My Horrible Disgusting Celiac History

This will be my history, my back ground if you will. I don't really want to go here again. I should be very angry, I'm not. My doctor of nine years FIRED ME when she could not figure out what was wrong with me. THIS WAS A BLESSING!! This sent me on a journey to find a better doctor, someone that had the knowledge to know what was wrong with me. After several different doctors God found the doctor I needed. She read all the labs, surgical list, medications and symptoms and knew what was wrong with me the FIRST time she saw me. She followed up with a blood test and it was confirmed.  I AM BLESSED!!

Do you ever wake up and think, where has the time gone? Well of course you have, everyone has. When your life has been filled with doctor's appointments, x-ray's, referrals, pain, surgeries that don't help and no answers to be found, constant pain, you just lose time. 
       This is time that you never get back.

The worst years for me was my daughters high school years. I missed all of it, no memories! I can’t remember any of my daughters teenage years, high school, and missed seeing her becoming a woman. She kept me together the best she could.  These were the years I PRAYED FOR DEATH EVERY SINGLE DAY. The pain was too much to live through. I literally had two baskets of medications. I was always taking something and everything hurt.

I don't remember a lot from her Rose’s Prom, even her HS Graduation. My body was at her High School Graduation, but I don't remember it. 
She went off to college, and that was about the time I found a new doctor. Her college graduation is coming up soon, and you'd better believe I'll be there. I'll remember it, every minute, even if I have to record it and play it back in my old age. ;-)   

I have to allow a full day of sleep time after 3 hours of drive time now, it does something weird to my body, I'm not alone. Since her college is in Atlanta, it’s not difficult for us places to eat where it's not a big deal to order Gluten Free, and I can be a normal person eating a normal meal.
 Where I live now, everyone makes a big deal out of it, I feel weird, and I know the cooks hate it. I'm not always "well" when I leave. Most people don't know just how serious this is, or how it ruins your will to live.

If you were mis-diagnosed  for a long period of time, you already know what I'm speaking of.  For me it was well over ten years after I realized I was truly sick before I found help. I can remember as a child having intestinal issues as young as six. I ran the full gamma of clues of Celiac, yet not one doctor recognized it. I'm not a medical professional, but 
after going through this life altering medical trauma, yes it is a trauma, I should have a degree.

  Today I feel so much better, I will never be completely healed, but I'm better. I've had back issues since two failed surgeries in 1986, but I kept on going. It took Celiac Disease to bring me down. If you've done any reading at all, you know the side effects of that little wheat protein can do a variety of things to our bodies. If left untreated, like mine, it only gets worse. I think I had every possible side effect that could be linked to Celiac; Migraines that lasted 3 weeks at a time, Chronic Depression (not knowing why you are sick can really make you sick), IBS, Agoraphobia, (brought on by the intense level of bloating and horrific flatulence), Panic Attacks, Insomnia, Chronic unexplained stomach pain, Brain Fog and Confusion, Anemia, Malnutrition, Diverticulitis, Hemorrhoids, (due to intense bouts of diarrhea & constipation.

Did you know within 20 minutes of eating gluten now, I can look 5 months pregnant, and feel as if I'm having that baby for about 10 hours?

http://www.celiac.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=12
Now I already had three collapsed disk in my lower back, I'm legally blind in one eye and my thyroid is a little slow.

I was 50 years old when I applied for disability. My employer had already fired me, I'd lost my home, for 6 months I couldn't put a sentence together or drive a car. We went 9 months without a paycheck when I was fired, since I was unable to work, I couldn't draw unemployment. I was also forced back to work or risk loosing the chance to get COBRA insurance, so that delayed a disability check. Disability checks are approved 6 months after the last day of employment, then paid on the seventh month.
I was blessed that a neighbor of many years let us move in his basement apartment.
My parents donated a half acre for Rose and I to build and we were approved for a new home from Habitat for Humanity. With a zero interest loan and a payment I can afford, I'm starting over at almost 53, yes I'M BLESSED!!

http://www.celiac.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=12

Starting Over Living Gluten Free

Our lives can be so complicated, with all the new products and fast foods that are meant to make our lives so easy. It's just those new products and fast foods that may be destroying our lives and bodies as we know it.

 I find it hard to believe that I can buy a .99 cent hamburger that will close off my arteries at any drive thru, yet if I want a salad it will cost me over $5.00. Something is really wrong with this picture. We are so busy with having families, going places, having fun, who makes time to cook any more? Our lifestyle is slowing killing us.

I rarely do a drive thru now, I cook more than ever now! I've always enjoyed cooking, but have changed my of seasoning over the last few years. No more bacon fat, biscuits, and gravy for me. I will be sharing my new tasty menus and ideas with you in blogs to come.

All of us have to eat, why not make it fun, tasty and colorful?
I have to admit, when I first went Gluten Free, I was so bored and thought my love affair of food was over, little did I know it had just begun.