| Celiac Disease |
| Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease characterized by an extreme sensitivity to wheat, rye & barley. When a person with Celiac (CD) consumes any of these grains or products made with them, the "villi" (small hair-like projectiles) in the small intestine flatten out. This makes it impossible for the body to absorb nutrients from foods consumed. This causes malnutrition and can lead to many other life threatening diseases. Research has shown that CD is not as rare as most people think. The latest research indicates that as many as 1 in 133 people may have CD & not know it. This translates to 2.2 million Americans. Celiac is non-contagious. However, it is genetic. If one member of the family is found to have CD, then the entire family needs to be tested. There are no clear cut & dry symptoms. This makes CD very hard to diagnose. Some people experience strictly gastrointestinal symptoms -- diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, etc. Others may experience headaches, depression, fatigue... Some may gain weight, some may lose weight. You get the picture. There are no "typical" CD symptoms. When my daughter was diagnosed, she weighed 93 lbs at the age of 6. She was gaining weight at an average of 3+ lbs a month. She has been eating gluten-free since March 2005 & has not gained an ounce!!! That is progress. I thank the doctors at East Tennessee Children's Hospital & Pediatric Gastroenterologists for finding this. She is a totally different child now. She's happy. She's no longer in pain or experiencing mood swings or manic episodes. Her chronic runny nose is gone. As is her sleep problems. And her inattentiveness that led us to believe she was ADHD. She is now concentrating on being the child she was meant to be... happy, fun-loving, caring, giving... (she is the most giving person I know.) There is no cure for CD. There is no magic pill. Surgery will not help. CD can only be helped by adhering to a life-long gluten free diet. This means for the rest of my daughter's life, she can not have "normal" pizza or birthday cake at a party. Eating school made lunches will probably be non-existent. But, there are gluten free alternatives. (Few & far between in my area of the country.) But, thankfully there are more than several mail order companies that carry nothing but gluten free products. So, she can still have cookies & cake & pizza & all of that stuff that kids love. |
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