Life with an Autoimmune Disease

Autoimmune diseases are often misunderstood.  I found out I was allergic to gluten when I was 13.  Finding out I had celiac disease and could not eat things like pizza, donuts or bread was a huge shock, which came with many questions.  What exactly could I eat? How bad of a reaction would I have to gluten? How can I live with this?

Over the years I have found people do not understand autoimmune diseases.  I feel like this might be because no one can see them from the outside.  This may make them underestimate the impact the autoimmune disease has on someone.

Celiac disease creates an autoimmune response when I ingest something with gluten. My body then reacts and attacks my small intestine.  This can cause a range of symptoms from nausea and diarrhea to joint pain and extreme fatigue.   There is no cure for celiac disease, so instead, I must stick to a strict diet.  The grains I must avoid are wheat, rye, barley, and malt. 

When I first was diagnosed I went through a lot of denial that I had an autoimmune disease. I was not strict with my diet and would eat foods that I knew had gluten in them because I never had a problem eating them before.  I was also quite oblivious to what foods had wheat in them.  It took me several years to figure out everything I could eat and what to look for in products.  Once I was on a strict diet, I started noticing when I would accidentally ingest gluten and how it impacted my body. 

One thing I did not expect to come with my diagnosis was a fear of eating out at restaurants.  Since the tiniest bit of gluten can cause an autoimmune reaction, I often avoid restaurants.  It is hard to go into a restaurant and trust that the cooks will change their gloves after touching something that has gluten or use a different knife to cut my food. Although, I must admit, over the past few years many restaurants have improved and are better at accommodating for allergies.

Having an allergy can be scary because there are so many unknowns.  Although I have learned the key to living a happy, healthy life with an autoimmune disease is knowledge.  Learning about celiac disease and being able to explain to others what I have is extremely helpful in my daily life.  Lastly, always have patience with your body and with those around you, who may not understand.