A Calling?

[GIJane]

This may sound crazy, but I sometimes wonder if being diagnosed with celiac is a calling of sorts. We understand certain things after being diagnosed that we could not understand before, like how to care for ourselves and how others might end real pain in their lives. Ever since my diagnosis (in June 2005), I have been unable to let go of the idea that having celiac--what sometimes feels so unfortunate and hard--might be a calling to do good things in the world for others. Has anyone else had this idea and what has it led you to do?

[DingoGirl]

Oh my gosh, I am practically a crusader for Celiac! First of all reading and researching to know as much as I can, speaking out about it as often as is appropriate, , talking to my shrink all about it (he is quite interested) writing letters (just started that), and, I told my gastro doc. to have newly-diagnosed patients call me if they need help, and the first one just did. I was so excited and happy to be able to help this girl.

Yes, I am thinking we must use our experience and knowledge to help others, by all means! It is a shame that people will suffer their entire lifetimes when they could be relieved of so much pain. I do find, however, that people won't make such a drastic change unless they are 1) at the end of their rope, or 2) scared to death. I"m so excited to attend the Celiac conference in northern CA also, to get even MORE new information!

[ravenwoodglass]

To say I am an anti-gluten crusader would be an understatement. I am continually appalled at the lack of knowledge and understanding in our pharmasociety and will talk about celiac to anyone, anywhere at any time. The ignorance of our medical professionals is criminal. They turn us into neurotic, pill popping, human beings who can barely get by from one day to the next with the 'imaginary' pain that we deal with on a daily basis. If our medical professionals are going to choose to continue to ignore gluten intolerance and concentrate only on handing out scripts for toxic meds instead of testing what choice do we have but to be 'celiac nags' ? I think it is a 'calling' that many of us answer, personally I would love to see a class action suit for anyone that has permanent organ damage and disability after years of mis-diagnosis, that would be a calling I would love to answer.

I told my gluten-free to have newly-diagnosed patients call me if they need help, and the first one just did. I was so excited and happy to be able to help this girl.

This is a curiosity question for DingoGirl, when you say your 'gluten-free' what does it mean?

[eleep]

Um, I definitely -- in the early days of going gluten-free and being in shock from my sudden breakup -- was starting to think about things in terms of having a calling. It was a rather startlingly spiritual phase for me -- although I was raised Unitarian Universalist (which means no particular dogmatic belief), I even talked to my minister uncle about this whole issue of calling and what that might mean.

[hez]

Sometimes I think my dx is karma bitting me in the a**! I was never very understanding of people with food allergies. I had the mentality that society should not cater to those who had issues (like resturants). Now that I am walking in my shoes I realize how self centered and insensitive I was I am more aware of others needs and more understanding of how difficult it is to navigate in our society if you fall outside the "norm". I am the type to always look for the silver lining, for me I have become a better person.

Hez

[DingoGirl]

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This is a curiosity question for DingoGirl, when you say your 'gluten-free' what does it mean?

OMG - I typed in the letters G I, or so I thougt, and it came out gluten free.....I have edited the post!

[nikki-uk]

Sometimes I think my dx is karma bitting me in the a**! I was never very understanding of people with food allergies. I had the mentality that society should not cater to those who had issues (like resturants). Now that I am walking in my shoes I realize how self centered and insensitive I was I am more aware of others needs and more understanding of how difficult it is to navigate in our society if you fall outside the "norm". I am the type to always look for the silver lining, for me I have become a better person.

Hez

Gotta say my husband was much like you-he didn't really have alot of time for people who were 'invisibly' ill.

Every year when I got the flu,or a stomach bug or whatever he used to say 'your so weak'-half jokingly but not if you know what I mean.

Then over a 5 year period he got sicker,and sicker-had to give up work,couldn't get out of bed,couldn't stay awake-he was in a bad way before his dx.

He has since admitted that he was wrong to have that attitude,and now has a better understanding.

I really believe everything happens for a reason,and somehow this disease has made him a better person (but what a way to learn!)

Hubby does still think of his celiac disease as a 'weakness' though,and is kind of embarressed of it,(maybe that's a macho man thing?)whereas I'll bore anyone silly talking about!(admittedly it's not me that's got it )

[mle-ii]

Funny you should ask this, here's something that I wrote on a similar thought, it was after reading this article about dealing with stress/anxiety/trauma.

Open Original Shared Link

Ok, I just read it. It's amazing to me how often I now see this particular theme. Kind of like when you are buying a new car, at first you barely notice it if at all, then all of a sudden you see the new car you are interested in all over the place.

The theme that I see is this. That something is telling us that we need to change. In the case of anxiety, food intolerances our bodies are saying "hello, you there, you aren't listening so I'm going to make you listen", and so we get GI issues, pain, etc. And unfortunately our society/science/medicine seems to be all about making that symptom go away, ignore the pain, cover it up with something else, take a pain pill or anxiety drug or what ever, instead of focusing on the problem. In our cases it could be food intolerances, could be in how we communicate with others, how we handle our feelings or others feelings, and so on.

We've got to work on the cause before our bodies will stop telling us that something is wrong. We've got to listen to our bodies; our bodies seem to care more about us than we seem to care about ourselves. Talk about survival instinct.

To think that all this while I was asking God for help or for a sign, and guess what, God has been telling me for a long time now. It's about time I listen.

Coming to the realization that my symptoms are a sign to an underlying problem and focusing on that problem are clearly leading me on a positive and more fulfilling path.

Every time I hear of someone with similar symptoms to my own I share my story. A calling to reach out and help others in their suffering.

Thanks,

Mike

[lorka150]

Yes! I completely relate.

I was studying to become an RD when I got sick, and it made me want it even more. I just want to help people. I was so ill at the beginning, I was forced to change my whole outlook on the world. I started my website, my sister and I are going into a bakery business together, and I am doing everything I can.

I could go on, but everyone has said everything I feel already- I never have looked at my diagnosis as anything but positive... Anything 'bad' about it has come back to grace me tenfold.

[TCA]

I've been referred to as the Celiac Nazi more than once! I finally convinced my uncle to be tested yesterday! A friend of mine was so symptomatic, as was her kids, so I called her and explained gluten-free living. They tried the diet and feel soooo much better. Her daughter has been trying to have kids for years and not able to. She's now 5 weeks pregnant after being gluten-free for about 8 mos. I have prayed for her so many times to be able to have the child she desires. I never thought that finding this illness in our lives might allow her to do so. It's a blessing in disguise!

[DingoGirl]

I've been referred to as the Celiac Nazi more than once! I finally convinced my uncle to be tested yesterday! A friend of mine was so symptomatic, as was her kids, so I called her and explained gluten-free living. They tried the diet and feel soooo much better. Her daughter has been trying to have kids for years and not able to. She's now 5 weeks pregnant after being gluten-free for about 8 mos. I have prayed for her so many times to be able to have the child she desires. I never thought that finding this illness in our lives might allow her to do so. It's a blessing in disguise!

that is so wonderful, Tanya! I'm always encouraged when people actually LISTEN to us, from our experiences, and actually remove gluten - - no small or easy task. What a blessing , that your friend's daughter is expecting! We've just got to continue to get the word out, as much as possible - without being obnoxious....

[Nantzie]

I've thought this too. It's just so odd that it seems like celiac and gluten intolerance is so widespread, that I'm waiting for some biblical scholar to come out with a reason why wheat is mentioned in the bible so much if so many people get so sick from it. Like maybe the original word meant grain in general or something other than wheat, or something like that. I don't know, but I believe that someone will make sense of it someday.

I do believe it's a calling of sorts. Whether your focus is scientific, secular or religious. It's life-changing and it opens up so much of life. So many of us were brain-fogged, in pain, exhausted and malnourished, that it's like getting a whole body transplant or going through a transformation that you can never (and would never want to) reverse.

I've got about 20 people in just my small circle of family and friends who I think should be tested, but won't because they either thought it was BS when I first found out about it and still won't budge, or they think it would be hard to go gluten-free, or they think they can't afford to go gluten-free for some reason. I'll convince them eventually, I'm sure. I can already think of at least that many family members who have passed away through the generations who I had heard of having symptoms.

I think that finding out about celiac will save my kids, their kids and their kids from a lot of pain and misery. If that's not worth speaking out about it, I don't know what would be.

For every stranger or aquaintance that we mention celiac to, they have at least that many people who might be just waiting to hear that they aren't alone in this and that their symptoms aren't all in their head. I know for me, that was the biggest relief.

Nancy