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Wayback Wednesday: Greetings, Diabetic Celiacs
It’s been three years since I posted anything detailed about living with gluten intolerance. Yes, it still plagues me. It makes everything complicated. I hate it. I know plenty of others out there feel the same. In case you missed this three years ago, please read:
Greetings, Diabetic Celiacs
Somehow the word has spread accross the Web that I am not only diabetic, but gluten-intolerant as well. I’ve noticed that a number of my online gluten-free friends (see new list in left-hand column, below) have linked back to me, as some kind of resource, I suppose. What can I actually offer on this topic?
For those of you unfamiliar with this disorder, let me start by explaining that it is, in many ways,
harder than being diabetic! OK, no injections required. No ketones or hypo incidents or anything of the sort. But if you are *just* diabetic, you can still eat a sandwich. You can still eat a bagel. You can still go out in the world and order “real” food without getting sick. I have already forgotten what normal bread tastes like. (Note that the leading celiac magazine is called “Living Without” — for good reason.)
And once again, it was only through the Internet that I learned of the relationship between Type 1 diabetes and gluten-intolerance. Not one of my @#%$! doctors said a thing about it. So following my diabetes diagnosis, it took over six months to figure out what else was wrong with me. Aaacckk! Come to think of it, the best I can do would be to help others avoid this extended learning curve.
So on that note, here are a few “top tips” on gluten intolerance from my little corner of the world:
* TRY THIS:
- If you are experiencing sharp abdominal pain, cramps, chronic diahrrea, or persistent itchy skin rash, visit an allergy specialist (not your regular doctor!) to have blood tests for possible allergens
- If you are told there’s a 50% chance you may be allergic to wheat, do not hesitate! Try a gluten-free diet immediately, for at least 2 weeks, to see if your symptoms dissipate
- If you are still unsure and suspect celiac, ask your doctor to order the autoantibody test to be sure (a “small bowel biopsy” that can be rather unpleasant, unfortunately)
* VISIT THESE SITES:
- National Institute of Health/Digestive Diseases
- Celiac.com
- Celiac Chicks
- Gluten-Free Girl
- Recipes from a Gluten-Free Goddess
(Men welcome at all these sites, too, of course 
)
* SHOP HERE:
- Gluten-Free Mall
- The Gluten-Free Pantry
- Gluten-Free Trading Company
- Gluten-Free Meals.com (delivered to your door!)
Expect to pay MORE for these special foods. But expect to FEEL BETTER and like it! (See the photo of me, in Palm Springs last week, feeling pretty darn good even after explaining to umpteen smiling servers that I really can’t eat that, because I am in fact, allergic to wheat!)
Finally, need to find a real-life gluten-free friend? Try Celiac Meetups to search for people with celiac disease near you. Nothing like a real-life buddy who shares your disorder to make you feel more “normal,” right?
Best wishes to all of you celiac diabetics!
THANKS. My boyfriend was just diagnosed with coeliac. He and I go at it about which is “harder” – i know they’ve both got their own difficulties, but at least when I eat what I “cant have” I can fix it with insulin.
I have been looking for online resources for him. I only started reading your blog a few months ago. I am directing him to check these out as we speak! THANKS.
Posted by: sajabla | September 23rd, 2009 at 9:14 amAmy, you are an amazing woman! Your damned good @ blogging, too! Where else could we get a triple play like this on the internet – in the last 10 days we have heard about celiac disease, Lyme disease and um…oh yeah, Diabetes.
Thanks! I am glad I come here often.
Fair Winds,
Posted by: Michael Ratrie | September 23rd, 2009 at 9:56 amMike
oops! sorry – You ARE damned good at blogging, too! As Bennet would say, LYMI.
Posted by: Michael Ratrie | September 23rd, 2009 at 9:58 amAnd best wishes to you! If you haven’t heard, Gluten-Free Girl is having a cookbook published next fall. Very exciting stuff! Her current book, “Gluten-Free Girl” was the most inspiring, hopeful and helpful resource I encountered when I was diagnosed with celiac.
I’ve been trying to blog a bit more about my celiac life at My Favourite Number. I posted a nice muffin recipe a few weeks ago if you’re looking for a tasty treat — and, bonus, they’re quite high in fibre which, for me, means no post-muffin BG spike. Gluten-free and in-range blood sugars? It’s every diabetic celiac’s dream =)
Take care.
Posted by: Laura | September 23rd, 2009 at 10:57 amL.
Ooh, muffins! Thanks, Laura. And thanks, Mike!!
Posted by: AmyT | September 23rd, 2009 at 12:15 pmIt seems that patients are becoming more and more aware of the interrelationships between different medical conditions simply because they live with the complications every day and often take the effort to seek out answers. Its not surprising that your doctors knew nothing of this relationship as they are often busy doing work with the knowledge that they gained and have had less time to keep abreast of newer findings. Its best just to accept that as an interested patient, you will often find yourself educating your doctor. You just need to ensure your doctor recognizes your role as an educated patient.
Posted by: Wellescent Health Forums | September 23rd, 2009 at 3:42 pmWow…diabetic and gluten intolerant…no bread and little sweets. Sounds like a life without a whole lot of food-based joy. It’s a good thing your research revealed this however, to save others the agony you faced.
Posted by: Screen Sleuth | September 23rd, 2009 at 10:56 pmAnother resource for people who want to see unbiased gluten free food reviews is http://www.glutenfreefoodreviews.com.
The food is so expensive that my wife created a site to share great gluten free products with others that suffer from gluten allergies.
Posted by: Chris | September 24th, 2009 at 1:00 pm