Recently diagnosed

[Jamey meeks]

I was recently diagnosed as celiac and I have been miserable for the past year or more, now that I know what’s wrong and what I have to deal with I just feel overwhelmed and even more miserable, I come to the co clusion im going to be sick the rest of my life 

[Oceana]

  On 2/18/2018 at 9:54 AM, Jamey meeks said:

I was recently diagnosed as celiac and I have been miserable for the past year or more, now that I know what’s wrong and what I have to deal with I just feel overwhelmed and even more miserable, I come to the co clusion im going to be sick the rest of my life 

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So sorry to hear of your suffering, Jamey.  I empathize deeply.  The overwhelm can be staggering.  My son and I are both celiac, and when we were finally diagnosed it took months of hell to organize our lives around it and to begin to feel we could do it.  It is so hard without support.

What I can tell you is that it gets better and a little bit easier over time.  We now know what we can and cannot eat, and have gotten creative with ways to socialize around food so that we're not isolated.  I think sometimes it helps to just vent the frustration and be kind to yourself and allow the emotions of it all.

The biggest thing that has helped us is to find others who are also dealing with celiac, and get the support, make new friends, so that we don't feel so alone and abnormal.

My son went through a period of depression after being diagnosed, but the interesting thing is that once we started supplements to help his body get the nutrition that was missing, he began to feel much better almost overnight.  I have read that it's a very real issue for celiac to cause depression...the nutrition that the brain isn't getting, the way that society socializes around food and that feeling of isolation having to cope in social situations, and also especially knowing it's a diagnosis that doesn't go away.

We've found it really helpful to focus on what is going well in our lives, because just appreciating what's okay begins to amplify our positivity, which grows.

Just know that I see you and you're not alone, ok?

And also that there is so much support for you out here on the internet, and with others who are also dealing with celiac.

 

[Judy3]

Now that you have a diagnosis it may seem overwhelming but things will get better.    A strict gluten free diet is the only treatment for Celiac.   Start with whole foods.. fruit, vegetables, meat and rice.      You can season your food with spices (make sure they are gluten free) for flavor.    I started feeling better in 3-4 days and it got better from there.    Once you remove the gluten from your diet, your gut will have a chance to heal.   It takes time so don't get frustrated just keep going.    I've been 7.5 yrs on the gluten free diet and it's easy now.   I can eat in restaurants (have to be careful but you can do it)  Do a lot of reading on this site in different categories and learn all you can about hidden gluten in products.     Make sure that over the counter drugs and vitamins say gluten free on the label.       Give yourself some time... you'll be fine. 

 

[Cynthia Muckelroy]

I have been reading all posts about their diagnosis.  I was diagnosed about a year and half ago.  This freed me somewhat.  Now I know what's wrong and I can deal with.  If you don't know you're fighting blindly.  My problem now is trying to get the foods to taste  as close as possible to regular food.  I can't tell you how much food I've thrown away because it tasted unusual.  My diet is as close as I can get it to all the foods I've eaten all my life.  I know I can't rely on commercially produced things like cornbread, cake mixes, etc.  I always made things from scratch before and now I'll do it the same way.    Just found that out!  I'm 75 years old.  If I can do it, anyone can.  I suffered with symptoms for 20 years before I found out I was celiac.  I wish all of you the best, keep trying.  This made open many new adventures for you.  

[Jmg]

  On 2/18/2018 at 9:54 AM, Jamey meeks said:

I was recently diagnosed as celiac and I have been miserable for the past year or more, now that I know what’s wrong and what I have to deal with I just feel overwhelmed and even more miserable, I come to the co clusion im going to be sick the rest of my life 

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Hi and welcome

Your's is a very natural reaction and one which many here shared. 

Take a look at this site: Open Original Shared Link

You'll probably go through these stages, or may indeed be partway through the process even now. The good news is that some of the way you're feeling may be physical, a celiac response to gluten which will lift as you progress going gluten free. Healing will likely take months or even a year, so you should be looking forward to feeling better than you thought you could as you continue on the diet. 

Use this site for advice and support, lots of people have gone through this experience and can help you. 

Also consider reaching out for some counselling to help you. The diet is a big adjustment and can leave you feeling isolated at times. Talking to someone independently may help, it did for me. 

Best of luck

Matt