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Recovery Happens. Believe It!

squirmingitch

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squirmingitch Veteran
squirmingitch
Posted

In 2 months I will have been strict gluten free for 3 years. I have dermatitis herpetiformis, the skin presentation of celiac disease (for those of you who don't know me). 

 

I have good news to report. I am 5'1" and celiac disease had me down to 93 (at times 90) pounds. After going gluten free I would weigh myself & get depressed that I was not gaining weight. This went on for literally years. I did know not to expect much the first year so I wasn't that concerned & it didn't bum me out too much during that first year. By the end of year 2 though, it was getting pretty depressing every time I stepped on the scale & I hadn't gained anything. I got tired of seeing the same thing every time I stepped on the scale so I just quit weighing myself. Just about the last month or two, I noticed my jeans felt a bit tighter than they had been. I screwed up my courage the other day & stepped on the scale. 103. I thought it was an apparition. I Have weighed myself every day for 4 days & it always turns up 103! It's REAL!!!!!! FINALLY, FINALLY!!!!!!!

Ha,ha,ha,ha,ha! If this keeps up, I'm going to have to get a new wardrobe because of weight gain for the very first time in my life (I'm 57)! :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

 

Also, my bp had been steadily inching up in the years before I found out I have celiac disease. Well folks, my blood pressure is now back to so normal there probably aren't many people in the world who have such normal bp. 

 

I've told you the things that can be measured. The other things like fatigue & gas, bloat, migraines, depression, etc., etc., etc...... have all resolved.

 

I do still have the rash. It is a billion times improved but I still get itchies here & there; rarely ever blisters any more. This is a humongous improvement. Those who know me, know what I'm talking about. I had the rash bad. It's just going to be a long time for me before I'm completely free of any vestige of the rash but I can certainly live with the state of it now. 

 

I have been reading in this forum thread after thread where you "newbies" are chomping at the bit for permanent improvement. I wanted to post this to let you know it really & truly WILL happen for you but it is not something that happens in mere months, nor in 6 months, nor in a year necessarily but it WILL happen. Some take longer than others. Just stay the course and know that one day it will be YOUR day to write a post like this.

 

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nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

Awesome reminder to hang in there and stay patient.  :)  Here's to your good health!! :D

1desperateladysaved Proficient
1desperateladysaved
Posted

Oh, what good news!   I step on the scale daily too and find a new low nearly every day.  It is so strange when different things finally begin to happen.  I remember those days in the beginning when I just wanted to measure my bloated waist and have it go down!  I just wanted something to be visible that someone besides me could see.  NOW these things are happening, though I have felt much better for over a year.  I am so glad for you to be experiencing measureable change and hope that squirmyitch will one day be able to change her name!  I posted before and after pictures elsewhere, and would like to post them on Celiac.com using only my code name.  However, so far my attempts have failed!

 

Dee

.

bartfull Rising Star
bartfull
Posted

:D  :D  :D

 

Squirming, you have been one of the most informed and helpful people here on the board. You may never know how many people you have helped, but they know. You deserve perfect health and it's so good to see you well on the way. :wub: (((((HUGS))))) :wub:

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

Congratulations!

I am really happy that your rash has improved. You are an inspiration for all folks with celiac disease, but even more so for those with DH!

squirmingitch Veteran
squirmingitch
Posted
  • Author

Awwwww, you guys are getting me all teary eyed but there's a huge smile on my face at the same time.

 

((((((((HUGS))))))) to all of you!

 

Happy healing! :)

powerofpositivethinking Community Regular
powerofpositivethinking
Posted

I love reading posts like this!  Glad you are improving, and always a great reminder that good things will happen in time  :)

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GottaSki Mentor
GottaSki
Posted

Yay Squirmy : )

moosemalibu Collaborator
moosemalibu
Posted

Wonderful to read -  am still a newbie myself and sometimes find myself getting impatient. Great reminder as well as hope! :)

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      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

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      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

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