Describe your life prior to diagnosis:
I was staying home from school every day because of pain and I was just miserable. We didn’t know what was causing me to feel so bad.
How did you come to know (or suspect) that you have celiac disease?
We had gone to see doctors before and they just said things like, “Well, you should probably just take some probiotics.”
But eventually my pain got so bad that I completely stopped eating. I was admitted to the hospital and had to get a nasogastric (NG) feeding tube. They did blood tests and then told us that I had celiac disease.
How long did it take for you to get diagnosed since your first symptoms and what (if any) challenges did you face along the way?
Well I have a feeling that I had celiac disease for a while before I got diagnosed, but my symptoms showed up about six months before I got diagnosed. It was a very rough time for me. I did not go to school because my pain was so bad and I wasn’t eating at all, either.
Describe your experience with living with celiac disease:
At first it was pretty hard to deal with because I wasn’t used to it, but now it just fits into my lifestyle. Although when my family goes out to eat I can’t eat there.
Is there anything else you’d like to add to your story?
I will also be getting a service dog for gluten detection.
