Advice For Someone Pre-testing, But Already On Diet

[AKcollegestudent]

First, my story. I'm twenty years old and I feel far, far older. My joints hurt like hell. I have severe migraines. And the list just keeps going.

I went from a sickly child to an exhausted (and still ill) teenager to a college student who was starting to give up. The latest major problem are chronic, severe migraines for the past three years that have only worsened. Finally, at the end of my rope, I went into my college health center and the nutritionist decided to put me on an elimination diet to get rid of all migraine triggers and got rid of all major allergens just in case. At the time, she mentioned celiac. What she didn't realize was that it wasn't the first time I'd heard that possibility--and because of that, I reacted badly. But I removed wheat and all other gluten-containing grains just in case. While growling.

Because I was nine or ten when an allergist said that I was allergic to wheat and/or had celiac. According to my mother. Who is not known for her honesty. But I was on a wheat-free diet for a year or two, and that was when all my major growing happened. Then we moved states, stopped going to that allergist, and I went back to eating wheat. The depression came back. I continued to look like a beanpole. Then I added twenty pounds and stayed just borderline normal weight/almost overweight for the next seven years. Despite daily exercise. Despite biking. Despite competition seasons.

My father--who gained custody--had no idea that the exhaustion, the lack of energy, the cold in my fingers and hands, the constant illnesses, the joint pain, the lack of appetite, and then the gorging (which always led to more exhaustion and pain) on pasta and bread, and severe cramping of my abdomen, could be related to that very, very long ago possible diagnosis. I had no idea.

But when I removed wheat and barley and rye? I felt better for the first time since I added wheat back in at eleven. And over the next three weeks, I just kept improving. Then it was time to add gluten back in--and for the first day, the only problem was a little drop in energy. And I came down with a severe migraine. Then what seemed like the flu hit, but I wasn't running a fever. After that day (day four), I removed gluten again. And I'm getting better. My coworker commented on the fact that I had energy again.

Only now, I'm not certain what to do. My summer job is being a pizza cook. I'm around flour on a daily (and hourly) basis. Just because I don't want to eat it doesn't mean it doesn't end up everywhere on me. My first thought is it makes sense to quit...if it is celiac. The diet's helping immensely, and I'm chasing down the damned near forgotten records, but I don't have excess cash or energy to spare on trying to test for this--especially since my college doctor already said he wouldn't test for it.

Anybody have advice?

[ravenwoodglass]

If you are already gluten-free you can't be tested, you need to be on a full gluten diet again for at least a couple of months for the tests to have any chance of being accurate.

It seems however that your body is telling you the answer. Is there any way you can find a different job? Breathing in flour dust would cause a reaction.

[kenlove]

I cant walk into a pizza place or bakery without getting sick. For me and some others, breathing the flour can be worse than ingesting it.

I would keep pushing your college doc to do more tests though.

good luck

ken

First, my story. I'm twenty years old and I feel far, far older. My joints hurt like hell. I have severe migraines. And the list just keeps going.

I went from a sickly child to an exhausted (and still ill) teenager to a college student who was starting to give up. The latest major problem are chronic, severe migraines for the past three years that have only worsened. Finally, at the end of my rope, I went into my college health center and the nutritionist decided to put me on an elimination diet to get rid of all migraine triggers and got rid of all major allergens just in case. At the time, she mentioned celiac. What she didn't realize was that it wasn't the first time I'd heard that possibility--and because of that, I reacted badly. But I removed wheat and all other gluten-containing grains just in case. While growling.

Because I was nine or ten when an allergist said that I was allergic to wheat and/or had celiac. According to my mother. Who is not known for her honesty. But I was on a wheat-free diet for a year or two, and that was when all my major growing happened. Then we moved states, stopped going to that allergist, and I went back to eating wheat. The depression came back. I continued to look like a beanpole. Then I added twenty pounds and stayed just borderline normal weight/almost overweight for the next seven years. Despite daily exercise. Despite biking. Despite competition seasons.

My father--who gained custody--had no idea that the exhaustion, the lack of energy, the cold in my fingers and hands, the constant illnesses, the joint pain, the lack of appetite, and then the gorging (which always led to more exhaustion and pain) on pasta and bread, and severe cramping of my abdomen, could be related to that very, very long ago possible diagnosis. I had no idea.

But when I removed wheat and barley and rye? I felt better for the first time since I added wheat back in at eleven. And over the next three weeks, I just kept improving. Then it was time to add gluten back in--and for the first day, the only problem was a little drop in energy. And I came down with a severe migraine. Then what seemed like the flu hit, but I wasn't running a fever. After that day (day four), I removed gluten again. And I'm getting better. My coworker commented on the fact that I had energy again.

Only now, I'm not certain what to do. My summer job is being a pizza cook. I'm around flour on a daily (and hourly) basis. Just because I don't want to eat it doesn't mean it doesn't end up everywhere on me. My first thought is it makes sense to quit...if it is celiac. The diet's helping immensely, and I'm chasing down the damned near forgotten records, but I don't have excess cash or energy to spare on trying to test for this--especially since my college doctor already said he wouldn't test for it.

Anybody have advice?

[ang1e0251]

I was at my sickest when I worked for Pizza Hut. I didn't know I had celiac disease at that time. I also am self-diagnosed due to monetary reasons. But that doesn't make me any less sure. I won't go back on gluten for testing, I just get too sick. My body has made it pretty clear what it needs and doesn't need to be well. And I believe it!

I wouldn't go back to working with pizza myself. Can you get another type of work?