My Story
In the spring of 2011, at 10 years old my daughter was significantly below the growth chart for her age. As a toddler she had been seen by multiple specialists and put through every test for growth delay. Nothing was positive and so she became labeled "inorganic failure to thrive." My otherwise healthy child was given a diagnosis that basically stated she was not being cared for, which couldn't have been further from the truth. Nothing will put me into full research mode like the welfare of my child, so I began a crusade to find a solution. Years passed with her continued slow growth and no answers. By age ten, my daughter's increasing intolerance to dairy had become a significant obstacle in her battle to gain weight. In addition to bouts of diarrhea, she began having episodes of projectile vomiting in the middle of the night. I was compelled to take action.
I had come across celiac disease over and over again when searching for answers to my daughter's slow growth. Initially that is what every doctor and dietician we saw thought she had, but she had multiple tests with negative results. Celiac disease and gluten intolerance just kept surfacing in my research of her symptoms. I could no longer rationalize not trying a possible solution that required only a change in diet. I consulted our pediatrician and asked him to document my daughter's growth progress as I planned to start her on a gluten/dairy-free diet. I decided that I would also give it a try, mostly for moral support, but also thinking it could possibly improve my own bothersome intestinal issues.
Two weeks after going gluten-free my daughter accidentally ate crackers at school and became very sick. This began our bumpy journey into discovering how our bodies were reacting to gluten. There was little information readily available explaining how we might expect to feel. I spent a lot of time searching for answers and having to rely mostly on the anecdotal experiences of others. Through much trial and error we learned how to avoid being "glutened" (accidentally ingesting gluten) and the subsequent repercussions that would cause. Our gastrointestinal issues resolved when gluten was out of our diet. My daughter was beginning to gain weight at a much better rate. There was no doubt that we were both better off gluten.
The first year I almost didn't want to speak about the health improvements I was experiencing for fear that it was all coincidence or that symptoms would return. I eventually learned that gluten had unknowingly been wreaking havoc on just about every system of my body for the past 20 years. Below you will find the list of my symptoms and disorders that have vastly improved/reversed after removing gluten from my diet. The best part is that I had no idea all of this was possible for me. I had researched celiac disease and gluten intolerance as it pertained to my growth-challenged daughter. I had no clue that removing gluten from my diet would be so life changing for me. Through my experience, I developed a passion for spreading awareness about the health benefits that can be found for those individuals who are negatively affected by gluten.
My incredible husband may be a bigger advocate for the possible life changing effects of eliminating gluten than me... and he is not gluten-free! He has simply witnessed the amazing positive changes in our daughter and me first hand. He knows all too well the effects of us being "glutened" by cross-contamination and is diligent about keeping our home safe from gluten while still enjoying it himself. Our daughter is now healthy and growing and I continue to be astounded by my medical issues vastly improved by being gluten-free.
I am going to share some very personal experiences on this site and blog solely for the purpose of helping others. I realize that this may open me up to judgement and criticism, but if others can relate to my story and validate that they are not alone then it will be worth it. My purpose has become to help those struggling with unanswered health issues to discover if they too may be better off gluten. Thankfully, we stuck it out, but found many do not because there is so much they don't know.
I had come across celiac disease over and over again when searching for answers to my daughter's slow growth. Initially that is what every doctor and dietician we saw thought she had, but she had multiple tests with negative results. Celiac disease and gluten intolerance just kept surfacing in my research of her symptoms. I could no longer rationalize not trying a possible solution that required only a change in diet. I consulted our pediatrician and asked him to document my daughter's growth progress as I planned to start her on a gluten/dairy-free diet. I decided that I would also give it a try, mostly for moral support, but also thinking it could possibly improve my own bothersome intestinal issues.
Two weeks after going gluten-free my daughter accidentally ate crackers at school and became very sick. This began our bumpy journey into discovering how our bodies were reacting to gluten. There was little information readily available explaining how we might expect to feel. I spent a lot of time searching for answers and having to rely mostly on the anecdotal experiences of others. Through much trial and error we learned how to avoid being "glutened" (accidentally ingesting gluten) and the subsequent repercussions that would cause. Our gastrointestinal issues resolved when gluten was out of our diet. My daughter was beginning to gain weight at a much better rate. There was no doubt that we were both better off gluten.
The first year I almost didn't want to speak about the health improvements I was experiencing for fear that it was all coincidence or that symptoms would return. I eventually learned that gluten had unknowingly been wreaking havoc on just about every system of my body for the past 20 years. Below you will find the list of my symptoms and disorders that have vastly improved/reversed after removing gluten from my diet. The best part is that I had no idea all of this was possible for me. I had researched celiac disease and gluten intolerance as it pertained to my growth-challenged daughter. I had no clue that removing gluten from my diet would be so life changing for me. Through my experience, I developed a passion for spreading awareness about the health benefits that can be found for those individuals who are negatively affected by gluten.
My incredible husband may be a bigger advocate for the possible life changing effects of eliminating gluten than me... and he is not gluten-free! He has simply witnessed the amazing positive changes in our daughter and me first hand. He knows all too well the effects of us being "glutened" by cross-contamination and is diligent about keeping our home safe from gluten while still enjoying it himself. Our daughter is now healthy and growing and I continue to be astounded by my medical issues vastly improved by being gluten-free.
I am going to share some very personal experiences on this site and blog solely for the purpose of helping others. I realize that this may open me up to judgement and criticism, but if others can relate to my story and validate that they are not alone then it will be worth it. My purpose has become to help those struggling with unanswered health issues to discover if they too may be better off gluten. Thankfully, we stuck it out, but found many do not because there is so much they don't know.
This is my personal list of symptoms and disorders that were made better off gluten...
migraines
chronic pain
dizziness
fatigue
nausea
chronic diarrhea
bloating
gait/stability walking
recurring sinus issues
chest pain
tachycardia/heart palpitations
shortness of breath
breakouts on arms / acne
anxiety
anemia
vitamin deficiencies (B12)
gall bladder attacks
hives
chronic pain
dizziness
fatigue
nausea
chronic diarrhea
bloating
gait/stability walking
recurring sinus issues
chest pain
tachycardia/heart palpitations
shortness of breath
breakouts on arms / acne
anxiety
anemia
vitamin deficiencies (B12)
gall bladder attacks
hives
I will be posting on my blog about my experience with each of the symptoms and disorders listed above. There are many other ailments that are also related to gluten intolerance and celiac disease which I will post information about as well.
