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

Trying ...


fripp017

Recommended Posts

fripp017 Apprentice

Warning : This may be a large post of venting, but I hope someone can relate to it.

So, I found out I had Celiac Disease February 2009. It wasn't a big deal at first. I thought that all I needed to do was change my diet and life would go on... WRONG!!! I had my two children tested, just to be safe. I'm glad I did because the blood results show signs of Celiac and we will be seeing a pediatric GI specialist for them soon. I feel awful because I am the one whose genes made them sick. I can deal with it, but now my babies will never remember what birthday cake really tastes like, or get to eat the oreos they love so much. I feel horrible as the parent of sick children and as the person who made them sick.

On top of that, I have been trying work off the weight I gained while I was trying to get diagnosed. I have barely lost anything!!! I had to work to lose weight before, but this is ridiculous!!! I am so frustrated! I just keep thinking about life before ... I had no idea how good I had it.

Also, my husband is in the Navy. He is on a submarine and he has been in and out to sea this whole time. He found out the results of my childrens' tests via email. It's hard not to have someone there to support you through such a large change. People don't know what Celiac Disease is. It isn't well known and most people don't look at me and think, "wow she is sick." For my own family to invite me out to dinner and I have to remind them what I can't eat and why I don't eat out anymore. It's crazy. They act like it isn't a big deal and they often tell me just to have a little bit of "whatever" when they don't want to work around me and my illness. I have to remind them of the months I spent being ill and visiting the doctors. Not even my husband has been very kind about the situation. He hasn't been home long enough to see how hard it has been for me. I wish he was here, but I don't really know if he would help or make it worse. We are also looking at getting new orders and moving in a few months, on top of all the stress and change I already have been dealing with - by myself. He won't even be here for packing, cleaning, or any other prep that I will have to do.

So, I saw my doctor today to get some paper work done and he asked me how it was going. I told him all of the stress I have been dealing with and how I was feeling kinda down. So, he tries to be positive and tell me that at least I pushed to figure out what was wrong with me so now my children will be taken care of before anything gets out of hand. All I can think of is how horrible a person I am for giving it to them. So, in the end he sends me home to consider seeking help for depression! Crazy! I was diagnosed with depression within the last year, but I would honestly attribute that to the Celiac Disease. It can be a symptom and why wouldn't I be depressed - I felt sick and tired all the time! I am just stressed! That is why I wanted to put this post up. Just to let out alittle steam so I don't have to go visit anyone. Sheesh!

Thanks for letting me vent!

:)


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



MySuicidalTurtle Enthusiast

It really is hard going gluten-free, especially when it is a family thing, too. My Mom, my Brother, and I all have Celiac Disease. To be honest, our lives would have been MUCH better if we were diagnosed young. Going through school sick is the worst. At least when you know the problem, you can own it as part of your life, share it, and be healthy. There are also plenty of things your kids can have- just gluten-free. There are gluten-free versions of Oreos and birthday cake! You are saving them a lifetime of troubles and lower immune systems. Plus, you are saving yourself from the pain you have been in.

I found support through groups, but mostly this website. You will feel alone for a long time but soon this diet becomes your normal. You find places to eat out and have fun. However, family is a different story. They just don't get it most of the time.

This new lifestyle will take A LOT of time to get used to, but it is well worth it. Good luck and come here often!

Amyleigh0007 Enthusiast

Having your children diagnosed young is a wonderful thing! They will grow up eating foods that are much better for them. Perhaps they will even choose a banana for a snack when the other children choose cupcakes. That is a good thing! Going gluten free now and catching Celiac disease before it can harm them makes you a very responsible parent. My 9 year old son suffered for years and was a very sick little boy until he was diagnosed with Celiac disease. I am more guilty over that then the fact that I passed the Celiac gene on to him. You are blessed that your children will not get deathly ill because you are being proactive and catching the disease before it can cause harm.

You need to keep yourself healthy and stay positive for your children's sake. If they see mom depressed and sad over having to eat gluten free than they will feel that way too. Even if you don't have an ounce of enthusiasm for eating gluten free, fake it for your kids. Pretend it's the healthiest, best way to eat and pretty soon you may start to believe it!

ang1e0251 Contributor

Maybe if your husband and your family could come on the forum and read some things they might understand a little better what you're going through. Have you looked for a support group for celiac disease in your area? I know you'll be moving but even a few meetings with people who know what you're facing can be helpful. Maybe you'll even make some friends who can help you with that packing!

Archived

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

  • 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. - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

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

    2. - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

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

    3. - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

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

    4. 0

      Penobscot Bay, Maine: Nurturing Gluten-Free Wellness Retreat with expert celiac dietitian, Melinda Dennis

    5. - Scott Adams replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

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

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,331
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Kristy2026
    Newest Member
    Kristy2026
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      @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
      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
    • Scott Adams
      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product. 
    • trents
×
×
  • 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.