Describe your life prior to diagnosis:
My life was very rough. I was constantly exhausted, fatigued and bloated, and I had joint pain, but I was told it was depression and anxiety. For most of my life I’ve experienced quarter-sized canker sores. Honestly I wasn’t living, I was surviving.
How did you come to know (or suspect) that you have celiac disease?
My orthodontist suggested I get tested for Crohn’s disease because of my canker sores, so I went to my doctor, who tested for celiac disease, too.
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?
I have had symptoms all my life, but I was only recently diagnosed, shortly before my 19th birthday. The two giveaway symptoms were bloating and canker sores.
Do you believe anything could have sped up your diagnosis? If so, please explain:
Not necessarily. I feel like everything happened in a timely manner
Describe your experience with living with celiac disease:
It is so hard to eat. I have lost a lot of weight because most things don’t come gluten-free, at least around me, and I can’t go eat with my friends because of the possibility of cross-contact.
