Did I Diagnose A Celiac In Walmart?!

[jenvan]

Well, wasn't sure where to put this funny story...

Over the weekend I was at Walmart (getting some new gluten-free face lotions), and I happened to share the lotion isle with this other woman. I could tell she was the kind that liked to talk to strangers, and my husband was impatiently waiting nearby for me, but I decided to respond to her anyway. We got into a conversation and she asked me why I was switching face lotions. I told her I had just been diagnosed with something and she asked if I had candida. I said no and explained Celiac to her. She was immediately fascinated--and went on to tell me her the mysterious symptoms she had had for years: chronic constipation (like me), bloated stomach, weight loss, anemia, osteopenia, tiredness and unable to eat gluten for some reason (her naturopath told her). I told she sounded like a Celiac to me ! She was grateful, took down the name and some websites and went home to check it out that night. Isn't that funny? You never know where you might end up talking about bm's, and with with whom !!

[Guest jhmom]

Jen

We've got to get the word out about Celiac's, even if it's one person at a time in Wal-Mart

[jenvan]

True that Stacie

[KaitiUSA]

That's great...one more informed person who won't go when celiac is mentioned again

Who knows if she turns out to be a celiac then she is one more person demanding gluten free food..and the more people we have doing that, the more choices they will put out for us

[Guest gfinnebraska]

You GO GIRL!! That is awesome...

My sister's new co-worker has celiac, and she is going to e-mail me to get info, etc.

Doesn't it feel great when you know you can help someone through the landmines in life??!!??

[jenvan]

It does feel good... I keep thinking if 1 in 133 people have Celiac, I must know several others ! Hmmmm....which one of my friends is having issues...

[cdford]

I do that! If an opportunity opens up, I just share my experience with them. I figure that if I can educate them a little then they can decide if it is worth getting the testing done. Most have never heard of it and are fascinated that their myriad of oddball symptoms actually all fit one thing. It has changed a few lives along the way. It is how I first heard about it, and look where we are now. There are also four now diagnosed positively in our church.

[jenvan]

That's cool Donna. I only have one local friend with Celiac. Hmmm, we have 5,000 attenders at my church (yeah, its pretty big...), so that would mean, let me get out my calculator...hmmm... that there should be about 38 other Celiacs ! We could start our own support group! That would definitely be motion enough to get some gluten-free bread for communion! Funny to think about