Want To Understand My Mom

[criosa]

My Mom was diagnosed with Celiac about 5 years ago. She is doing so much better and I'm glad for her. She lives in another state, so we see each other only once a year for a few days. I try very hard to cook right for her. She has become a crusader for detecting Celiac now. She is always watching me and my children, looking for symptoms. I do too, and feel that we are okay. But she doesn't let up. Anyway, I joined this forum so I can better understand her.

[KaitiUSA]

Celiac is genetic so her intentions are good though. You and your kids should be tested because you do not have to have symptoms in order to have it and can be very serious if its not treated by the diet. Some people just never get symptoms.

I personally will not allow my extended family cook for me...they can cross contaminate not knowing and I have watched them do it too. If your not really living the diet or really know about everything that contains gluten then it can be hard to really understand how careful that you must be.

I do the same thing with people..I am a celiac detector lol. Except some of my family have had the same symptoms as me but still won't get tested. Also, digestive problems run in both sides of my family too...you think they would get tested under the circumstances.

It's wonderful that you are here to try to understand..welcome

[Jnkmnky]

You sound like a wonderful daughter. You should get yourself and your children tested since this genetic disease is in your family tree. There are over 200 symptoms associated w/Celiac and you can have any number of those symptoms or none at all. It's sneaky and elusive. The gene test would be a good idea so that you arm your children with info for the future. A stressful event somewhere down the line may trigger the disease and if you "rule out" celiac now through antibody testing, you might be surprised later to find the gene had been inactive. Stick around and ask all you want!

[Carriefaith]

Since your mother has celiac, it would be a good idea to get tested. Some people can have no symptoms at all and still have intestinal damage. Some of my family members were tested becasue I had celiac disease and my grandmother found out that she had it. She only had mild symptoms.

[Merika]

Hi,

I see you are getting the same response from everyone here, and maybe it's not what you're looking for? I too would recommend all of your mother's immediate family being tested, as there is a 1 in 10 chance any of you could have it (far different than the 1 in 133 for the general population).

My mother was diagnosed several years ago too. She would talk about it nonstop, as she learned more and more. As she started to feel better on the diet, she too became a "crusader" where if everyone in the world would get tested for celiac, all of the world's woes would end. Her heart was in the right place, it was just very annoying.

She too got on my case, and my kid's case. She'd bring it up frequently (and only lives 4 blocks away, so you can imagine....). Eventually, I said I'd do the test, just to get her to shut up, lol. My dad was shocked like - you are???

Anyway, eighteen months ago I was diagnosed with celiac It never would have happened otherwise. I don't see western/traditional doctors (gave up on them long ago). I've had intermittant health problems for 13 yrs and saw far too many of them that did not help at all. I thought I had things under control, lol.

My symptoms were not the super-obvious celiac ones, the ones you'll see listed on all the websites, and the ones that make doctors think of celiac. Also, my symptoms were different than my mother's.

It is scary and annoying to have someone pester you about your health, I know. Your mother's heart really is in the right place. Perhaps you could get your family tested to put her mind at ease. If you all test negative, she can relax and not worry (and you too). If one of you test positive, scary as it may be, you are better off knowing so that you don't get so sick as to wish you were dead, and you prevent many awful tangential illnesses from happening, in other words - you can keep your health!

I think many of us here wish we had been diagnosed sooner, to avoid the illnesses we went through/are going through, which is why you'll hear everyone say "go get tested". We want you to stay healthy

Welcome, and feel free to ask any other questions

Merika

[tarnalberry]

I know it can be annoying when someone starts on the crusade for any medical condition - or anything really. In this case, though, the easiest way to get her to not bug you about it too personally is the safest thing for you to do for your health - get tested. The disease is genetic, she's your mom... you know the rest.

When she continues to harp on the subject after that (I say this as an ex-harper, myself), I would encourage you to be patient, but also let her know that you do not have the same dedication to the topic that she has, and you'd like it to play a smaller part in your conversations - only so much as any other major item in each others lives. (I'm not trying to be sarcastic... there's lot of important things in our lives, and this is one for her - but only one, and one that doesn't have to take over her life and exclude the others.)

[tiadesai]

your mom is just taking that extra care for you

she does not want you all to suffer from what she has suffered

[tiredofdoctors]

This is a really interesting topic for me -- I'm confirmed negative celiac, but have Gluten Ataxia because of the Antigliadin and Antiperkinje antibodies. Both my kids have asked if they should be tested, but neither show the symptoms. My daughter shows some of the hypothyroid signs I did as a teenager (she's 19 now), and I didn't even think about the gluten component. You guys gave very good advice -- I'm going to tell my kids to make appointments at their college medical clinics -- they'll be able to draw the labs there. Thank you very much.