Gluten-Free Life: The Hidden Thoughts of a Celiac

Being diagnosed with celiac disease can be devastating, especially if the diagnosis comes in adulthood. Children are much more flexible and can adapt quickly to a new diet, but unfortunately, that’s not the case with the adults.

We adults already know exactly what we want and how we want it when it comes to food, and we have a full list of guilty pleasures to help us celebrate happy moments or to make us feel better during sad moments. Food can be the best mood booster or the most considerate friend.

And just when we think we know everything there is to know about our life, the diagnosis comes, “You have celiac disease!” What happens then?

At the beginning, there are only worries. “What will I eat?” “How will I be able to afford this diet?” “How will this diagnosis affect my life?” But as time passes, things start to calm down, we develop a new routine, and just like children - we adapt.

We no longer suffer from a long list of seemingly unconnected and unexplained symptoms like headaches, fatigue, bloating, gas, weight loss, anemia, depression, and allergies. We accept the diagnosis and start our new life, finally feeling whole and comfortable in our skin and ready to conquer the world!

At least that’s what it looks from the outside. From inside, some of us are still a mess. If you are diagnosed with celiac disease, then you might find yourself in these thoughts.

1. “Everyone thinks I am still joking about this”

Even though you are on a gluten-free diet for years now, your friends still haven’t accepted your diagnosis or they keep on forgetting about it. Some of them might even think that you only want attention or that you are so bored that you invented a disease.

That means that you probably have to eat every time before visiting your friends’ homes, parties, or events because the chances are that everything there is filled with gluten. Even the drinks. This can be really upsetting, especially after comments like, “you haven’t touched your food, is there something wrong with it?”

2. “Grocery shopping is an impossible mission”

After the diagnosis, you developed a habit of reading every product’s ingredient list to make sure that you can consume it safely. And even though this might not seem like a bad thing, there is more than one issue with it.

For example, even if there are no gluten ingredients on the list of a certain product, there is still a risk of cross-contamination during packing. So you have to google the product, find its website, and try to find some sign that the product is safe.

The chances are that you won’t find anything, so you will have to send an email or contact the manufacturer on the phone. This can go on for weeks until you finally find out, and by the time you do, you might lose interest in the product or it can be sold out.

On the other hand, by reading the ingredients of every product, you will learn more than you need to know about it. You will know exactly how it is made and if the product is organic or raw, among other things. It says 100% natural on the cover? The ingredient list might disagree with that statement, and you will finally know the truth. This can be more of a burden than a blessing.

3. “Dining out is a horror”

Unless the restaurant is gluten-free or has a gluten-free menu, cross-contamination can be a big problem. You might think that you are safe if you order fries, rice, or meat with no sauce, but that’s almost never true! And most of the time, you learn this the hard way.

Another problem with dining out is trying to communicate with the waiters. The minute you tell them you are on a gluten-free diet, most of them start assuming that it’s by choice and not a necessity, and they don’t have the patience nor time to listen to you and help you choose the right meal. This again leads to the wrong choice, and you are back on square one with all your symptoms.

4. “Why in the world did I not stop myself from eating that?”

Cake? Pizza? Burger? Everything is off-limits unless you make it yourself, but sometimes when your closest friends and family are having a nice gluten meal (especially if that’s your favorite from your past), you can’t stop yourself, and you succumb to the temptation.

Depending on your body, it will take something between several minutes or a day to experience a full-blown gluten reaction. If you are lucky, you will suffer in the comforts of your own home, but the chances are that the reaction will happen in front of your friends and family. You will probably regret every decision you have ever made that brought you to this moment.

5. “I love my body”

Living with celiac disease can be really difficult, but it can also change your entire life. It’s a condition that affects 1.4% of people. You will be more aware of what you eat, and this will lead to a healthier diet. If you combine that with a little bit of exercise, you can have the body you always dreamed of.

You will feel healthier, more energetic, and unstoppable. Yes, there might be occasional problems and bad situations but everyone has them. It’s up to you to take advantage of this situation, create the life you always dreamed of, and simply enjoy!