3 replies to this topic

[LynnR]

I was adopted as an infant & recently found out that I have celiac disease. I met my natural Mother last year but it didn't go well. Our short relationship ended quicked mainly b/c I wasn't the person she wanted me to be.

The main reason I wanted to contact her in the first place was to find out any medical background so I could find what was wrong with me. Her medical history was not much but including heart arrthemia (sp)?, IBS, indigestion, bloating, etc. She would often say that she doesn't eat much but can't lose any weight either.

Now I am thinking that I inherited celiac disease from her. She is now married & has 2 grown children. Should I write a note & let her know what I have in case she has it too?

Our daughter is also adopted. She comes from China. When we got her, she was very underweight, had lots Eczema, & had acid reflex upon eating. Now she is much healthier but still has the Eczema, craves sweets, never feels full after meals, & very small for her age. Her last physical in April, she weighed 42 1/2 pounds & her height was 43 3/4-inches. They did a bone scan & found her bone age to be 5.10 years. The doctor wasn't concerned at this moment because she is growing on a yearly basis.

She will not allow anyone to take blood from her b/c she is very afraid of needles for whatever reason. So what we can do is limited. Can her symptoms be related to celiac disease?

Thanks!

[gf4life]

You didn't mention how old your daughter is, but I figured older than 5.

It wouldn't hurt to get her tested. A needle-free way of testing for gluten intolerance is to go through Enterolab. You might even be able to get a doctor to order if, since you can't use needles on her. It might help when trying to get it covered by insurance.
They do a stool test for gluten antibodies and they also do a gene test (cheek swab). The complete test kit costs about $350 + @$20 shipping. You can find more info about the testing here:
A link to Enterolab's Website

It wouldn't hurt to drop a letter to your birth mother and let her know that you were diagnosed with this disease and based on her symptoms she might want to be tested. You could also include a printout from a reputable site regarding the disease. Then at least you did your part. The rest is up to her to decide if she wants to pursue testing for her and her family.

Good luck and God bless,
Mariann

[LynnR]

Oops -

My daughter will be 9 in March.

[gf4life]

Then yes, she is very small for her age and like I said it wouldn't hurt to have her tested. You already have to follow the diet, so it would be easier for her to follow it as well.

God bless,
Mariann