Will Celiac Ever Be A Trait And Not A Disease?

[foodiegurl]

I just hate that Celiac is a disease, it is so depressing. If so many people have it, 1 in 133, and many people are being diagnosed as kids, it seems it would be more of a genetic trait than a disease.

I just hate saying "I have celiac disease", and always drop off the disease part. I don't want to be thought of as sick, especially if I am someone who sticks to being gluten-free 100%.

[foodiegurl]

no one else feels the same way??

[psawyer]

Weekends are quiet here, and Sundays more so.

I have heard of one person who refers to it as "the celiac difference."

I also know somebody who says that if you follow the gluten-free diet carefully, then you no longer have celiac disease--you are cured.

I guess that it is a matter of semantics and is open to discussion.

For those of us who know, it is a "choice" that enables us to lead a normal life.

[hannahp57]

i totally agree.. i almost never say celiac disease if i dont have to. i leave it at "im gluten intolerant" usually

i think if it was ever a trait it would be like having a risk for heart disease..that's still a disease but noone is going to look at that like a trait either... either you're at risk (your family has a history of it) or you HAVE it... or you dont at all. i hope what i am saying makes sense...

[lizard00]

I hate it, too, to say I'm 'diseased'.

On the other hand, the word disease catches people's attention. People took me seriously to begin with, but you throw the word disease at them... it's not just some diet that you're doing to lose weight or for attention.

I'm not sure it would ever change. It's an autoimmune reaction to a normal food substance. So, in that respect, I don't know if the medical community would change it's terminology. But, maybe as awareness continues to grow, another term will be coined. It's like having 'the sugar(s)', instead of diabetes. (At least in the south anyway. NO ONE has diabetes here. They all have 'the sugar(s)' )

[GFinDC]

You could try saying "I have non-tropical sprue" instead. That is kind of exotic sounding terminolgy by comparison.

[OptimisticMom42]

NO ONE has diabetes here. They all have 'the sugars' )

[pele]

I absolutely agree with you. And I don't feel that celiac is a disease. I think of it as a natural reaction to poison. There are those who say that the whole disease thing is a precursor to medical "treatment' in the form of pills.

[mushroom]

Well, I never refer to it as a disease; I just say I am a celiac (don't know that for sure, but prove I'me not!!!haha) and that's that. If someone questions, it is gluten intolerance that makes me sick.

[lizard00]

So we have "The Flours"

LOVE IT!!!

[ang1e0251]

In a restaurant or potluck dinner, I say I have some very serious food allergies. That gets peoples' attention and they can understand it. With my family or someone who may have the same condition, I do say celiac disease because they already don't understand it. They need to hear the seriousness of the word "disease" to take my limitations seriously. My sister just blows me off. I think she's secretly afraid she has it. She doesn't take her diabetis very seriously, IMO, so why should she follow what I'm trying to tell her? My Mom kind of understands but just now in discussing a restsurant she said that I'm kind of picky about my food. I said "picky?" you say that like I have a choice. I know she wants to understand but it's so complex it's just kind of too much for her.

Sorry, this got off to a rant. That phone call bugged me.

[cmom]

Yeah, I have a MIL that continually says that I "won't" eat certain things, but never I "can't" like she thinks I'm trying to get attention. She gets aggravated when we take her somewhere and don't stop to eat. My DH has said several times that I can't just anywhere and she always says, "Well, she can eat green beans and corn....blah blah blah". And sometimes I do take chances, just to keep down the peace. She just doesn't get the whole cross-contamination thing. She also usually watches every bite of food I put in my mouth...