Describe your life prior to diagnosis:
Prior to diagnosis, I was constantly sick and felt exhausted. I thought it was because of my busy lifestyle. I’m a mother of two daughters and working full time.
How were you diagnosed?
I decided to change doctor and I had a routine blood test. My doctor told me I had anemia. Due to all my symptoms, he decided to test me for Celiac disease. I had an appointment a week later, my diagnosis was confirmed. At the age of 27 years old, I finally knew what was wrong with me.
It took about 12 years to get the correct diagnosis. My symptoms started at the age of 13 years old. I had migraines, seizures, anemia, stomach pain, anxiety and brain fog. I got diagnosed with epilepsy and got prescribed different medications. I was not getting any better and stopped taking the medication. After countless doctors and nobody could help me. Eventually, my seizures stopped as I got older. Other symptoms started to appear of nowhere. In my early 20’s, my symptoms were joint pain, diarrhea, stomach pain, migraines, anxiety, anemia, and brain fog. I thought it was just normal and I learned to live with it.
I believe if doctors were more knowledgeable about celiac disease, I think I would have been diagnosed in my teenage years.
Describe your experience with living with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity:
When I found out I had celiac disease, I was shocked. After so many years, I finally had an answer, and all these symptoms were not normal It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions. At first, it was difficult, and I felt lost. I started doing research and joined several Facebook groups. It has helped so much to educate myself about my new gluten-free lifestyle. It’s been about 1 year of learning, recovering and healing. This past year, my life completely changed for the better. I feel like another person emotionally, mentally and physically. Now I enjoy cooking and baking new gluten-free recipes.
