[The Fluffy Assassin]

By LESLEY ALDERMAN
Published: August 14, 2009

You would think that after Kelly Oram broke more than 10 bones and experienced chronic stomach problems for most of his life, someone (a nurse? a doctor?) might have wondered if something fundamental was wrong with his health. But it wasn’t until Mr. Oram was in his early 40s that a doctor who was treating him for a neck injury became suspicious and ordered tests, including a bone scan.

It turned out that Mr. Oram, a music teacher who lives in White Plains, had celiac disease, an underdiagnosed immune disorder set off by eating foods containing gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.

Celiac disease damages the lining of the small intestine, making it difficult for the body to absorb nutrients. Victims may suffer from mild to serious malnutrition and a host of health problems, including anemia, low bone density and infertility. Celiac affects one out of 100 people in the United States, but a majority of those don’t know they have the disease, said Dr. Joseph A. Murray, a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota who has been studying the disease for two decades. The disease can be detected by a simple blood test, followed by an endoscopy to check for damage to the small intestine.

Seven years after receiving his diagnosis, Mr. Oram, who is married and has one daughter, is symptom-free, but the cost of staying that way is high. That’s because the treatment for celiac does not come in the form of a pill that will be reimbursed or subsidized by an insurer. The treatment is to avoid eating products containing gluten. And gluten-free versions of products like bread, pizza and crackers are nearly three times as expensive as regular products, according to a study conducted by the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University.
(more)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/15/health/1...tml?_r=1&em

The rest of the article, as the title suggests, is about how expensive gluten-free food can be (in the "Gee, ya think?" department). There are some hopefully useful tips on how to deduct the added expense, though. And as the friend who sent me the link pointed out, it's nice to see it in the mainstream media.

[celiac-mommy]

We actually spend much less than before diagnosis. Very little eating out, cooking from scratch, not buying crap food from the grocery store, impulse buys, etc. It's been great for us in many different ways!

[Mskedi]

I liked the article -- the only word I can think of to describe it is calm. It doesn't make the diet sound impossible, nor does it try to get controversial, even though it mentions how care in the US is woefully behind care in other countries. Overall, it sounds doable despite the costs involved, and I like that it ended on a positive note.

[mommida]

When we were just one the gluten free diet ~ it wasn't so expensive. Now that we are avoiding the full top eight and peas and chick peas ~ YIKES! It's nightmare expensive.

How ironic ~ is food with less ingredients can cost that much more!!?

[ranger]

celiac-mommy, on Aug 14 2009, 03:18 PM, said:

We actually spend much less than before diagnosis. Very little eating out, cooking from scratch, not buying crap food from the grocery store, impulse buys, etc. It's been great for us in many different ways!

Ditto for me. I cook a lot, but don't spend much more. You have to be creative and inventive. Or spend a lot of money.