For the past few months, my mom was experiencing chronic stomach pains. Every day, no matter where we were, she would complain of these stomach aches that she compared to labor pains. After finally going to the doctor, they decided to do some serious testing. When the results came in, she told my dad and me that she has celiac disease. It was nice to have an answer, but we were scared.
My first thought was, what really is celiac disease? According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, celiac disease is "an autoimmune disorder that can occur in genetically disposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine." This affects one in 100 people worldwide.
With this new diagnosis, this meant we needed to change her diet immediately. I am saying we because since this disorder is genetic, there is a strong possibility that I will develop celiac as well. Since we are an Italian-American family that eats pasta, pizza and bread on a daily basis, we were afraid of this lifestyle change.
One thing I realized is how many people suffer from celiac. Out of all the people we spoke to, either they had celiac or knew a family member or friend that had it. All of these people we spoke to gave us the best foods they knew, where to buy them, and some gluten free recipes.
Going gluten free hasn't been as scary as I thought. Yes, the food is pretty expensive (which I don't understand since so many people have it), but you can find some brands that taste exactly like it would with gluten. We found a pasta called Ancient Harvest that is made with corn and quinoa flour. We made spaghetti, baked ziti and macaroni and cheese with it. It's absolutely delicious! If you leave it a little al dente, you can't tell the difference.
Starting the gluten free diet has made my mom feel a lot better. She doesn't have those bad stomach pains anymore. My dad and I have been eating gluten free, as well, to show support for my mom, so she doesn't have to go through it alone. I am going to get blood work done soon to see if I have celiac. Celiac is one of those diseases where it can be in your system, but it may not actually affect you for years.
The most important thing to learn from this is if you are not feeling well and are experiencing constant symptoms, it is so important to go to the doctor! Just be having stomach pains, my mom found out she needed a complete diet and lifestyle change. Do not suffer long term consequences and take care of the problem.
