My story actually began about 10 years ago when my daughter, Sarah and I were shopping for colleges. Upon our return home from Hoftstra University in NYC, I broke my ankle when I landed on my ankle the wrong way after getting off an airport shuttle. After x-rays, my orthopedist said that the break was more severe than it should have been, saying that my bone density looked a “bit off”. He suggested that I see a Bone Specialist, which I did. Upon a bone density scan and some blood work, she indicated that my bones may not have ever achieved full density due to a calcium deficiency. What's more, the bone density scan indicated osteopenia (which she said I should not have had at my age). She said this was very common with women who had a malabsorption issue. It was then she suggested a gluten-free diet in combination with mega doses of Calcium and D3 and a visit to a GI Specialist for further testing to see whether I had Celiac Disease. Back then a gluten-free diet seemed like a death sentence. It was not only tough diet to follow and maintain, but there weren't as many gluten-free products available as there are now. Further, what was available was really expensive and only available at Lori’s Natural Foods... a considerable driving distance away. Great… just what I needed as a single parent of two teens. In spite of the hardship though, I did what the doctors ordered. I loaded up on Calcium and D3; went on a gluten-free diet; and headed to a GI specialist for blood work and a GI biopsy to determine whether I had Celiac. When the results came back negative, I breathed a huge sigh of relief and couldn't get back to the typical American diet quick enough. It was back to bread, pasta, and gluten-filled desserts. And why not? Other than a bone density issue for which I loaded up on Calcium and D3, I had no other health issues other than high blood pressure… or so I thought.
Fast forward to May 2006… with my Mom’s passing my world fell apart. I was anxious and my brain was in a fog much of the time. At the wake I recall having to sit much of the time because my knees were throbbing and often buckled under me. Back then I chalked all of that up to stress. After all, who wouldn't be after experiencing death of a loved one. But weeks, months, years past and the brain fog never really went away. Over time, I also developed arthritis in the knees, hip, and back; felt fatigue and lacked energy a great deal of the time; and suffered bouts of bloating, acid reflux, and sinus congestion. Now in my early 50s, if it wasn't due to stress, it must be that I am getting old.
Fast forward again to February 2012… my world fell apart again. This time, it was my Dad's final days and it wasn't my knees that buckled. As my Dad was fighting for his life with pneumonia upstairs in ICU, I was downstairs in ER with severe abdominal pain. I really tried hard to ignore the pain for as long as I could, focusing instead on my Dad and his failing health… that is, until I could not take the pain anymore. Twelve hours and a bunch of tests later including a CAT scan, the ER doctor's diagnosis was diverticulitis. I was given a clear liquid diet to follow, a handful of prescriptions to take, and instructions to go see a GI Specialist as soon as I could about a colonoscopy. So I went on a clear liquid diet followed by a bland one; somehow managed through my Dad's death and subsequent funeral; then scheduled an appointment with a GI Specialist for a colonoscopy. The results? While there were signs of diverticulosis (tiny pockets in the intestine), there were no signs of diverticulitis. How could that be? Wouldn't you think I would still have signs of diverticulitis since I had only been in ER just weeks prior? Nope. And when I inquired about this, the GI Specialist said that CAT scans are not a good test for diverticulitis and that I most likely had a bout of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (or IBS), which often mimics a diverticulitis attack. Further that when I had one of these attacks, be sure to stay away from nuts and seeds (but that I could have nuts and seeds if there weren't any signs of inflammation).Over the course of the next year, I experienced several more similar attacks, three more visits to the ER, and a recommendation by my primary care physician to stay away from nuts and seeds of any kind for life and to seriously consider surgery if I had one more attack.
During that same time period, I chose to stay away from nuts and seeds altogether as a preventive measure. I also decided to do a bit of research on the Internet. It was then that I learned Irritable Bowel Syndrome (or IBS) is a popular term doctors use when they do not know what the hell is wrong with you! Great! As bad as that sounds, I truly believe it was the much-needed wake-up call to take control of my health once and for all. I just did not know where to begin. I knew I had to make dietary changes and in spite of my reservations about the medical community, looked to my doctor for guidance. As a starter, he suggested limiting my calorie intake to 1400 calories per day to lose weight and hopefully it would also help with the intestinal issues". The diet he suggested was basically the "low fat, high fiber diet" that known as the USDA's Food Pyramid (My Plate) which involves avoiding red meats and eating white meat sparingly; focusing on lots of fruits, veggies, and beans; and most of all loading up on plenty of whole grains. As an extra precaution, he said to "stop being emotional" and to stay away from nuts and seeds for life to prevent future attacks. Great, just what every woman wants to hear! Yet in spite of heeding this advice, I still woke up every morning with a pain in my gut. The only difference was I stopped going to ER or to my doctor, getting through each day as best I could in spite of how I felt!
Like me… over the years, Justin has struggled with a number of health issues too (see his story below). It wasn't until he saw his cardiologist in December 2013 that we both felt as though someone was finally listening to us and that maybe there was a glimmer of hope for us. Dr. Solomon suggested that Justin try a gluten-free diet after the holidays. While the diet was not new to me and was actually more like "been there, done that", Dr. Solomon assured Justin that the diet seemed to work for many of his patients. While they did not have Celiac, they were "gluten sensitive".... a term not referenced back 10 years ago! So with a bit more research and a loving, supporting partner by my side who was going through much of the same thing I was, perhaps it was time to revisit the Gluten-Free diet.
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