Just Diagnosed, This Is Tougher Than I Thought

[Rufus376]

As many others on these forums I am new to the Celiac lifestyle. I was diagnosed after I sought out medical attention for what I thought was just a bad flu. I had felt bad for over a month, feeling generally tired, having general stomach problems, and not even being able to look at food on some days. Many blood tests were run and no answers were found. It had been a very odd year for me, it was my first year of college and over the course of the year I had lost almost 70 pounds. I thought my stomach problems were caused by this, but then I remembered that my sister and father both suffered from a gluten intolerance. I was tested and sure enough it came back positive. I've received huge amounts of useful information from these forums and other websites that have put me on the right track to feeling better. The worst part of the situation, however, is that because I'm a freshman in college and have very little control over what I can eat. I either eat what the cafeteria provides or I don't eat at all and this can be very frustrating at times because I can never be sure of what they put in the food and in most cases neither do the cafeteria workers. Fortunately, the semester is almost over and next year I will be living in an on campus apartment that comes with our own kitchen.

[Guest gfinnebraska]

Welcome to the gluten-free world!! I am so glad to hear that next year you will have a kitchen. Just make sure you have your own appliances, pans, etc. and refuse to share with roommates! You do not want to be contaminated in your own kitchen.

Keep reading this site and learn all you can!! Good luck!!

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

Even if your dad and your sister suffer from a glutenintolerance, so that you are kind of predestined to get it. That doesn't mean, you have to get it. This mostly has to be triggered. Stress can be a trigger. So if you had a lot of stress in your first year in college, that might have triggered it. So your stomache problems were actually caused by this, if you see it that way.

[mela14]

It's much easier when you can make your own food. This way you know exacty what you are getting. It takes the guessing out and there's less risk of accidental ingestion. You'll have to get into a routine of making your wond food ahead of time and bringing it for lunch and snacks.

Good luck!