Carolann444

I am just recently learning about celiac disease since having a celiac panel done and it came back positive.  Back up 5 years ago, when I was first getting sick, I couldn't hardly eat anything.  As soon as I would look at food, the stomach pains would start.  I would try to force myself to eat and got maybe halfway through my meal and would feel nausea and couldn't continue.  I felt much better when I didn't eat, and it seemed to be such a chore since I literally had to force myself.  

Some days I would have to just lay down because the stomach pains were so intense.  After seeing a friend one day, and wearing size 4 pants that were falling off me, she said how worried she was about me.  That's when I realized how really sick I was, but still at that time, my GI specialist was doing all kinds of tests.  From gallbladder tests to an endocopy (stopping at my stomach and not going to the small intestine) until he finally told me everything looked great, I just had IBS, and he prescribed me an antidepressant.  It was dropped.  He didn't seem worried that I looked sick and was loosing weight.  I never took the medicine because I think deep inside I didn't believe I was that stressed.  

Looking back now I realize that I was experiencing malnutrition and the last few years have been a tough time in my life because I have never felt well.  My family was even getting frustrated and told me to stop worrying about things, thinking that I was making myself sick.  This year, after much prodding by my husband to keep going to the doctor to find an answer, I decided I would go until they found out what was wrong.  My family doctor took it upon herself to run every test she could think of that would cause the symptoms I was describing and listening to me explain how I couldn't live like this anymore.  I had to go back several times and then the LAST test she did was for celiac, even though she said mostly likely I did have IBS since all other tests came back normal, but she would do this last blood test to rule it out.  Low and behold, I tested positive with highly elevated antibodies.  Praise God!  I finally found out why I have been sick and it’s not all in my head.  I’m not going crazy after all!  

I have started the diet for one week now and I’m trying to learn all I can to be gluten free.  I have an appointment with a GI specialist in November to see about a diagnoses.  It has been a series of ups and downs after hearing of my diagnoses; thoughts of anger that the GI doctor didn't go further with the endoscopy test to anguish about having to restrict my diet for the rest of my life, to excitement that I will actually feel normal and well again!
  
Also, other symptoms I have had in the past 5 years: severe headaches, sinus conjestion and chronic sinus infections, thinnng hair, hyperthyroidism, sleep problems, fatigue and feeling tired, and diarrhea (on a weekly basis). I am hoping to have these symptoms go away after being on the gluten-free diet!