Personal Narrative: My Experience With Celiac Disease

I was walking in the door getting home from my first week of highschool. My backpack made a thud as it hit the hardwood floor. Sitting in the chair across the room, my mom was waiting with beckoning eyes. She asked me to come sit down. I pulled up a chair with some hesitation. This could not be good. She told me that I got my blood test results back and tested positive for celiac disease. I heard the word disease and immediately thought the worst. Once she told me that it meant that I could no longer have any bread, my heart sank. From this point forward my life changed.
I have always loved food. More than anything, bread products were my favorite. When I was younger I was having digestive problems, getting sick often, and had joint
pain in my arm. After numerous visits to different doctors, no one knew what was wrong. This went on for years until my mom found out that a simple blood test might be able to tell if I am sensitive to any foods. I was willing to try anything to improve my situation at the time. After the talk with my mom, we went to a Gastroenterologist or GI doctor for short. He helped me to better understand what exactly was happening with my body, and how I could “fix” my small intestine. I needed to eliminate all gluten from my diet. We even had to get a new toaster. He said the gluten that had been in the old toaster could trigger a reaction.
Celiac disease is a hypersensitivity to gluten.
It makes it so the small intestine cannot absorb the nutrients from the food. It causes malnutrition and damages the lining in the small intestine. That means all wheat, barley, and rye is out of the question. Even some soaps and creams contain gluten. No more going to my favorite burger place, no more eating cake at birthday parties, no more soft pretzels at the mall. I started to make my lunch everyday. Whenever I go anywhere I need to pack my own lunch. At first it was frustrating watching everyone around me eating whatever they want. Now I have gotten used to it turned it into a daily routine. In the beginning was afraid that I would not be able to eat my favorite foods. That soon changed when I started doing research with my mom. We found numerous gluten free alternatives to the foods that I loved.
After keeping up with the diet for only a month I was feeling significantly better. The stomach aches and joint pain were no more. Everyday was getting started with more energy than I ever had before. I was able to improve in the sports and my focus more on school work. Getting diagnosed saved me from a life on discomfort and depression. It helped me to become the best person that I can be, without anything holding me back. I am stronger now than I ever was, and I know that as life goes on I will be ready to take on anything that comes my
way.