Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Pitfalls Of Self-diagnosis

JerryK

Recommended Posts

TestyTommy Rookie
TestyTommy
Posted

Those of you calling celiac a 'choice' are using a ridiculously broad definition of 'choice'. Sure, we all have a choice of what we put in our mouths. No one follows me around and tasers me if I eat gluten. And there are morons out there who would rather have their intestines destroyed than give up cookies.

If I eat gluten I get sick. That's not a choice.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


  • Replies 59
  • Created
  • Last Reply
darlindeb25 Collaborator
darlindeb25
Posted

Choice, alternative, option, preference all suggest the power of choosing between things. Choice implies the opportunity to choose: a choice of evils. Alternative suggests that one has a choice between only two possibilities. It is often used with a negative to mean that there is no second possibility: to have no alternative. Option emphasizes free right or privilege of choosing: to exercise one's option. Definition from a dictionary!

Yes, choosing to be gluten-free is up to us, the lesser of 2 evils. Those of you calling celiac a 'choice' are using a ridiculously broad definition of 'choice'. Call it whatever you want Tom, I made the choice to go gluten free and I chose to live this lifestyle for the rest of my life. When you are faced with a disease, you must choose to live or give up, I choose to live my life to the fullest I am able.

I did not choose to be celiac, yet I do know in having this disease, the person I am has changed. I am much more understanding with people who hurt, I now know that pain doesn't have to be visible to others. I am always willing to help another with their problems, always ready to give the best advice I am able to give. I choose to live this lifestyle and not be angry that I have a disease. It is what it is and I choose to be thankful that I found out what was wrong with me.

Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

Nicely put.

TestyTommy Rookie
TestyTommy
Posted

I don't follow how calling celiac a disease rather than a choice is equated with giving up or being angry. I haven't knowingly consumed gluten since I found out that I'm a celiac. Obviously, having a disease like this is going to change anyone afflicted with it. But if I truly had a choice, I could eat pizza and drink beer. I can't.

Maybe what we're really talking about is acceptance vs. denial.

Kaycee Collaborator
Kaycee
Posted
But if I truly had a choice, I could eat pizza and drink beer.

And you chose not to eat the pizza and drink the beer.

Cathy

darlindeb25 Collaborator
darlindeb25
Posted

Thank you Cathy and Jestgar.

Yes Tom, you choose not to eat pizza and beer, no one is forcing you, it is a choice you make. I never said celiac is a choice, not a disease. I said, I have celiac disease and i choose to change my lifestyle to accomodate my needs. I am not twisting the meaning, you are. It is the difference between acceptance and denial. I have accepted the fact that I am celiac and will be for the rest of my life AND, I have made a lifestyle choice in living the best gluten-free life I can. Not eating pizza and beer is not the end of your world. You can still have pizza, my daughter loved my gluten-free pizza, and you can still have gluten-free beer. I can't. I can't have grains, any of them, I can't have any alcohol, it all makes me ill. I have had to give up so many of my favorites and it will always be my decision, my choice as to how healthy I can be--it's up to me to take care of me and make the best choices for me.

None of us want a disease, yet it is our choice as to how we handle the fact that we do have one or more. It's up to us to make that choice.

Fiddle-Faddle Community Regular
Fiddle-Faddle
Posted

I don't know why you all can't just agree that there are different ways to look at things. Some of us feel that we have a choice; some of us feel that we have no choice. (And I feel both ways, though not usually simultaneously.)

Can those of you who feel like you have a choice please stop beating up those who do not or cannot see it that way? Just because it works for you doesn't mean it works for everyone. Please CHOOSE to accept that others may function and/or experience things differently from you.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

Fiddle-Faddle,

Sorry you're feeling a little ganged up on right now, but I don't think it's meant that way. My point, and I think Deb's, is that you get what life gives you, but how you choose to react to it is up to you.

darlindeb25 Collaborator
darlindeb25
Posted

Exactly Jestgar, exactly.

Kaycee Collaborator
Kaycee
Posted

Fiddle Faddle

We do not have a choice with the disease, I agree.

I will never ever choose, let alone think to have a slice of bread again. I made that choice when I was diagnosed, as I said to myself "well I have had my last sandwich!" I think now that my choice has been made and I do not have to think about that anymore, it is a done deal. Maybe that is what it is, the choice has been made by me, so no more choices ever to be made on that particular subject.

But then I am still faced daily or weekly with choices of whether to have that potato crisp or the spread that may have been manufactured on the same machinery that might have processed gluten. But that is being pedantic, everybody has a choice of what they eat whether they are gluten free or not. It is just our choices are less. I would rather be faced with less choice, than too many as I would eat everything.

Cathy

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. cristiana
      - cristiana replied to Colleen H's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      16

      Ibuprofen

      Ferritin levels. And see what your hemoglobin looks like too, that will tell you if you are anemic? You can have 'low normal' levels that will not be flagged by blood tests. I had 'low normal' levels, my lab reading was. c12, just over what was considered normal, but I had small benign lesion on my tongue, and sometimes a sore mouth, and a consultant maxillofacial...
    2. Mari
      - Mari replied to KathyR37's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      5

      New here

      Hi Katht - I sympathize with your struggles in following a gluten-free diet and lifestyle. I found out that I had Celiac Disease a few months before I turned 70. I just turned 89 and it has taken me almost 20 years to attain a fairly normal intestinal function. I also lost a lot of weight, down to 100 lb. down from about 140 lb. What Trents wrote you was...
    3. Colleen H
      - Colleen H replied to Colleen H's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      16

      Ibuprofen

      Yes thyroid was tested.. negative Iron ...I'm. Not sure ... Would that fall under red blood count? If so I was ok Thank you for the detailed response..☺️
    4. Colleen H
      - Colleen H posted a topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      0

      Methylprednisone treatment for inflammation?

      Hi all !! Did anyone ever get prescribed methylprednisone steroids for inflammation of stomach and intestines? Did it work ?? Thank you !!
    5. cristiana
      - cristiana replied to Colleen H's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      16

      Ibuprofen

      Hi Colleen Are you supplementing B12/having injections? I have learned recently that sometimes when you start addressing a B12 deficiency, it can temporarily make your symptoms worse. But it is important not to stop the treatment. Regarding your problems with anxiety, again that is another symptom of a B12 deficiency. I didn't know...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,879
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Peta Dunn
    Newest Member
    Peta Dunn
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • cristiana
      Ibuprofen

      By cristiana · Posted

      Ferritin levels.  And see what your hemoglobin looks like too, that will tell you if you are anemic?  You can have 'low normal' levels that will not be flagged by blood tests.  I had 'low normal' levels, my lab reading was. c12, just over what was considered normal, but I had small benign lesion on my tongue, and sometimes a sore mouth, and a consultant maxillofacial ordered an iron infusion for me as he felt my levels were too low and if he  raised them to 40, it would help.   Because you are not feeling 100% it might be worth looking at your levels, then discussing with your doctor if they are low normal.  But I stress, don't supplement iron without your levels being monitored, too much is dangerous.
    • Mari
      New here

      By Mari · Posted

      Hi Katht -  I sympathize with your struggles in following a gluten-free diet and lifestyle. I found out that I had Celiac Disease a few months before I turned 70. I just turned 89 and it has taken me almost 20 years to attain a fairly normal intestinal  function. I also lost a lot of weight, down to 100 lb. down from about 140 lb. What Trents wrote you was very true for me. I am still elimination foods from my diet. One person suggested you keep a food diary and that is a good idea but it is probably best just to do an elimination diet. There are several ne and maybe one for celiacs. I used one for a while and started with plain rice and zucchini and then added back other foods to see if I reacted or not. That helped a great deal but what I did not realise that it would only very small amounts of some foods to cause inflammation in my intestine. Within the last few years I have stopped eating any trace amounts of hot peppers, corn and soy(mostly in supplements) and nuts, (the corn in Tylenol was giving me stomach aches and the nuts were causing foot pains). Starting an elimination diet with white rice is better than brown rice that has some natural toxins. In addition it is very important to drink sufficient plain water. You can find out how much to drink for your height and weight online. I do have difficulty drinking 48 ounces of water but just recently have found an electrolyte supplement that helps me stay well hydrated, Adding the water and electrolytes may reduce muscle cramps and gag spams you wrote about. . Also buy some anti-gluten enzyme capsules to take with meals. I use GliadinX advertised here. These are a lot of things to do at one time as they reflect my 20 years of experience. I hope you do what you can manage to do over time. Good luck and take care.
    • Colleen H
      Ibuprofen

      By Colleen H · Posted

      Yes thyroid was tested.. negative  Iron ...I'm. Not sure ... Would that fall under red blood count?  If so I was ok  Thank you for the detailed response..☺️
    • Colleen H
      Methylprednisone treatment for inflammation?

      By Colleen H · Posted

      Hi all !! Did anyone ever get prescribed methylprednisone steroids for inflammation of stomach and intestines?  Did it work ??  Thank you !! 
    • cristiana
      Ibuprofen

      By cristiana · Posted

      Hi Colleen Are you supplementing B12/having injections? I have learned recently that sometimes when you start addressing a B12 deficiency, it can temporarily make your symptoms worse.  But it is important not to stop the treatment.  Regarding your problems with anxiety, again that is another symptom of a B12 deficiency.   I didn't know what anxiety was until it hit me like a train several months before gastrointestinal issues began, so I can certainly relate.   Two books which helped me hugely were At Last A Life by Paul David (there is a website you can look up) and The Depression Cure: The Six-Step Programme to Beat Depression Without Drugs by Dr Steve Llardi.  Although his book is aimed at people who have depression, following the principals he sets out was so helpful in lessening my anxiety.  Llardi suggests we need to focus on getting enough: - physical exercise - omega-3 fatty acids - natural sunlight exposure - restorative sleep - social connectedness - meaningful, engaging activity   ... and we should feel a lot better. That is not to stay you must stop taking medication for depression or anxiety if you have been prescribed it, but adopting the changes Dr Llardi sets out in the book should really help. Can I just ask two more questions:  1) you say that you are B12 deficient, did they test your iron levels too?  If not, you really ought to be checked for deficiency and, 2) did they check your thyroid function, as an overactive thyroid can be cause rapid heartbeat and a lot of coeliacs have thyroid issues? Cristiana        
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.