it, so I am. Anyway...leap???







Tom


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## WashoeLisa (Sep 12, 2000)

Hi Tom,OK- LEAP.Here goes.The LEAP test (or Mediator Release Test) is a test for food, food additive and some OTC meds (like Advil, ect) reactivities. To use myself as an example, I react to wheat. I don't have celiac sprue, as I am not allergic to wheat- just reactive to it. Its the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance. One can kill you, the other just makes you feel like death warmed over. The difference is in the way the immune system reacts to it. Different components are triggered than what gets triggered in a food allergy. Some doctors call them delayed food allergies as well, because it can take up to 3 days to react to something you have eaten. It is also dose dependent, meaning if you eat a little bit, you may not have to reaction to it but once you eat a good amount- you also have a reaction. Sometimes, if you eat a little bit, but every day, you will then react as it build up over time too.Sooo- having said all that- the way you treat a food allergy and a food intolerance is the same- don't eat your offending food.You can figure alot of this stuff on your own by keeping a food log/symptom log and see what pops up. Its not a perfect system and there will be stuff that gets missed because its hard to trace something from 3 days ago and because there are alot of hidden ingredients in things (like my dad is reactive to yeast mix, but thought he was lactose intolerant. What he does have a problem with in the milk in the milk is the fortified vitamins added to it, made out of yeast, not the milk itself).The thing about the test is that it allows you to find the hidden stuff and gives you a more accurate picture from the start, so its not as time consuming either and you feel better faster. The test will find about 95% or better of your reactivities. For me, it missed pumpkin and beets , which I figured out as I was doing the diet plan along with avoiding my reactive foods.I was tested almost 2 years ago, my 10 year old daughter was tested 1 year ago and my dad was tested last month. I have nothing but good things to say about it- and it has made a tremendous difference in my quality of life. Well worth the money it cost. Alot of insurance companies are picking up the full cost now. When I did it, it was covered 80/20 for me. I hope this answered your question and if you want more info, you can post here or go to the website at www.leapallergy.comLisa from Nevada


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## Julia37 (May 9, 2001)

Tom,I'm sure Mike NL will respond as soon as he can, but meanwhile I'll chime in. LEAP is a treatment program by Signet Diagnostics, and it includes a blood test that shows food sensitivites, dietary counseling and stress management. You have the blood test to see what you're sensitive (reactive) to, and then the dieticians help you modify your diet, and the stress management helps with the stress.Most US doctors don't know much about food allergies. I've known a couple of people online who said they were allergic to pork. My impression is that meat allergies are more unusual than allergies to plant foods or dairy, but I don't know of any particular reason that couldn't happen. If you have a true allergy to pork, you'll get a consistent reaction to it whether you eat a little or a lot. If it's a sensitivity, the reaction will be proportionately worse if you eat more. Food sensitivities can take as long as 72 hours to manifest symptoms in the digestive tract. Also, sometimes combinations of foods can provoke a sensitivity reaction where each food seperately may provoke little or no reaction. If you haven't been keeping a log of food and symptoms, you could try that and see if a pattern emerges.The LEAP test doesn't show allergies and allergy tests don't show sensitivies, they are 2 different immune reactions, but they can cause the same symptoms. If you decide to get an allergy test try to get a blood test instead of the skin prick testing, which is inaccurate and prone to false positives.The LEAP web site has an online form for you to fill out, which helps them determine whether they're program is likely to help you. It's at www.leapallergy.com.Good luck! Please keep us posted.


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## Julia37 (May 9, 2001)

Lisa are we a team or what? We were posting at the same time!


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## WashoeLisa (Sep 12, 2000)

Go, Julia, Go!







I like having you on my team!!







I am tired tonight and you said it better- so THANK YOU!!


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## ohnometo (Sep 20, 2001)

Yes ! you are a team...I think you will be taking Mike's place before you know it...


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## JackieGian (Mar 23, 2002)

At least you guys speak English! That was the clearest explanation of LEAP I've seen yet. Thanks!


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## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

LOL ________________________________________"At least you guys speak English! " ________________________________________Warum sprechen sie das? Ja, Ich spreche keine English. Gehen sie aus www.nowleap.com. Das ist alles.MNL


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## tdellaringa (May 15, 2002)

Thank you everyone, that sounds very very interesting. My problem is, right now I have no health insurance. Believe me, not by choice. I lost my job, and insurance, and we simply could not afford to buy our own, and we went on IL Public Aid, which is a joke in some ways. The "spenddown" (read deductable) for us is $1,800 per MONTH. How's that grab ya? The kids are covered fully, but for me and my wife we are out of luck till I either get hired by this company I am contracting for or can afford some health insurance. Sorry for the long wind, but the point is how much does this cost? I imagine its quite expensive. I would really love to do it.The pork thing is wierd, because I had 2 very bad attacks shortly after eating it (where I faint on the toilet from the pain in the bowel) yet I have also eaten it with no problem. And I eat ham/turkey sandwiches nearly every single day. Ham is pork no? Maybe a different kind.I also believe that I am lactose intolerant, but maybe I have similar problems that were mentioned above.Thanks!Tom


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## WashoeLisa (Sep 12, 2000)

MikeNL,ROFLOL!!!! I had to dig back to my high school German to read that one!!







Tom,The cost is listed on the website- I can't remember exactly how much it is now... about $700 or so....$1800 a month is CRAZY! YOu could afford your own insurance at that rate!! I saw you are posting from NV, is that a NV state thing? Are you in north or south? YOu can get the book by Dr. Brostoff "Food Allergies and Food Intolerances" at the library. That would help you understand the whole phenomenon better and can give you a place to start until you get insurance coverage.I am lactose intolerant as well, btw.Jackie,Glad we could explain things so you could read them!







Donna,YAY TEAM!







Hugs all around,Lisa from Nevada


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## JackieGian (Mar 23, 2002)

Yeah Mike LOL -- you're a regular riot!


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## tdellaringa (May 15, 2002)

YEs, I am in NV - Las Vegas to be exact on contract. However, its Illinois that I'm talking about. Agreed, what is the point of paying that much per month? How is that "aid"? Don't get me started. Thanks again for the help.Tom


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## WashoeLisa (Sep 12, 2000)

Hey Tom,Just so you know- any teaching hospital that has received federal aid (try all of them) MUST provide care to patients with no insurance coverage or limited coverage. UNLV is supposed to be really good, so keep that in mind for other things too....Glad we could help,Lisa from Northern Nevada


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## Nikki (Jul 11, 2000)

I believe Mike said:"Yes, I speak a little English. Go so www.nowleap.com. That is all."I missed the first bit. My German is ####. I think i got that totaly wrong. LOL.


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## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

SPLIFFSTER:Hey, you did pretty good...very close. And my german is #### too. I had it in high school, which makes that about, oh, 32 years ago."kein" is "none" or "nothing" etc. "klein" is "small" or "al little bit" like "klein bisschen" (my computer won't make the character for the 2-s's sound)."Gutes Arbeit, Liebchen"Now for TD:On the website is only the cost of the (6) month integrated LEAP Homecare Program. Signet does not peddle testing. We have a protocol for IBS that is implemented under medical supervision and is home based for those who are not near a doctor offering LEAP yet. So there is a "universal charge" for all the services bundled together for HomeCare as listed on the site, which does include both the complete panel of 150 tests and the dietary counselling at a fixed ciost as opposed to an ala carte approach.The Protocol is based on new technology just patented in 2000, and thus the Program was just completed and readied for "distribution" about a year ago after many years of R&D and clinical experimentation with lifestyle programs to get the system optimized. That being the case there are as of this moment only about 20 cities so far where there is a "provider" physician. But this is growing as we now have medical services represntatives under training and in the field, adding more each week around the USA, showing the Program to doctors for use with their patients. For example a new 5-physician group, I am told, was just added up in Ohio yesterday. They scheduled them for their inservice training this coming week.Also about 270 insurance plans now pay for the physician time and the testing when done by a provider in the office. The HomeCare Program 150-food and chemical tests are not insurance covered becasue insurance does not pay, but because of the ethical position we have chosen to take about assigning diagnosis codes...which you need to file a claim. While some "service providers" do have a doctor assign a diagnosis code to a person they have not themselves physically examined, having collected some patient self-reported data and perhaps having an interview done with an RN or RD etc by phone and web-mediated, and I am sure that insurance co.'s at times are paying for these claims, I am of the opinion that at best this is unethical...and at worst, perhaps some insurance company will someday look more closely at such practices and deem them, uh, inappropriate.So for people who do not have coverage, or have not met their deductibles yet, or who are in HomeCare we do extend the courtesy of a stop-loss limit. That is, many labs when they bill insurance for a procedure after collecting the copya and then do not get paid by the insurance for whatever reason will balance-bill the patient the entire amount. This can come as a shock as you know, and an unwelcome burden when it happens.So we have a policy of settin a limit on the what the patient would be balance-billed when there is no insurance payment, and extend that courtesy into the pricing of the HomeCare since we will not bill insurance in that case anyway.EXCEPTION IS that many patients in HomeCare will take the test panel requisitions to their own doctor to sign and he/she of course can properly assign a diagnosis code since that doctor has physically diagnosed the patient. Cost is ten adjusted downward to the patient accordingly dependent upon benefits of their plan.Inside this framework the HC Division can work with most people, even with limited financial resources. We do try to ensure that, should the program be appropriate for a person (they only accept only those who have a high probability of being helped, based on specific criteria), that if at all possible finicail barriers can be minimized by working with people who have decided on the basis of well informed consent to participate.In your situation you have barriers for this protocol, and you must ensjure you are providing for your family above all else. But that does NOT mean there is nothing you can do from a lifestyle perspective to try to sort out what dietary modifications might be of some benefit to you.For about $25 you can get these two books...which, with a good read, will show you some procedures, and the basis for them, which can be affective in helping you isolate some of the dietary sources of syptoms that are specific to you on your own.All that tests like MRT and Disease Management Programs do is provide coordinated planning and shortcuts to more accurate answers which will save huge amounts of time and effort and get better results thn the person can get ontheir own....and for that service a cost is borne. But that does not mean the patient cannot get some results on their own with some training and the right committment.The basis for what is done, the protocols, has to be based upon some basic physiology which you can learn, and some simpler procedures you could learn on your own whuich can give you at least some of the benefits of a program like LEAP without breaking the piggy bank your family must subsist on.Note that they will not, however, improve your keyboarding skills as you can clearly see from my posts...I just have a total disconnect between my 2 index fingers and my brain...and not enough time for the tedium of self-editing....sorry...BUT I recommend these two books as a good combo for you:IBS: A DOCTORS PLAN FOR CHRONIC DIGESTIVE TROUBLESBy Gerard Guillory, M.D.; Vanessa Ameen, M.D.; Paul Donovan, M.D.; Jack Martin, Ph.D. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-h...9085785-1742301 "FOOD ALLERGIES AND FOOD INTOLERANCE: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THEIR IDENTIFICTION AND TREATMENT", Professor Jonathan Brostoff , M.D.. Allergy, Immunology and Environmental Medicine, Kings' College, London http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/089...6487508-3420903 Read, learn, do and feel better...these are written by physicians with a lot of experience in these matters.Gotta run now....Eat well. Think well. be well.MNL


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## Julia37 (May 9, 2001)

Thanks Lisa! I'm glad to have you, Donna, and Mike on my team!
















> quote:I think you will be taking Mike's place before you know it...


No one can take Mike's place, at least not with me...


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## Julia37 (May 9, 2001)

PS - Tom, can you buy your own insurance? I once got a quote from Unicare at $133/month for just me, no family. Unfortunately it had a "waiver" of anything affecting my digestion since I had already been diagnosed with IBS. I ended up not getting it.If you can, buy it before you're diagnosed! It sucks, but it's better than nothing.


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## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

Yeah, well, you guys are the A Team like it or not! I have this major new project to do now, been coming for a long time, and am having less and less time each day to visit here...but ya'll are so sharp maybe I just need to have Ethan and Jan stand by for the really frighful stuff for ya....experience and reading the right books counts for the most in this area and you ladies have a bathtub full of both! And you {{{{all}}}} type better than me!!!MNL


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## WashoeLisa (Sep 12, 2000)

MikeNL,As soon as you said "A Team", I am getting visions of Mr. T....







Lisa from Nevada


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## ohnometo (Sep 20, 2001)

MikeWhat a good idea to have Ethan and Jan to be here...Because you know we will need them for cuff *** link







Jan,Hope you dont mind that I posted some information on the board about you Jan Patenaude is Registered Dietitian, Consultant and Freelance Writer Has been practicing the art and science of Nutrition since 1977. Working as a consultant since 1986, she has worked in an extensive variety of settings, from private counseling and weight control, to clinical administration in hospitals, nursing homes, home health care, physical rehabilitation, food manufacturers and human nutrition research.Currently a nutrition writer, with recent articles published in the magazine, Sully's Living Without, a Lifestyle guide for people with Food and Chemical Sensitivities. Jan Patenaude, Registered Dietitian Hostess of online Nutrition Message Board at www.AmericasDoctors.com Many television and radio programs appearances. Past recipient of the American Heart Association of Colorado Torch of Hope Award for outstanding service to the AHA.


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## tdellaringa (May 15, 2002)

Thanks Mike for all the info and the suggestions on the books, I will probably get them. I have looked online for insurance, and I can get it for around $375/month for me and my wife (my kids are covered for the rest of the year.) But, we cannot afford it yet until I sell my house.Thanks again all!Tom


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## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

Man talk about having second-thoughts about a post...OHMYMEALSO edited herself down to nothing![On the road again...Bye]MNL


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## ohnometo (Sep 20, 2001)

Yesterday was one of those day when I shouldnt have even been here on the baord...When did you say the fog would leave


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