public service announcement

click here to take a quiz, "should I be gluten-free" link

I have endometriosis. I always have had it. The belly pains were present as far back as I can remember. I also have numerous food sensitivities that usually cause intestinal distress, not to mention environmental allergies and such-like. Perhaps you also have mystery belly pain? Maybe you have been to the doctor over and over again, trying to get some sort of answer. Lots and lots of people do. Perhaps, like myself, you tried certain dietary changes to see if it would help, seeing as how the doctors weren't much help. Sometimes the changes helped a bit, sometimes not. Perhaps, like me, you didn't give those changes long enough to really know one way or the other. I didn't realize that eliminating wheat causes withdrawal symptoms that are worse than what the wheat itself causes. So when I had gone a week (maybe two) without any wheat, and my belly pains were just as bad if not worse, I figured that was not the problem. It wasn't until my children were having issues that I looked into it further and tried eliminating wheat again, this time very gradually, and realized that I should not be eating it, ever. I was hoping it was just a wheat allergy, but the kids' and my problems did not completely go away after eliminating wheat and I went after other gluten-containing food ingredients, cutting back on them oh-so-gradually. With the elimination of each item from our diet, we continued to feel better and better. Now we eat no gluten of any kind. We also do not eat oats, which officially don't contain gluten but do cause the same symptoms in us, worse even. I didn't realize how bad I felt until I started feeling better. Now, instead of noticing the good days since they were so few and far between, I notice the bad ones instead. What my doctors called "IBS" or "unspecified intestinal/bowel inflammation" is gone! My children are not exhibiting autistic-like behaviors anymore. I am no longer constantly experiencing anger and rage and really scary mood swings unless I accidentally ingest gluten, which does happen occassionally. I have run into people that I suspect should not be eating gluten, but they don't want to hear about it. It breaks my heart. I know if they'd just give the gf diet a chance, they'd feel so much better. So, because of the reaction I get when I mention it, I simply bite my tongue most of the time. Anyway, take the quiz, it only takes ten minutes and it could drastically change your life forever.

...Or take this quiz instead, it's even quicker and gives a better idea about different symptoms that indicate celiac. I checked 14 boxes (for myself, if I included the kids' symptoms, it would be even more), the website states that having just one box checked from each of the two categories could indicate celiac...

many many thanks to Gluten-Free Girl's blog for the links to the quizzes!! Just spreading the word.