Two years ago

Two years ago, my life turned upside down. As I spent the holiday's at my fathers house, I ate so much gluten-filled food (like I always had). As the New Year came, I started feeling incredibly sick. I bent myself into a ball, cried, and just wanted my stomach pain to go away (this is not a joke). I didn't know what was going on inside this body of mine, but I wanted it fixed immediately. Little did I know, it would take almost six months to figure out what was wrong.

As I cried, my sister called my mother, explained what was going on, and tried to create a game plan of what to do with me. Between my sister, my mother, and my new step mom, they weren't sure whether I needed to go to the emergency room or just take some pain medication. See, at the time, we thought it was something to do with my reproductive system. The pain was so intense and spread out that I wasn't sure where it was coming from. I assumed it was intense female pains. From the symptoms I was explaining, they decided to give me some pain medication to ease the pain and help calm me.

I hadn't ever experienced this type of pain. The pain was so much worse than I could ever try to explain. Stomach aches were something I was always used to, but never talked about. When I went back to Texas, my mom started making appointments with my primary care doctor. I was then referred to four different doctors (women's health, an oncologist, a hematologist, & an endocrinologist) for my symptoms. I was scared to find the underlying cause of my pain. When a doctor doesn't know what is wrong with you, it is terrifying.

I was upset as I found out that none of the doctors could pinpoint the pain, even after having surgery and biopsies. The endocrinologist decided to diagnose me with IBS and told me to take a prescription four times-a-day for the rest of my life. In my heart, I knew something wasn't right. One pill wasn't going to magically heal me.

In my own research, I learned about gluten intolerance and celiac disease. I had so many of the symptoms that I knew it had to be a match. (See, my doctor told me I would be tested for celiac disease through a blood test and through the biopsies, but I just recently saw my medical papers and found out I was never tested...) I talked with my mom, went to the grocery store, and started a gluten free lifestyle for two weeks. Within a week, I started feeling better. The excruciating stomach pain was gone. My headaches, and the feeling of constant exhaustion, were slowly going away. All my symptoms and complaints were disappearing. After two weeks, I never looked back. I find it so amazing that by taking something out of my diet, I can live my life without all the pain and suffering I had before. The times I have been glutened have been rough and long. I've realized that the pain from a "glutening" lasts about three days (on average) for me.

I'm so thankful to have a mother who had such an interest in my health. When I didn't know what to do, she was there to push me. She did research. She was open to finding the culprit of my pain. She knew I was serious about the pain I was suffering from. She's learned about gluten. She's changed her way of cooking. She's accommodated to my needs. Most importantly, she's stuck by my side. I'm so thankful for my health, and it amazes me to look back and see how much has changed in just two short years. I'm looking forward to 2015 and all that it has to offer. Let's make it a good year, a year to remember.

xoxo,
Jade