I Am So Lucky To Have Celiac Disease!

[MitziG]

Sounds crazy, I know. But I really DO feel lucky! A year ago today I was diagnosed, and had that not happened I would still be the same depressed, sick, miserable person that I was for the last 30 years. For me, the diagnose was a life saver. Had it been negative, I may have tried the gluten free diet at some point, but I know myself, and I would have cheated. I wouldn't have stuck with it long enough to see any results, that is for sure. It was WEEKS before I felt the beginning of the brain fog lifting, 6-7 months before I noticed I wasn't so sick and depressed as I used to be, and at 10 months, I realized I felt better than I had in 20 years! Today, at one year gluten free, I feel so DANG GOOD!!! I wake up in the morning without an alarm, and I have the energy to go through the day, usually without even a nap! I used to sleep 16 hours a day and was STILL so exhausted I thought I was dying! I have had exactly ONE virus in the last 12 months- I cant remember a time in my life when I wasn't sick with some cold or virus at least once a month!

Am I 100%? No...maybe I wont ever be. After all, no one is! But I feel about 80%, which is so darn good I could cartwheel most days! I am happy...and I have NEVER been happy!

I still have interstitial cystitis- but if I am very careful about avoiding dairy and any cross contamination of gluten, it is very manageable.

Struggling with adult acne- but eliminating dairy and sugar seems to be helping.

I don't have a ton of stamina yet, but since my vitamin D is still not quite up to snuff after a year of supplementing, I can only see that improving. I certainly don't deal with the crippling fatigue I was having!

So...my reason for posting is to offer encouragement for those of you still struggling. Those who are trying the diet but "dont feel any different yet" Those who think despite their Celiac dx, that couldn't POSSIBLY be why they feel so awful.

Hang in there. Life can get SO much better. I have proof!

[pricklypear1971]

Yay!

[squirmingitch]

Hooray!

Inspiring!

[alex11602]

[jess-gf]

It's so nice to see positivity every now and then

[mamaupupup]

Thank YOU!

[JustNana]

Sweet Mitzi

Thank you sooo much. I've been gluten-free only 7-8 weeks and have sabotaged myself accidentally a time or two. It is very heartening to hear about your last year.

I can't remember what it felt like to be energetic, even-keeled emotionally, pain free, etc. But I know I did!

At my age, (mid 60's) I'm not expect g miracles, just some real improvement. My best estimate is that I've been undiadnosed for 10-15 years. My vitamin and mineral deficiencies are Bad enough to cause most of my symptoms, especially vitamin D and b12.

But I am very optimistic. Just knowing I'm not a head case and not alone means so very much.

[dani nero]

I so hear you!

Good for all of us :-)

[Finally-45]

I'm going on 8 months and though I've had some improvement, I haven't had as much as you! You are an inspiration! I just posted about getting gluttened from Ore Ida Tater Tots (in a cafeteria of all places) on the food products forum and reading your post has encouraged me to stop taking risks like that, especially as I sit here still feeling the side effects 24 hours later.

[love2travel]

What an uplifting thing to read! It is awesome that you are feeling so much better. Just imagine how you will feel in another short little year! A year at the time sounds nearly insurmountable but it really is not that long retrospectively. I, too, was diagnosed a year ago. Thanks for sharing - this is encouraging news.

[IrishHeart]

Well, you go GIRL!!

Good for you! I am so very happy for you!!!!

Thank you for sharing your progress.

I love your obvious joy about getting well and seeing an improvement in your symptoms, while still acknowledging that realistically, there are things still left to resolve.

Wisely, you are looking at where you ARE right now, not the past or the future.

Things steadily improve--this is what I have heard constantly from people 3, 5 even 10 years gluten-free. (I believe them! and I also keep my eyes on the prize-full recovery.)

You are very encouraging!!

So many times I have been told to just "hang in there" when things were so bad, and in turn, I say the same thing to newbies. It is TRUE. It takes time, but healing happens. I am living proof and so are YOU!

Keep up the great work!!

Cheers, IH

[MitziG]

Thank you everyone for your kind words! When I was diagnosed I did not have "classical" Celiac symptoms-those were long ago in my childhood and I think my body was just too tired to bother with the chronic diarrhea and vomiting that I had for years. As an adult I now had depression,terrible interstitial cystitis, low immune function, chronic fatigue, rotten teeth, bad breath, more aches and pains than I could count, hair falling out, constant sinus pain...and it just didn't seem logical that FOOD could be making me feel that way! SO many doctors dismissed me as a hypochondriac and just kept shoving antidepressants at me- I was even beginning to wonder if maybe they were right. I really had pretty much given up hope of ever feeling "normal."

But alas- here I am- normal-er than I have ever been! Everyone heals differently though, so I hope others who are at a year don't feel like they are not progressing if they are still suffering. My two kids were dx the same time as me- the 8 year old is much better- but still has some issues and slightly elevated antibodies. My 13 year old was asymptomatic at the time of her dx- and since going gluten free she is a mess. Her immune system just went nuts! But I am optimistic that they too will be leaps and bounds ahead healthwise in the long run!

I am happy if I was able to encourage any of you- I know how hard it can be to stay positive!

[foofangirl]

Thanks so much for your positive words! I am newly diagnosed and so thrilled to hear there is a normal me at the end of this tunnel. I thought I was crazy for so long, but it was Celiac. I know it will take time, I still have no energy and hurt like hell, but the constant abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea have subsided.

Sounds crazy, I know. But I really DO feel lucky! A year ago today I was diagnosed, and had that not happened I would still be the same depressed, sick, miserable person that I was for the last 30 years. For me, the diagnose was a life saver. Had it been negative, I may have tried the gluten free diet at some point, but I know myself, and I would have cheated. I wouldn't have stuck with it long enough to see any results, that is for sure. It was WEEKS before I felt the beginning of the brain fog lifting, 6-7 months before I noticed I wasn't so sick and depressed as I used to be, and at 10 months, I realized I felt better than I had in 20 years! Today, at one year gluten free, I feel so DANG GOOD!!! I wake up in the morning without an alarm, and I have the energy to go through the day, usually without even a nap! I used to sleep 16 hours a day and was STILL so exhausted I thought I was dying! I have had exactly ONE virus in the last 12 months- I cant remember a time in my life when I wasn't sick with some cold or virus at least once a month!

Am I 100%? No...maybe I wont ever be. After all, no one is! But I feel about 80%, which is so darn good I could cartwheel most days! I am happy...and I have NEVER been happy!

I still have interstitial cystitis- but if I am very careful about avoiding dairy and any cross contamination of gluten, it is very manageable.

Struggling with adult acne- but eliminating dairy and sugar seems to be helping.

I don't have a ton of stamina yet, but since my vitamin D is still not quite up to snuff after a year of supplementing, I can only see that improving. I certainly don't deal with the crippling fatigue I was having!

So...my reason for posting is to offer encouragement for those of you still struggling. Those who are trying the diet but "dont feel any different yet" Those who think despite their Celiac dx, that couldn't POSSIBLY be why they feel so awful.

Hang in there. Life can get SO much better. I have proof!