Paranoia, Pain and Pickiness

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease which causes damage to your gut if gluten is ingested. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, malt, and some other grains. In my case stomach aches, headaches, cramps, pain, constipation, diarrhoea as well as a host of other complicated deficiencies are a regular occurance and that not even starting on the long term impact on the gut. Colon cancers are much higher in undiagnosed coeliacs and the damage done to the gut by gluten can be permanent.

I have struggled my whole life with migraines, gut pain, constipation, diarrhoea, nausea, clinical depression, fatigue, sudden weight loss, dermatitis and back pain. I must have been to the doctors 20 times about it as a teen and young adult in University. Trust me, I did not want to be there. Each time booking an appointment, sitting in front of a doctor not much older than myself and explaining over and over that I was not normal and that my symptoms were real.

After being told many things by doctors such as ''you'll grow out of it'' or ''could be your period'' or ''you're just depressed'' or ''everyone gets upset stomachs'' (yes these are REAL words that came out of a fully qualified doctor), I gave up and went about being totally miserable for several years. I then whimsically moved to South America when I was 21 and was baffled that for the next 4 years I had little to no symptoms of my previous mystery illness, fast forward to moving home to the UK when I was 25 and suddenly all my symptoms came back, with vengeance. Crippled with pain I returned to the doctors determined to finally figure out what was wrong. 2 years pass, doctors visits became routine. Finally after having a small mental breakdown inside the doctors office a wonderful doctor (who unfortunately was temporary and don't blame her for not wanting to work in my home village, its a tiny bit rough), this amazing human being finally listened to me and put a test in for every ailment under the sun. Autoimmune disease was flagged in my blood tests and to my relief I was sent for endoscopy and biopsy which confirmed I have coeliacs disease.

I was relieved but at the same time terrified. I'd just spent a lifetime poisoning myself, god knows what the long term effects will be. Mentally I was relieved and sad, croissants had been a staple in my life and I was a chef and avid home baker. Eventually I came to convert all my recipes and gain my confidence back. A lot of my symptoms never went away, I still get bouts of dermatitis and stomach pain, but at least now I know what is causing it rather than just sitting paranoid wondering how I would die.

If you are reading this and think you might have something up with your gut, DON'T GIVE UP! Keep bugging those doctors, hopefully one day the NHS will realise that preventative medicine is the pillar on which the medical field needs to stand. The growing number of cancers and lifestyle related diseases is soaring and I think people are forgetting that we have more control over our bodies than we know.

My story has brought me to the point of opening a gluten free cafe which I hope can bring happiness and comfort to other coeliacs sufferers. Please support us and bring along all yout gluten free friends!