Excited To Be Here - Looking For Support

[FoxersArtist]

Hello everyone!

I am new here and this is my first time posting. Forgive me if the title of my post sounds too up-beat but let me explain why I am "excited."

I am a 24 yr old female and my whole life has been filled with health issues. I have had GI problems since I can remember and being in a lot of pain has always been normal for me. During and after 2 pregnancies in the past 3 years my health took a major dive. It seemed that every other thing I ate was causing me to run to the bathroom, aches and pains increased to unbareable levels, and finally I started having loads of neurological symptoms including gait issues, fainting spells, numbness, swelling & turning purple, headaches. I was so fatigued that I could hardly do even the smallest activity without feeling totally zoned out afterword. Even fun activities like going out to dinner with friends was so draining that I felt miserable and disconnected. I was sure that I was dying or that I had some horrible, rare disease that would leave me wheelchair bound by the end of the year or worse.

I have been seeing a wonderful pathologist who keeps promising that we will find whats going on with me, at least, eventually. There have been some small clues and we knew whatever it was was auto-immune. He tested me for celiac disease and other auto-immune diseases monthly, hoping that at some point one of them would finally show up. I have been praying daily for an answer, any answer, just so I would know. Last month I had a colonoscopy and they took a bunch of biopsies. This past Friday I got my biopsy results back saying that I had tested positive for celiac sprue! I was horrified and overjoyed at the same time. I think I still am...

Food is a major deal to me. Even though I have been trying to eat healthy for the past 8 months or so, I still have a major attachment to sugar and other foods that are really bad for me. Finding out that I have celiac disease was a major blow when I realized how many things have gluten. I paniced and rushed to the store to buy some different flours and began exerimenting with making chocolate chip cookies - and I made a mean peanut butter choco-chip buckwheat cookie, too! I did as much research as I could on restaurants that support people with celiac disease and we went out to eat last night, gluten free, for the first time.

"Hi, my name is Anna and I have been gluten free for 3 days. I looked at a piece of bread once. I picked it up and squished it. I smelled it. Then I put it down and walked away. I will continue to press forward in my recovery."

The truth here is that I am 3 days into the "recovery" of my body and already I have clarity of mind again! My since of humor is back. I don't feel like a zombie. This morning I woke up and it didn't take me half hour to get out of bed. My knees were not stiff. I thought to myself, does healing happen this fast or is this all in my head? Whatever it is, it's working and that makes giving up my sacred Fererro Rocher (something I could have eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinnder for the rest of my life) worth giving up. I am happy to be here and happy to be feeling better. I know I will have highs and lows. I know there will be times when all I can think of is a piece of pizza with extra cheese, mushrooms, and sausage.

Also...we are in the process of having our almost 2 year old son tested for celiac. He has all of the classic child symptoms and regardless of their findings, I think we're just going to try out a gluten free diet with him to see what happens.

Thanks for listening!

-Anna

[Susanna]

Hey, Anna--welcome to the boards! My brother, too was excited to finally get a diagnosis of celiac, after 20 years of GI problems. I had symptoms "only" 4 years before my diagnosis, and my son, now 12 got diagnosed when he was 10. We are ALL SO MUCH HAPPIER AND HEALTHIER LIVING GLUTEN FREE! So, it is great to see you excited. Here are my newbie tips--hope they are helpful:

gluten-free newbie tips--now you can eat to treat, and soon feel better. Here are some key coping strategies to get you started.

1. Know that you will grieve your old favorite gluten-filled foods. I actually tear up when I see a brioche sometimes (and you might get misty if someone eats a Ferrero Rocher in front of you!). Grieving is normal, BUT IT IS NOT EASY OR COMFORTABLE. People around you will eat treats you can't have and you will feel sad and isolated. Strategy: stock your car, office, purse, backpack, secret drawer at home with gluten-free treats you can reach for any time you are feeling deprived. This really helped me. I recommend Baby Ruth Bars, Snicker Bars, Lara Bars, Dove Dark Chocolate, meringue cookies, macaroon cookies (read labels), Butterfinger, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. You get the idea. Also

[ShayFL]

Welcome....you are among friends.

I am excited for you! And you are feeling results already, so I am a bit jealous too. I have neuro symptoms and they can take a long time to heal.....so I must be patient. And listen to everyone else chart their progress.

Cookies are the easiest and yummiest things to make gluten-free I have found. I made some teff/almond butter cookies a few days ago and we all fought over them. My DD said they were the best cookies I have ever made. Pumpkin muffins were a hit and creamy buckwheat the other night was ubber yummy with dinner. I am keeping positive and enjoying experimenting. Tonight I am making an applesauce cake.

[KimmyJ]

Welcome! It's so great that you are feeling better and sounding so positive! It's great to finally have a diagnosis and move on with life, isn't it?

[katebuggie28]

Hi Anna. I too just started out. 05/15/08. I am actually self dx. I felt hopeful when I realized how much support there was, and I was glad to see that I wasn't the only one. ( I started to think I was crazy and dying) I am feeling very defeated right now because I am conditioned to be afraid to eat due to the pain. I have tried to branch out the last 2 days, but I got sick anyways. I will keep marching on....good luck.