Being Celiac – Looking back over the many years I think I appeared a healthy, fit and the oh, so--energetic person. I am known among my friends and family for my dedicated fitness routine and healthy eating. However, I was struggling in the worst way before my diagnosis. What no one knew at that time, including me, was that my immune system was attacking my own body. I was seriously ill and getting worse every day.

My illness started with the types of symptoms that you try to ignore. In the beginning, all of my symptoms seemed pretty typical and they were easy to mask. I experienced excessive tiredness in the afternoons, gas, bloating, and stomach issues that were unpleasant, which was every time I ate anything. I always experienced intense stomach cramping, and gurgling-- after every meal. All of these seemed like common problems that others faced. I mean, aren’t all of us tired after lunch and hungry at times? As we get older, don’t we think that we have a potbelly?

I quietly tried to self-diagnose and self-medicate. I was drinking a bottle of Mylanta a day to deal with the cramping, swallowing Beano before meals to try to deter the bloating, and I drank caffeine every afternoon to stay awake. I had been eating a lot of antioxidant rich foods, so I thought; maybe I have been eating too many vegetables, too much fiber. Than dealing with my past with an eating disorder, I felt like I was back in my old ways or so it seemed because I was eliminating food again.

I went months and months of this back and forth business with my doctor to see what could be wrong with me. She finally after years of these issues told me I needed to get check for Celiac, she said it probably isn’t since it is really not common but let’s give it a try.
But low and behold, I was tested and it came back positive…In this episode I will cover the symptoms and what it means to have celiac disease. But come back next week for this two-part episode where I will give you more information to help you make it easier for yourself to live being celiac.

Thanks again for listening and for more information on Dayna, visit: www.daynadetersfitness.com