I Accept Celiac Disease...But A Gluten Gratis Diet Wasn't Enough

When yous query celiac illness treatments, you'll notice 1 answer: a cross-contamination free, gluten-free diet. And, although Yet, fifty-fifty equally roughly other chronic illness was added to my medical chart, I couldn't assist but smile. I wasn't crazy! There actually was something incorrect amongst me! And it could live fixed!

Around 1 calendar week later, I underwent my outset endoscopy. The walls of my intestines looked equally smoothen equally the medical bracelet around my wrist, gluten having destroyed all of my villi. It was official: I had celiac disease. One coming together amongst a nutritionist later, I was sent out amongst a "gluten-free gift basket" inwards 1 mitt in addition to a listing of "gluten-free" in addition to "not gluten-free" foods inwards the other. I laid upward a follow-up appointment amongst my gastroenterologist for 1 calendar month later, but no 1 expected whatsoever issues. Adjusting to a gluten-free diet (the twelvemonth of my senior prom, no less) would live challenging. But if it would build me feel better, I was 100% ready to kicking gluten to the curb.

 amongst celiac illness in addition to acquire gluten gratuitous similar your doc orders I Have Celiac Disease...but a Gluten Free Diet Wasn't Enough

Little did I know that recovering from the harm celiac illness had already caused wouldn't live nearly that simple.

The Setbacks

I was diagnosed inwards May of 2013. By August, I was soundless losing weight. It wasn't that I didn't desire to eat; I didn't experience similar I could. My breadbasket soundless rebelled against around foods, fifty-fifty when they were certified (or naturally) gluten-free. I tried eating paleo. I tried eating salubrious gluten-free foods, in addition to I tried simply shoveling inwards the calories. None of it was working.

Two days earlier I moved into my college freshman dorm at Point Loma Nazarene University, I spent the morn inwards the hospital for my 2nd endoscopy in addition to outset colonoscopy. Three weeks into my outset college semester, I was "that girl." The daughter who was losing the Freshman fifteen that everyone else was gaining. The daughter who panted thence loudly after walking across campus that soccer exercise seemed similar a made-up memory.

 amongst celiac illness in addition to acquire gluten gratuitous similar your doc orders I Have Celiac Disease...but a Gluten Free Diet Wasn't Enough

So, when my e-mail filled amongst messages from my doctor only a few days earlier my 18th birthday, it wasn't a surprise. My colonoscopy images were in. Healed villi. Good. Continual inflammation inwards the stomach. Bad. A liquid diet for iii months on the doctor's orders. If I failed that? Two choices: a olfactory organ drip, or a infirmary stay. Not mutually exclusive.

The Liquid Diet

I enjoyed a birthday dinner at Chick Fil A in addition to and thence filled my mini refrigerator amongst the poly peptide drinks my doc prescribed. I lasted two days on the outset variety. You start to wonder simply how good a gluten-free poly peptide milk tremble tin live for yous when it permanently stains the within of your metallic thermos...not to advert keeps yous constantly nauseous and inwards extreme breadbasket pain. The 2nd build was better: allergy-friendly juice packs in addition to poly peptide mixes meant for kids xiv in addition to younger.

But I soundless felt alone, non only amid "normal" college students but also inwards the celiac community. I'd never heard of whatsoever others amongst celiac illness going on a liquid diet. However, recent query has proven that I'm non the only 1 who experienced continual inflammation on a gluten-free diet.

The
I don't recall all the details of my hospitalization, probable because of the malnutrition in addition to vitamin deficiencies discovered past times my doctor. But I recall vehement upward equally a feeding tube was forced upward my olfactory organ in addition to downwardly my throat. 

I recall the black a neonatal nurse had to live called to supercede the IV inwards my hand.

 amongst celiac illness in addition to acquire gluten gratuitous similar your doc orders I Have Celiac Disease...but a Gluten Free Diet Wasn't Enough

And I recall the morning rounds when doctors in addition to trainees would assemble around my bed. They said words similar "celiac disease," "failure to thrive," in addition to "uncertain causes." My doctors used a similar vocabulary. They didn't know why I wasn't healing on a gluten-free diet similar normal. They didn't know when I could provide to college, which I stubbornly refused to drib out of for the semester. 

I stayed inwards the hospital for 4 days. In fact, I wrote the in conclusion research newspaper for my politics shape inwards that infirmary bed. And in addition to thence I went home, feeding underground intact. At the time, my doctors wanted the feeding underground to remain indefinitely. Yet - like I shared inwards 1 of the around pop weblog posts today - I hated the idea of returning to schoolhouse non only equally the skinny hospitalized chick, but also equally the daughter amongst the nose tube in addition to feeding-machine backpack.

So I didn't. The solar daytime earlier I went dorsum to class, I pulled out the underground in addition to watched equally it disappeared into my bath trash. My doctors were giving me one shot. Could I consume - or, to a greater extent than precisely, could I heal - on my own? It was fourth dimension to notice out.

The Turning Point

Honestly, I don't know what flipped the switch for my body. But, after beingness hospitalized in addition to fed who-knows-how-many nutrients each solar daytime through the feeding tube, I piece of cake started healing. (And past times slowly...I hateful months in addition to months). I could consume (gluten-free, of course) without breadbasket pain. I was soundless thin, but I no longer looked similar a skeleton. My hallmates decorated my dorm door amongst a "Welcome Back" sign, and, inwards a way, I felt similar I was welcoming dorsum the old Casey.

 amongst celiac illness in addition to acquire gluten gratuitous similar your doc orders I Have Celiac Disease...but a Gluten Free Diet Wasn't Enough

Besides my hospitalization, though, I took several other steps to assist give my trunk the boost it seemed to need. I cutting out dairy when I noticed how much it bothered my stomach. I eventually discovered the low fodmap diet in addition to pinpointed several foods - similar garlic, onion in addition to mango - that plough my tummy into a fourth dimension bomb. (And I piece of cake reintroduced other high fodmap foods, similar avocado in addition to beans, that I could in addition to soundless do enjoy today). I also began exploring yoga, stretching my powerfulness to relax in addition to meditate equally I stretched my body.

Basically? I tried to brain to my trunk extra closely. I avoided (even the gluten-free) foods my breadbasket didn't seem to tolerate at the time. I also ate to my appetite, fifty-fifty when my hunger was insatiable. (For over a twelvemonth after my diagnosis, I remained at 88 pounds, no affair how much nutrient I packed in. Looking back, I'm guessing all my calories were beingness spent on healing).

Slowly, I learned to trust what my trunk was telling me...and, slowly, it started doing what it was supposed to create inwards the outset place: thrive on a gluten-free diet. 

Today

I conduct hold celiac disease; today, however, my celiac illness is officially inwards remission. I am sparse in addition to lose also much weight when stressed, but I am healthy. And I am thence grateful for the doctors who were willing to bring the extra steps that my trunk needed to heal. 
I'm non a doctor. I don't conduct hold the answer to why roughly people diagnosed amongst celiac illness heal straightaway on a gluten-free diet spell others, similar me, struggle. I create know, this, however: if yous conduct hold celiac illness in addition to a gluten-free diet doesn't seem to live 100% working, you aren't alone.

You aren't the only 1 who needs to avoid to a greater extent than than simply gluten inwards fellowship to experience better. You're non the only 1 who is taking (or took) a twelvemonth or to a greater extent than to experience "normal" after a celiac diagnosis. And you're non the only 1 soundless searching for that right mix of treatments - whether it's the correct diet, the correct doc or simply the correct amount of fourth dimension - to assist yous experience your best amongst celiac disease.

After I was hospitalized, I made forever friends. I barbarous inwards dearest for the outset fourth dimension in addition to afterward survived my outset heartbreak. I graduated college with a 4.0, in addition to was accepted past times a fully-funded grad schoolhouse program. I am doing better than I e'er thought I would live equally I felt that feeding underground scratch the dorsum of my throat.

 amongst celiac illness in addition to acquire gluten gratuitous similar your doc orders I Have Celiac Disease...but a Gluten Free Diet Wasn't Enough

My original hope? Someday, you'll live able to part a similar story: the floor of how celiac illness mightiness conduct hold kicked your booty a fourth dimension or two, but yous won. And, now, you're rockin' life spell gluten free.


*Also constitute at Wow Me Wednesday, RunningwithSpoons, This is How We Roll, Share Fest*

What is your celiac illness story? Did yous notice that going gluten gratuitous wasn't enough? Tell me inwards the comments below!
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