Periods. And Exclamation points!

This is a celebratory post about being gluten free!

It has been very hard to stick to this diet. I had gone almost 30 years eating all the bread and delicious pizza anyone could dream of, not to mention the cookies, the pastries, and all the amazing tasting food full of hidden gluten fillers.

For almost thirty years I was blissfully unaware of what gluten was and what it had to do with me or anyone else. I was a carb addict, and now I can say that I am a recovering carb addict as I hang my head in remembrance of my past life.

But, things weren't always so blissful. I have to admit that there were always things that didn't quite seem right to me. For example, that from the time I was 13, my periods were so wacky, and inconsistent, leading me to see doctor after doctor only to be handed side effect inducing medication to "ease" the issue.

I also have suffered with infertility, which anyone who's gone through it can tell you, it isn't fun when all you can think about is the baby you want so desperately in your arms, and with each passing day the desire grows stronger as the reality seems farther and farther away. This caused me to fall in to a depression... a deep one. It was my fault that I couldn't have a baby. My husband would be better off with someone else. God hates me. It was horrible, and I was a mess.

But, then I met a chiropractor who changed things for us, and while I faithfully went to my tri-weekly appointments, things seemed to clear up. Then, we got pregnant, and things only got better.

However, after I had the baby, and things should have gone back to normal, they didn't. I couldn't afford to see a chiropractor three times a week just to maintain anymore, and then the depression came back, along with a 9 month long period. Yuck.

Do you believe in miracles?



My son started to show signs of malnutrition, he stopped growing, and showed signs of allergies, such as hives and rashes all over his body. I called my wonderful chiropractor that got us preggo, and she suggested an elimination diet for three weeks. We did it, and when we reintroduced milk and wheat, all his problems came back. We took him off of them both again.

I went shopping at a local farmer's market and health food store, and saw a sign in the window talking about Celiac Awareness. Of course I was curious, and went online to research it. My son showed every symptom of childhood onset Celiac Disease-or the inability to use gluten. The heavens opened and an answer was given. Not only for my son, but for me too. I had almost every symptom as well.

We have been off gluten for a while now. My son, since August of last year, and me since November of last year.

I am happy to say that Ez is symptom free, and I always know when he's had something with gluten in it, by accident, because he breaks out in hives within an hour. It is very rare, because I am VERY diligent when it comes to what he eats, but sometimes, a well meaning relative will accidentally give him something not realizing it contains gluten.

I am also happy to report that my eczema is gone, as are my intestinal problems, my fibromyalgia symptoms, and my irregular periods. Hopefully, by becoming regular we can have another baby sometime soon. I will keep you posted!

If you would like to know more about Celiac Disease please click here or here or here.

If you would like to know more about living gluten free, please check out some of the sites I have listed on the side bar. There are great resources out there, and trust me, coming from a carb addict... a RECOVERING carb addict, it's not as hard as it seems!

Good luck, and GO GLUTEN FREE!

With love,
Suz