A Celiac Disease story

---

Hello, My name is Ashlyn and I am 21 years old, almost 22. I found out I might possibly have Celiac disease just over 2 years ago. I was surfing facebook on a rainy day, procrastinating turning in College and scholarship applications when I saw a friend's post of 84 symptoms of Celiac disease. I looked over it about 6 times making sure I was seeing it clearly. I realized that out of those 84 symptoms, I have 51 of those symptoms. I immediately looked it up and found a list of about 200 symptoms. In total, I have/had about 80 symptoms ever since I was a baby. I quickly called my mom over and explained what I have just found out and we were both happy, overjoyed, angry, sad, bitter, denial, etc. My mom had been blaming herself for all of my pains and troubles. We both broke down after the bout of different emotions. After 1 year of slowly taking gluten out of my diet, I had lost 100 lbs, no eczema, no swelling and bloating, no depression, no stomach pain and spasms, rls was gone, no going to the bathroom every 15 minutes, and so much more. I felt like I was in heaven after being in constant pain my entire life. Ever since I was 6 months old, I have been chubby and overweight. My mom took me to 18 different doctors and nurses until I was 11. They all told her I was being fed too much with little exercise. NOT!!! I have been tested for diabetes and thyroid issues several different times, but I don't have either of them. I was eating all the right amounts and even ate more veggies and fruit than most kids do. In 5th grade, I was 200 lbs and in 9th grade I was 300 lbs. I was very close to reaching the 400 lb mark when I saw the celiac symptoms post. I am now down to 280 lbs. I was in gymnastics for 2.5 years, ballet for 8 years, swimming for 5 years, basketball and karate each for 3 years, and volleyball for 1 year. My mom put me through weight watchers and curves. I walked to and from school which was 2.5 blocks away and I did PE every single day. Did I lose a single pound through any of that? I would lose 1 pound and then gained 25 pounds. I did not lose any weight or fat through all of those sports. I was very active yet all of the doctors did not believe my mom and I. What gives, right???? I was more active then my brother who barely played sports yet he was stick skinny no matter what he ate. My mom rarely bought candy, pastries, cookies, etc. Mainly for holidays and birthdays but even then I was very careful. I did what the doctors and dieticians said to do, eat "healthy" whole grains, less sugar, less fat, and more fruits and veggies. In the last year, I took out potatoes and gluten altogether and some corn, adding more protein and veggies, good fats (especially bacon, coconut oil and walnuts), less fruit and I am doing much better. I'm learning that when I eat good fats every other day, I will lose 3-5 lbs in 2 weeks. When I eat more fruit, I feel almost like I got glutened so I am sticking with apples and berries whenever possible, no other fruit. I am pretty sure I have an allergy to dairy and am slowly starting to take it out of my diet. So far, I have switched milk to almond milk but cheese is the hardest. Wish me luck!!! Maybe I should make my own book. :)