Suffering From Recent Celiac Diagnosis

[Love4Bread]

I am 17 and I have recently been diagnosed with Celiac Disease.

At first it was a Wheat allergy but the other day it was confirmed to be celiac.

I am having such a hard time with this as I feel so isolated to what I can eat.

Whenever I am at home, I am angry or upset.

It just feels so stressful and I'm really struggling.

I haven't told my mom that it has now become Celiac Disease because I think she is just going to break.

I'm a vegetarian but I live in a household of meat eaters. So already, it is difficult for my mom to make me food.

But to add this!

If anyone could please help me out,

I would really appreciate it.

[AzizaRivers]

First, let me tell you that it DOES get easier. Right now it seems confusing and crazy what you can and can't eat, but it's not that bad. You get used to it. I too am a vegetarian (in a house of meat eaters) and I find plenty to eat. I'll eat whatever is being made for dinner, minus the meat. I'm sure since you were already a vegetarian, you're used to adapting that way. Now you just have to work on the gluten!

I will also say that you need to remember that no matter how hard it is, you can NOT ever eat gluten. Not for one meal because that's what's being served, not a little because you miss it...you can't have it. I'm sure you know that, especially since you started out thinking you had a wheat allergy.

You do need to tell your mother, and make sure she understands how important it is that you don't have gluten. You also need to be careful of cross-contamination. I won't give that spiel here, there are other posts that cover it fully.

You will find that whole, unprocessed foods and those that naturally don't contain any gluten are healthier, cheaper, and overall less disappointing than substitutes, at least until you have become used to not having the "real thing." Here are a few ideas that I use. Some are naturally gluten-free (just reminders of the best things that you can still eat!) and some are my own substitutes.

-Fresh fruits

-Fresh vegetables, great in stir-fry, steamed, however!

-Brown rice (healthier than white)

-Yogurt if you can do dairy

-At my house we like to make different types of quesadillas, burritos, etc. and I have my own stash of corn tortillas so I can have mine, too

-Sometimes I use the corn tortillas as a pizza crust, add the sauce and cheese and put it in the oven

-Many cereals are still okay, like Kix (check the ingredients) and Chex (they say it on the box now); Chex comes in a lot of flavors

-If you like hot cereal, you can try Bob's Red Mill Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal; it's too expensive for me so I make rice into hot cereal (google a recipe) and I boil cornmeal to make polenta, and you can flavor that any way you want, and it's VERY cheap

-If you like baking, you can grab a few specialty flours and bake your own breads, muffins, etc. and put them in the freezer to be thawed when you want them. www.glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com has the BEST recipes I have ever found.

-Ice cream, again if you can do dairy, is a naturally gluten-free treat as long as it's not cookie dough or anything obvious like that

-Salads are of course still okay, provided that you have no croutons and you check the dressing

-These brownies are so good I just have to share the recipe. I use almond meal in place of the flour and coconut oil in place of the butter. Open Original Shared Link BETTER than gluten brownies

-Keep in mind that certain ethnic foods are less likely to contain gluten...for example, I make regular trips to the local Indian grocery; you still have to check, but far fewer things actually have gluten

-I used to love cheddar cheese and crackers as a snack, now I use corn chips for that and I'm used to it

-my favorite gluten-free pasta is Ancient Harvest corn-quinoa blend, it tastes like regular pasta to me

-Here are staples that are always in my cabinets and freezer: corn tortillas, Chex cereal, cornmeal, homemade cinnamon muffins in the freezer, brownies, Van's gluten-free frozen waffles, Schar's crackers, corn chips, cheese, fruits, vegetables

Again, really, you figure things out. Celiac is not the be-all end-all of good food, it's just a new challenge. Think of it just as a new adventure. I know it sucks at first, but you do get used it and you realize how many things you really can eat. Keep using this board as a resource and inspiration.

[mushroom]

The PP has given you some great ideas and advice. Just remember that you cannot have soy sauce - at least not the regular stuff. Buy some Tamari or La Choy which do not have wheat.

[LDJofDenver]

It can be a little overwhelming at first. We

[azwldct]

I am so pleased to have found this website. I, too, am newly being diagnosed with Celiac Disease. It is frightening me. The restriction attached to my food is not nearly as frightening as the peripheral health issues attached to the disease. I have been on the internet, and I believe that was the worst thing I could do. I suppose I am looking for someone to tell me that they are okay. I hope that doesn't sound hokey... but that is where I am right now.

[mushroom]

Hello and welcome to the board.

There really shouldn't be anything too particularly frightening about celiac disease. It us usually totally controlled with a gluten free diet, and there are notmedications, surgeries or other treatments required except some supplements for low nutrient levels which not everybody has. So, overall, it is not one of the bad diseases to have.

As for the other autoimmune diseases that often ride along with celiac, most of these can usually be controlled fairly easily too. In fact, for many posters they clear up completely after going gluten free.

Talks to us some more and discuss your concerns. Start a new thread, introduce yourself and we can address your fears

[Jestgar]

The thing to hold on to is that it does get easier. Like any big change - a new job, new baby, new town, adapting to a new diet is hard and confusing at first, but as you figure things out and develop new habits it all becomes just a part of your lifestyle.

[Judy3]

I am so pleased to have found this website. I, too, am newly being diagnosed with Celiac Disease. It is frightening me. The restriction attached to my food is not nearly as frightening as the peripheral health issues attached to the disease. I have been on the internet, and I believe that was the worst thing I could do. I suppose I am looking for someone to tell me that they are okay. I hope that doesn't sound hokey... but that is where I am right now.

I'M OK!!! I've been diagnosed and gluten free for 2 1/2 months and I feel better than I ever have in my life. I also have diabetes and no longer need to take medicine for that since going gluten free... There are a lot of positives to being gluten free. I know it seems frightening, I was at first too but all the things that have gotten better are amazing. More energy, no pain, no sickness. The health issues that can come from Celiac are also frightening but if you control it with the gluten free diet very strictly you'll be ok. I'M OK!!!

[ilovetexas1971]

I am 17 and I have recently been diagnosed with Celiac Disease.

At first it was a Wheat allergy but the other day it was confirmed to be celiac.

I am having such a hard time with this as I feel so isolated to what I can eat.

Whenever I am at home, I am angry or upset.

It just feels so stressful and I'm really struggling.

I haven't told my mom that it has now become Celiac Disease because I think she is just going to break.

I'm a vegetarian but I live in a household of meat eaters. So already, it is difficult for my mom to make me food.

But to add this!

If anyone could please help me out,

I would really appreciate it.

Hi. my name is kim and i have an autoimmune disease against gluten,wheat,yeast,soy,dairy and eggs and am very limited. i have been doing this for three yrs. it is the hardest thing but i have to do it to live there is no choice. even though things may state gluten free a company is legally alowed to put 20 ppm or parts per milometer of gluten in product so you have to call the company. even though a product says gluten and wheat free alot of them have barely or derived from barley and it is advised to not eat barely if you are celiac or in my case go to dr. kenneth fine at enterolab he is a world renown gastrointerologist in plano tx that diagnosed me . Pray to God and he will guide you. kim

[eatmeat4good]

Hi and welcome! I love all the information you have been given and I cannot really add to what the first responder gave you except to say that Lentils are great! If you haven't been eating them, they are a good source of protein and yummy. I make them very simply, just a quart of chicken stock and a 1 lb bag of lentils- boil 20 to 30 minutes and they are done. Of course you can add vegetables or meat too. I don't really like hot cereals at all, so I eat them for breakfast too! It is a new food for me since finding out I'm gluten intolerant but I really like them.

Your fears about the long term effects of Celiac and autoimmune diseases and cancer are natural, especially when you start reading after your diagnosis. But there are people like me who find out at 47 that what they have been struggling with all their life was really Celiac/Gluten Intolerance. Yes, we have to worry about the risks of continuing to eat gluten, but I think it is wonderful that you have been able to find out so young. That means you are way less likely to come up against the effects of a lifetime of eating gluten when your body was supposed to eat gluten free from the beginning. But I am here to tell you that even those of us who don't find out until we are 47 (same older) are grateful to know what it was that was making us ill. And to know we can control it just by watching what we eat? THat is pretty amazing and wonderfully simple. No toxic drugs or anything like that! Yes, I suppose we could be scared of the secondary diseases that come from not knowing for so long, but I think most of us just try to keep our focus on the good that comes from recovering and we look to squeeze every drop of wonderful out of the life that we have left. At least that is how I try to look at it.

My son is just a year younger than you and still adjusting to gluten free too. He is sometimes stressed out about not being able to eat pizza with his friends. But he has come along beautifully and he feeling better every day. We get BJ's pizza once in a while. I tell him all the time how lucky he is to know about gluten so early in his life and I'm excited about the fact that he doesn't have to live with it all his life and find out at my age. At first I was feeling really guilty that I didn't figure this out sooner and save him from the years he did have to suffer. But optimism is better. He tells me we couldn't have figured it out any sooner and we are just glad to know now.

Talk to your parents soon so they can help you. The cross contamination factor is pretty serious. They will all have to pay attention to that to keep you healthy. Not only that, but you need some support from your parents and they should be tested too. Maybe you will have a gluten free household soon. I hope your parents are supportive. You have taken a big step in the right direction to get on this site and introduce yourself. Keep reading! I was really overwhelmed at first. But I found a few products I like such as Udi's bread, cinnamon rolls, and chocolate muffins. I keep these on hand. The rest of the time we eat whole foods that don't come with labels!!!

I would be thrilled to be able to be your age again and do it all over again, but this time gluten free. However, that ain't gonna happen. So here is what I need you to do- Live your life fully and completely and take joy in the fact that you will not have years and years of wondering what was wrong with you. You are at a wonderful starting place. The journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step. Go hug your mom and have a talk with her.