Intestinal Issues

I once overheard a conversation that went something like this:
Guy: "Did you know that the average american farts 14 times a day?"
Girl: "No way."
Guy: "Seriously, I'm not making this up."
Girl: "Really, I don't think so. I never fart, so how can that be true?" 
Sorry everyone, I'm pretty sure I single-handedly skewed that statistic... for the entire nation.

I have had an array of intestinal problems. I won't go into great detail for the sake of those who actually read this blog, but I'll go ahead and give a brief overview. I've always had problems with gas. Since the time I was about 5 up until the present day. The past two years it got really bad. By the end of the day I was so distended that I looked 7-8 months pregnant. It got to the point that the distention never really went away and I was always gassy. I was uncomfortable all the time. I still have issues with gas depending on what I eat, but I am no longer permenantly distended and uncomfortable. As the bacteria overgrowth in my system works out I will have less and less gas. One day it is my hope to be like the girl in the conversation and say, "I never have gas."
When I was really young, like 5-7, I had issues with constapation. Luckily that worked itself out pretty quickly. Once I turned 13 I started having problems with diarrhea. I would occasionally have bouts of it but nothing to cause too much concern. I just figured it was the stomach flu or stress. When I started my junior year of college it started getting even worse. By the end of that fall semester I was constantly having diarrhea. Yes, that is right, I had diarrhea for 2 years straight. It was manageable most of the time. However, in my last semester of college it got really bad. I started having to plan around being sick. If I knew I had somewhere important to be or something important to do I just wouldn't eat. Even then I would sometimes be sick. After I finished college and came home I thought it would get better. I figured it was stress (even though I never actually felt stressed), or that I wasn't eating well (I'll get to that when I post about craving and continuous hunger). Unfortunately when I got home it just got worse. I was spending most of my time in the bathroom. It was so frustrating because I knew at that point that I wasn't stressed, plus I was eating better. Of course I had started snacking on Kashi cereals which are chalk-full of wheat, barley, and rye. It was finally the fact that I was constantly sick in the bathroom for 2 months that my mom made me go to the doctor. After starting the diet I immediately saw a difference. I still had diarrhea all the time but at least I wasn't in the bathroom all day, every day. Now I am back to bouts of diarrhea and bouts of being normal. I still have a ways to go to be constantly normal, but it has been a huge improvement over the last 4 months.

Stomach cramps; I get bad stomach cramps. Bad, bad as in, curled up on the bed crying, bad stomach cramps. I get cramps with gas, I get cramps with diarrhea, and sometimes I get cramps just for the sake of getting cramps. This was the one issue I talked to my doctor about when I was about 16. Here's how the conversation went...
Me: "I get really bad stomach cramps after I eat breakfast."
Doctor: "Do you get sick as well?"
Me: "No, It just hurts really bad for a while and then goes away."
Doctor: "You probably just have gas. Everyone has gas, just deal with it."
And so I did. I no longer have to curl up on my bed an cry, I just grit my teeth and 'deal with it'. 

Gasterointestinal problems are classified as 'classical symptoms' of celiac disease. Amazingly enough only 40% of celiac patients have intestinal symptoms. Usually, only patients who had onset of the disease in childhood have intestinal sypmtoms. Onset in adulthood usually manifests itself in 'atypical symptoms' like mood problems, rashes, body aches, etc. (basically everything besides intestinal problems). Ingestion of gluten, once on a gluten free diet, does not always manifest itself in intestinal distress either. I have found that if I only ingest trace amounts of gluten, like licking an envelope, I get really bad headaches and mood swings for a few days. However, when I get prolonged trace amounts of gluten or large amounts at one time I get really bad intestinal distress. Nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea, the works. Mostly I just try to avoid any ingestion of gluten. That's when I'm happiest and I like being happy. :) Now you may be thinking, "Wow, that was way too much information for me." Just remember, that was the brief overview edition. You really DON'T want to know the full story.

Feeding Pumba

The question I get asked most is, "So... what CAN you eat?" My answer is always the same, "More than what I can't eat." I eat a large variety of fruits and vegetables, pure meats, beans, and whole grains (ie. brown rice, quinoa, corn, etc.) There is so much you can do with it all. I have a much larger diet now then I did before I was diagnosed with celiac disease. One of my favorite things to eat right now is Southern Stirfry. It is so easy, quick, and delicious!! Sorry I don't have a picture for it (I always like to see what I am trying to make), but I promise you it is good. Try it!!

 Southern Stirfry
1 can Black Eyed Peas (drained and rinsed)
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup brown rice (cooked and chilled)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cayenne pepper
2 cups fesh spinach leaves
 Warm skillet and spray with non-stick spray (gluten-free of course). Add all the ingredients except the spinach. Stir occasionally until warm through, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach. Stir occasionally, until the spinach is warm and wilted, about 7 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

Update

It's been a while since I've written anything. I've gone back and forth about whether or not I'm even going to keep the blog, but I thought I'd at least write an update. I've been doing world's better the past few weeks. My mom found some amazing supplements that have been a huge factor in that. My stamina is slowly returning. I no longer take naps everyday, and when I do the are now 30-45 minutes instead of 3-4 hours. Also, I am no longer in constant stomach distress. My physical appearance is returning to normal and my mental and emotional stability is normalizing as well. I still have rough days and weeks, but overall I have made huge improvements from just 3 short months ago (although it sometimes feels like it's been years). I am so grateful for the chance I have to heal and for all the love and support that I have around me. I still have a long way to go, but now I can see what it will be like to be healthy again, which is something that I couldn't even imagine before.