Wednesday, February 10, 2010

why won't THEY believe you?

  
   I have been struggling over the last few days with feelings of....

   when you know someone is ill in your family with celiac disease and they deny it.

   you see it, you have felt it, you've experienced the same thing they are going through.....

   pain, exhaustion, confusion, questions, denial, expiration, change, WHAT is THIS - someone please make it STOP

   you watch as their health falls apart even more, their many trips to the doctors, the endless blood drawls....

  broken bones
  dental issues
  stress
  dizziness
  deficiencies
  flatulence
  dehydration
  muscle wasting
  constipation
  mouth ulcers
  bloating
  diarrhea
  cancer
  itchy skin rash
  arthritis
  seizures
  foul-smelling or fatty stool
  abdominal pain
  headaches
  vomiting
  bruising
  anxiety
 AND MORE...

   why won't anyone believe you.....
   
   why won't "they" believe you....
  
   why must they take the illness to the brink of no return....

   you don't want to be right... but you know you are....

   how much longer will it take them to realize it's all

                                   "gluten"....

3 comments:

  1. Becoming gluten-free is scary for many people. When diagnoised, you think there is nothing left in this world you can eat. It will take time, but I think they will see the need to be properly diagnoised!

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  2. Thank-you for your comment! You brought up two very good points, it is very scarey and I can remember thinking "what CAN I eat".... countless hours in the grocery store... the problem still remains though, when the person doesn't believe it. There is power in numbers, look how far product selections and knowledge has come just in the last few years alone.

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  3. Hi, Denise--All of us go through that and it's very frustrating to say the least. But, as hard as it is for us, people just can't do things until they're ready. For some people, they are never ready or get another diagnosis (like lymphoma), and it's too late. If there was a drug involved that didn't require a gluten-free diet, they' probably be ready for the diagnosis in a heart beat. It's maddening, but that's the way our whole culture has been brainwashed. The fear of the gluten-free diet (difficulty, expense, poor taste) is why I promote my gfe concept to show people it's not a huge deal. But, almost daily I encounter family members or friends who will not see the light. I keep the faith though. Sometimes, it works. Our own son (gluten intolerant, not celiac) had been gluten free at 16 for a while, but had given it up. However, about 2 years ago now (at age 20), he decided he had to go gluten-free again. He ate 3 subs in one day and said he thought he was going to die. So, eventual enlightenment can happen. In his case, I had to stop preaching the gluten gospel and let him come to the decision on his own.

    Also, something to consider ... if the situation were reversed, would you listen to them? Maybe ... maybe not. Putting one's self in other's shoes can be helpful.

    Hugs, dear ... I know it's really hard.

    Shirley

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