Hello my name is Merve. I am from Turkey. My culture has a lot of dishes which contain gluten, and I cannot recall any single time that I was not bloated after eating. But I always thought that my situation was normal and happened to everyone. Also, I was having trouble with swallowing from time to time and having stomach problems, especially right before my diagnosis.
In May 2015, I started to deal with severe nausea, and I could barely eat anything for a week, so I decided to see a gastroenterologist and my gluten-free journey began. I was diagnosed with celiac disease by endoscopy and a blood test followed to verify.
I had heard of celiac disease before my diagnosis, but I did not have much knowledge about it and never thought that I would be diagnosed with such a thing. I still remember how shocked and lost I was, but I knew someone with celiac disease, so I decided to give them a call. Even after the call I did not feel ready and did not think that it was easy, but it got better as time went by. I started to read about celiac disease and most importantly I got to experience it myself. I know the physiological and psychological effects of celiac disease as I am still experiencing them from time to time, and as an Ambassador I want to support others and tell you that you are not alone.
