I have been suffering with intense stomach pain, every doctor I went to
told me something different, I have been diagnosed with acid reflux,
hiatal hernia, IBS, and anxiety, but no matter what they did I
continued to suffer. My family and friends stopped believing me, but
they were never there at 3am when I couldn't walk because the pain was
so intense, the only one who saw the agony I was in was my wonderful
husband. "Celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune disorder that affects the
digestive process of the small intestine. The small intestine is
connected to the stomach-the first parts of the small intestine, the
duodenum and the jejunum, are where celiac disease is commonly found. When a person who has celiac disease consumes gluten, a protein found
in wheat, rye and barley, the individual's immune system responds by
attacking the small intestine and inhibiting the absorption of
important nutrients into the body." Approximately 1% of the population
suffers from Celiacs disease which can cause abdominal pain,
malnutrition, osteoporosis, Neuropathy, anxiety, depression, weight
loss, and even certain types of cancer. Sadly about 97% of those with
Celiacs Disease are undiagnosed, mostly because doctors in the U.S
learn about Celiacs in medical school and never hear of it again. This was true in my case, after 10 years of listening to Doctors tell
me what they believed was causing the pain, I realized if I didn't take
control, I would continue to suffer. I made an appointment with a new
physician. The day of my appointment I walked in with all the research
I had done and said "I am pretty sure I have Celiacs Disease" he
responded "No you don't" I proceeded to tell him that I did not care if
he thought I didn't, I was demanding the test. I said "I will do the
test, but I guarantee you do not have it." Needless to say, when the
blood work came back he entered the room with his tail between his
legs. I never went back to him again. Growing up in an Italian family we had bread with every meal, pasta
every Sunday, each holiday was filled with cookies and cakes. After 29
years growing up on these delicious homemade goodies, I was told I
could never have Grammas ravioli on Christmas day, Auntie Joyce's
imperials, great grammas Italian knot cookies, Mom's meatloaf and the
list goes on. There are so many emotions, I cry when I go to the grocery store and
have to read the back of everything I purchase, I loathe calling the
manufactures to ask where the "natural flavors" come from, I envy my
husband who can eat his cheeseburger on a bun, but I am also thankful
that I have the resources that helped me diagnose myself, I am lucky
that I don't need to control this disease with medication only a diet
change, I feel victorious, I am empowered, I am educated, and I am
determined to spread the word so other people get the medical treatment
they deserve. I had been gluten free for 8 months, and always wanted a tattoo
but never knew what I wanted on my body for the rest of my life. That
was until I was diagnosed with Celiacs Disease, at that point I was
sure of what I wanted. I need to celebrate the wheat that was such a
big part of my life, at the family holidays, the friendship dinners,
also to show what a struggle it has been, what a large part of my life
has been disturbed by it, as well as to celebrate my new outlook on
life, my health that is greatly improving, the friendships I have made
and the awareness I am sharing with others. This piece is everything to
me, it is a celebration of my victory, a commemorate of a life I am
leaving behind, and the continuance of the saga of living gluten free
in a gluten filled world. Nosce Te Ipsum is Latin for Know Thyself....Only you know your body, not a doctor, not a nutritionist, only you know when something is not right, or in my case when something that is supposedly nutritious is
slowly killing you.
