After the diagnosis process, it seems like life suddenly gets really hard when you realise you are going to have to change significant aspects of your lifestyle in order to thrive. This period of despair lasted about 2 months for me, but even after 6 months to a year I still sort of felt like a newbie at the whole thing.
But once the dust has settled and you know what you’re doing, life still isn’t easy. It can be embarrassing and socially isolating to have to refuse food when everyone around you is eating. You put your health in another persons hands any time you let anyone else cook for you (or eat out at a restaurant). Food costs more.
I wrote a post about life as a coeliac three weeks ago, and I received such positive responses and comments from people identifying with what I said. It can be really tough. But what I want to know is, what is the one thing that continues to make your life hard even once you know how to cook gluten-free, talk to restaurants, and generally cope?
What is the one thing about having coeliac disease you wish you could change?
I’m genuinely curious. Leave your comments below.
Good question! Overall, I don’t feel like there’s anything partiularly troublesome on a day-to-day basis and I don’t worry much about other people or their attitudes towards the condition. But I worry about the long-term effects of the CD and how it affects my health overall so if I had to choose one thing, it would be that. I’ve had negative results on my tests for years now, but (as far as the GP is concerned), I’ve got pernicious anaemia, M.E, some weird thing called ‘silent reflux’ and a host of other health problems because of the existence of the Coeliac Disease. The CD itself isn’t an issue…but dealing with the constant onslaught of other health problems are.
as long as I am in control of food from home there are no major problems daily. But trying to remain gf in the outside world can be challenging. One slip up & hey presto sickness & bed rest. I try to be on it everyday but just recently I am having slip ups. Frustrating & annoyed at myself. I now have symptoms similar to when I was diagnosed 12 years ago. I know my poor stomach has been through a lot it is hardly surprising. Have to stay positive!