I was hospitalized with the swine flu many years ago, and I continued to have all types of health problems for years afterwards. In hindsight, I had a classic presentation of celiac disease: anemia, constant GI upset and abdominal pain, fatigue, secondary infertility, and an inability to gain weight. At the time, …
I was hospitalized with the swine flu many years ago, and I continued to have all types of health problems for years afterwards. In hindsight, I had a classic presentation of celiac disease: anemia, constant GI upset and abdominal pain, fatigue, secondary infertility, and an inability to gain weight. At the time, I was 35 lbs lighter than I am now – I was a walking skeleton! I don’t know if I ever read my little toddler/preschooler daughter a book to completion – I would always fall asleep while in the middle of reading out loud, I was just so exhausted all the time.
My PCP at the time told me that all my GI problems were a result of being a stay at home mom. He told me- probably 40 or 50 times over the years – that if I had a job and spent “less time with my children” I wouldn’t be so stressed/miserable. I told him that I was neither, and that I enjoyed being a stay at home mom, but he insisted that spending time with little children was the source of all my problems.
On one visit, I remember him saying, “Your cholesterol levels are amazing! I couldn’t put someone on medication and get their levels so low.” It was such a classic sign that he missed – I clearly wasn’t absorbing any of the food I was eating, but he insisted that all these symptoms were because of my children. I kept asking if I could be tested for food allergies, but was constantly told that it wasn't something I was eating.
At any rate, I suffered for years, until one day, during a routine office visit, my PCP got up on the examining table, sat hip to hip, shoulder to shoulder, and told me that he was attracted to me. When I did not provide the desired response, I was dropped from his practice. My new PCP got me the help I needed and I was diagnosed with celiac disease a short while later.
Most people give up gluten (and sometimes dairy too) after a celiac diagnosis. It was particularly hard for me, because I am famous for the breads I bake. But, do you know what is even harder? Being miserable constantly, for years, and being told that all my GI problems was because I spent time with my children. Giving up gluten and dairy completely changed my life around. I am healthier now at 49 than I ever was at 39. Going GF and DF changed my life. That, and getting a new PCP too.
Gluten and dairy.
I was hospitalized with the swine flu many years ago, and I continued to have all types of health problems for years afterwards. In hindsight, I had a classic presentation of celiac disease: anemia, constant GI upset and abdominal pain, fatigue, secondary infertility, and an inability to gain weight. At the time, I was 35 lbs lighter than I am now – I was a walking skeleton! I don’t know if I ever read my little toddler/preschooler daughter a book to completion – I would always fall asleep while in the middle of reading out loud, I was just so exhausted all the time.
My PCP at the time told me that all my GI problems were a result of being a stay at home mom. He told me- probably 40 or 50 times over the years – that if I had a job and spent “less time with my children” I wouldn’t be so stressed/miserable. I told him that I was neither, and that I enjoyed being a stay at home mom, but he insisted that spending time with little children was the source of all my problems.
On one visit, I remember him saying, “Your cholesterol levels are amazing! I couldn’t put someone on medication and get their levels so low.” It was such a classic sign that he missed – I clearly wasn’t absorbing any of the food I was eating, but he insisted that all these symptoms were because of my children. I kept asking if I could be tested for food allergies, but was constantly told that it wasn't something I was eating.
At any rate, I suffered for years, until one day, during a routine office visit, my PCP got up on the examining table, sat hip to hip, shoulder to shoulder, and told me that he was attracted to me. When I did not provide the desired response, I was dropped from his practice. My new PCP got me the help I needed and I was diagnosed with celiac disease a short while later.
Most people give up gluten (and sometimes dairy too) after a celiac diagnosis. It was particularly hard for me, because I am famous for the breads I bake. But, do you know what is even harder? Being miserable constantly, for years, and being told that all my GI problems was because I spent time with my children. Giving up gluten and dairy completely changed my life around. I am healthier now at 49 than I ever was at 39. Going GF and DF changed my life. That, and getting a new PCP too.
I am so sorry you had to go through this and so glad you were able to finally get the answers you needed and get better.