TanyaThe Voices of Celiac Disease

“It was very difficult to raise my son and work and maintain our home. After work, I had to go home to sleep for 1–3 hours before I could manage the nighttime tasks of child-rearing. Weekends were spent in bed resting and recovering.”

Describe your life prior to diagnosis:

Thirteen years of debilitating symptoms, like extreme digestive distress, joint pain, brain fog, anemia, fatigue, headaches, multiple skin issues, weight loss, lack of appetite and diarrhea 6–15 times a day.

How did you come to suspect you had celiac disease?

Everything I ate made me feel awful, even if it was gluten-free, but I hadn’t done a strict gluten-free diet to the point of avoiding cross-contact until after my diagnosis.

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?

It took thirteen+ years. It was very difficult to raise my son and work and maintain our home. After working a 4–6 hour admin job, I had to go home to sleep for 1–3 hours before I could manage the nighttime tasks of child-rearing. Weekends were spent in bed resting and recovering from the overwhelming physical exhaustion from that previous week.

Describe your experience with living with celiac disease:

Before diagnosis my health was declining and my weight was down to less than 95 pounds (113 was always average for me). I had extreme fatigue, inability to function for a full day without rest, and always felt exhausted.

After diagnosis, it took a few years to gain my strength back, but after 5+ years, I finally feel “normal.” I go 2–3 times a day in the bathroom, no naps needed, my weight is back, appetite is better, less digestive distress and skin issues are significantly reduced.