“My mom was my advocate; she showed up to every doctor’s appointment demanding answers because there had to be a reason I was so sick.”

“The most significant of my symptoms were psychiatric, and we believe that my celiac disease caused encephalopathy.”

“My worst symptom was swelling and pain in my gut. I was waking up from the pain every single night.”

“Neither my kids nor I have obvious or strong reactions, if any, to gluten, and I think this is why I never pursued a diagnosis in the past.”

“There were times he would vomit out of nowhere. He was also exhibiting some sensory issues and mood swings.“

“My pediatrician used to say that I had a very fast metabolism and that’s why I was always so thin!”

“One day I couldn’t feel my hands and feet, but doctors kept telling me it was all because of stress-related or anxiety-related disorders.”

“I was always on the thin side and often got stomachaches. I remember doctors asking me if I was bulimic.”

“I had broken out from head to toe in some rash. I itched often enough that small water blisters would show up, my face was a mess, and people started staring, wondering what accident I had been in.”

“This is a very real and serious autoimmune disease. If you have a family member that has been diagnosed with celiac disease, know that it does run in families. Get tested.”

“When my first endoscopy showed inflammation, doctors blamed spicy food as the primary cause. They should have looked at my situation more closely.”

The rash at 41 was the most miserable thing I’ve experienced physically, but it was a blessing in the sense that it finally led to the right diagnosis.