All Symptoms Are Not Celiac Related!

[gilligan]

I'm not yet a seasoned celiac, and it's taken me a year or two to turn things around.  Like many posters, I question symptoms wondering if they are celiac related.  I haven't been at the top of my game since Memorial Wkd; feeling a little "off".  I was hoping it wasn't a delayed reaction to a gluten exposure.  A couple weeks ago, I had the dreaded "d" a few times during the day but didn't think much of it.  By bedtime, I was feeling pain and cramps in my tummy, but assumed it would subside as I relaxed and fell asleep. I was up most of the night, but I kept thinking it was a bad stomach ache.  By morning, my hubs was awake and said he was overruling me - he took me to the hospital.  Long story short, a few hrs. later I was undergoing emergency surgery to remove part of the ascending colon, cecum, ileus, and appendix.  I have never felt such pain in my life!  I spent 9 days in the hospital and complete recovery will take about three months.  I was one of the lucky ones.  Dr. was able to remove blockage, and remove damaged colon without the need for either a temporary or lifetime colostomy bag.  Three scenarios were explained to me before surgery and I had to sign papers stating I understood the dire predictions of what could happen before the dr. started.  No, this doesn't have anything to do with celiac - I asked multiple times trying to figure out how this could happen.  This is my heartfelt advice to you:  Please don't blame everything on celiac.  Trust your instincts!  If you have unexplained symptoms, call the doctor!  Explain your symptoms and let medical people help you decide if you should be seen by your doctor.  Was this life threatening?  Yes, it was.  If I had waited any longer (which I likely would've done without the husband's interference), my circumstances would be far different.  Again, I was a lucky one.  

[icelandgirl]

Oh my goodness!! (((Hugs)))

How awful and scary for you. I'm so glad that you are on the mend. Do you have any idea what caused this? So glad your husband made you go to the hospital!

[mamaw]

Hope  your  healing  is  fast... You are  so  right  , not  every  pain  is  from celiac... People  do seem to  fall into  that  rut  that  once  dx'd  with celiac  every  intestinal  problem is  celiac   related...  just  not  true...

And  a  side note:  Keep  that  husband, he  is  watching  out  for  you!!!!!!   hugs

[kareng]

Wow!  How scary!  Glad you are OK.

 

Over the years, I have seen a lot of people insist something has gluten or that they are reacting to <1 ppm of gluten.  A few years later, many of them have found that they actually have another issue.  I hate to see people blame gluten or Celiac and miss another problem.

[GF Lover]

Gilligan, So glad you will have a complete recovery.  

 

I feel the same as Mamaw and Karen.  Everything that affects our health may not be Celiac related.  I have also seen people fall into this trap and see their health suffer.  When Celiac is in remission, there are no symptoms unless a bit of gluten gets you.  For the most part, Seasoned Celiacs don't get glutened very often.  We also can't blame all of our other health issues on Celiac.  Whether we had problems before diagnosis and/or problems after diagnosis.  Celiac is one of many conditions, syndromes, and diseases we can develop as we age.

 

Colleen