I ask that question because if you are related by blood to anyone who does have Celiac Disease, you could have it too. Although I have not been tested for Celiac Disease, I know that I have it. My cousin was diagnosed with it, and sent an email to everyone he was related to to let us know. I am forever grateful to him, because as I read his email where he described his symptoms, what he had lived through for several years before he was diagnosed, I could have been reading a story about my own life. Suddenly, all my symptoms made sense to me. If one member of a family has Celiac Disease, the odds are that about one in ten of their first-degree relatives will also have it.
I started eating a gluten free diet that day, and I started to feel better almost immediately. After only a week, I felt like a new person. While it is highly preferable for you to be tested for Celiac Disease to be sure you have it, I do not have health insurance so I can not afford the test. I also am not willing to eat wheat for a month so that the test can be accurate.
So, what are the symptoms of Celiac Disease? That is a very good question. Some people have chronic diarrhea, others have chronic constipation. Sometimes people with Celiac Disease may have no gastrointestinal symptoms at all. Some experience pain in their legs and feet, brain fog, and many other symptoms.
The good news is that if you DO have Celiac Disease, you can delete gluten from your diet and feel better. There are no pills or other treatments for it. And while it may be difficult in the beginning for you to figure out what has wheat and what does not, it will eventually get easier for you to know what you can and can’t eat. And, there are lots of good gluten free products out there, even more than there were in 2007 when I started eating gluten free.
Since my cousin, Jimmy was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2007, there have been several other family members diagnosed as well. So, if you are related to me, or to anyone who has it, go get yourself tested. You could feel better by next week!
Hubby and I are trying to stay gluten free…esp. wheat free…we have noticed that if we do, our arthritis seems not to flare up so much…and recently I read that if you have celiac disease, then diabetes 2 is common to come on you…yep we have that too!! ARGH…but it is getting easier and easier to eat gluten free these days…eating out is still a challenge however…but we need to eat at home more anyway…thanks for sharing what you do here!!
I know I’m slightly intolerant to gluten, but I didn’t think I was celiac. Some friend of mine is celiac and they get really sick if they eat wheat…. but it’s not my case. I just feel better if I don’t but I don’t feel terrible if I do. Could this be a very mild case of celiac disease?…. Thanks for the post, it has brought up some questions….