My Story
When it comes to understanding and acknowledging Celiac Disease and Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity it’s other Countries; Argentina, Australia & New Zealand, Canada, European Union, Ireland, Italy, United Kingdom, who are miles ahead of us here in the United States. And the only reason the US has come so far is because we’ve been learning to stand up for ourselves.
I was diagnosed with Wheat allergies 30+ years ago. This was all back in the dark ages, 1980s & 90s, during a time when the FDA was doing their best to shut down Alternative Medicine and unconventional therapies. Until my diagnosis I’d never heard of a Health Food Store, or even an Alternative Health Practitioner. They stayed hidden in the shadows; you needed a personal reference to find one. But I was desperate for an answer.
Unknown to me at the time, what I had was Dermatitis Herpetiformis on my hands/arms/ legs/feet and I was miserable, and of course no-one else knew what it was either. After 3 Dermatologists, 2 Primary Care Doctors, weeks of testing and great expense, I still had no answer. It FINALLY took a Naturopathic MD to figure it out and I was diagnosed with Wheat Allergies and referred to visit a Health Food Store.
When I asked about wheat-free alternatives at the store I was given a bag of Ener-G Wheat-Free Bread. That was it! That was my one and only choice. There was nothing else that they could offer me; no pizzas, no cookies, no crackers, no mixes, no safe labeling, no support groups, no nothing but a bag of Ener-G Wheat-Free Bread.
Doctors in the US still know very little about Celiac. They get only ONE hour of training on it in Medical School because there is still no Pharmaceutical 'cure' for Celiac and therefore not worth their understanding. And if your Doctor received their medical license more than 10 years ago chances are good they didn’t even get that one-hour training.
Many of us tend to remain quiet about our Disease. We don't want to be noticed, we don't want to create a scene, and we don't want to become a burden, so we hide. We refuse to stand up for ourselves, to speak out, to teach...and in doing so we don't pave the way for others to follow. We did not choose this disease...for some reason it chose us, and for that reason we need to continue to be seen and heard.
NOTE: Always read labels carefully
Gluten-Free Travel: https://glutenfreeinflorida2.blogspot.com
Florida FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GlutenFreeforLife
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