Framefunnyfarm

As I read these posts I feel so thankful it's not just me.... Don't get me wrong, I would never wish this hel* on anyone. I spent so much of my life feeling like this was in my head though...... I didn't realize until I was a teen that something was wrong. Nothing made sense at school and I was hurting all the time, and so much of the time I couldn't explain what even hurt. I even resorted to self harm as a teenager and even as an adult at my lowest moments... I so badly wanted someone to make me better. After being in a fog of depression and pain, I spent 5 years REALLY sick, getting worse everyday until this last year when going gluten free and finally getting a diagnosis of celiac disease changed my life. I am thankful for my new found wellness, as I have never felt better. I grieve greatly for all the pain and missed moments and lack of memories this disease has caused. My beautiful 13 year old daughter texted me from school this morning, she needed some information for an assignment.... She needed to know how old she was when she walked and what her first word was. I am the kind of mom who would know that information off the top of my head, regardless of the fact I have 5 children. I was SO sad.... I guessed, good thing she can't remember either I understand now healing is a process that involves more than just my gut.

Yes, I too lost a lot of my life to gluten. Of course, I didn't realize it until reading about celiac, and the light bulbs went off in my head. (of course THAT could never have happened, had I not went gluten-free! I couldn't think while eating gluten!)

My parents were poor farmers and we never had health insurance. In one way, that life saved me, because we grew our own food. What is now called "organic". Very little was ever purchased at the store.
Mom made everything from 'scratch', including canning our own pickles and ketchup. Our meat was from what we raised.
Dad was picky about how he fed the animals that he butchered for family consumption, and how the milk cow was fed.

I was an asthmatic, sickly, wisp of a child, to the point my parents were teased that they never fed me. My uncle in another state was a dr, and his wife sent my mom a nutrient drink for me. After that drink, I got obese, and fought my weight the rest of my life. (wish I knew what that was!)

While I was a good student for the most part, I have very little memory of much my life, childhood included. I am floored at how some people remember details of their childhood, where I can't remember years! Celiac brain fog now explains that to me.

As an adult, I never caught viruses. I read here, somewhere, about our immune system being in such overdrive battling the poison we kept putting in, that some of us don't catch viruses. That makes sense. I have not had a cold in 35 years, or the flu in 30.
However, I still live in a farming community, and every fall for as long as I can remember, I get a lung/asthma/sinus problem. I figured out years ago it had to do with harvest. Now it I know why! Gluten in the air!

I can trace IBS symptoms to the poorest times of my life. IE eating more 'cheaply' by eating breads and pastas.
I can trace my worst memory lapses to that time also. My poorest times were my most stressed, and I always thought it was due to 'nervous breakdowns'. Now I know my missing parts were induced by gluten.

Though I never 'caught' illness, I have been ill all my life. I just ignored most of it and went on. Thats life and aging, right?
Dr's offered pills to mask symptoms, but I always refused. I thought it was part of living to be sick and aching.

The 30+ years of joint pain, boils, swollen lymph nodes, raging heartburn, bouts of disabling exhaustion, 'sensitive system' that gave me "D" or constipation, depression, low self esteem, grumpiness, sinus aching, anal itching, constant upper back pain, edema, hair, skin and nail problems, etc... have all disappeared with going gluten-free.

Being sick isn't part of living.

I am more than a perfectly functioning human now. I have a sense of humor, I laugh! My family would SLAP food out of my hand, were i to try to eat gluten again. (which I never will!) They love the new me, but not more than I do! I feel like I have been given a second chance at life!

I am so moved by your post!! I can relate, most of my life was in a fog.

It takes me 1-2 days to react most of the time. The previous poster's thought of it being a more minor CC that takes a couple days to show up is my thought as well. I am careful not to consume direct gluten, but suck at being lax and eating out and taking the chance of CC. It is hard that it takes a couple days to show up, it makes it harder for me to pin point what made me sick.

Chiana,

I know he's aware of what is happening to him. I'm not sure if he's given up so much as maybe he just feels hopeless?

I'm hoping that by reading others' stories it will show him there is some hope, regardless of what doctors say.

I get very frustrated with the situation because gluten was destroying my life and I had to figure it out for myself. So many of my symptoms resolved (including neuro symptoms like migraines, difficulty with words, tingling hands, a reduction in my autistic isolation (I have aspergers)... and he know this and has seen this happen for me.  I just can't fathom how becoming progressively more disabled is not something that would make you try anything you could to get better. Especially when its something that you can control yourself. Even if it isn't the answer to your problems.... how is it not worth it to try???? Slowly dying seems harder than changing your diet...

:-(

  WOW! Ollie's Mom, that was beautifully put....."Slowly dying seems harder than changing your diet"  LOVE IT!!  Can I steal it?

I know a handful of friends with chronic pain and fibromyalgia that have found NO solution to pain relief.  I always tell them about how sick I was and that my life changed in a matter of days due to going gluten free.  It still surprises me that they choose not to try a gluten free diet.  It is a natural remedy to try involving no narcotic or brain numbing medicine.  please convince your friend to try it.  Good Luck