Whoa. My first comment appeared like an hour after I posted it. I didn't think it went through the first time. What the hell?

Thanks, NothingToGein. I've gotten a lot of advice from these comments. I'm about to move apartments, so I'm going to "de-glutenize" everything in the new place. This is quite a lifestyle change, but I've said many a time that I would do anything to get rid of the nearly unbearable pain and fatigue. I'm finally thinking I'll have the strength to go through with my dream of becoming a doctor. :)

i have celiac disease. it's really not the end of the world. and it's autoimmune, not an allergy, big difference. you can order food on amazon.com and there's tons of websites and books you can get. i was officially diagnosed during my first year of college. trust me, if i could get thru it as a college student living in a dorm, you'll be fine

ino how you feel i have celiac dont worry it gets easier iv had it for 5 years

That's good, at least you're taking initiative about it. Some kids try to cheat around it and rebel against the diet, and it doesn't work at all. I'm sure your doctor told you about this already, but be really careful when you go out to eat. Cross-contamination can be worse than eating straight product, like if it's oil based. Assholes as some restaurant in Long Island gave me french fries that they said were fried separately from the onion rings and chicken fingers and all that. They were not. I thought I was literally gonna die.

It's really not that bad at all, I've had it for three years. My doctor thought I had ulcers sincethey run in my family and had me eat all bread products for months. It happens =/

What alot of posters don't seem to realize is that you should never cut gluten out of your diet without a diagnosed reason to - because removing all gluten from your diet can make you intolerant to gluten when you weren't intolerant to before. No doubt thats why the OP didn't remove all gluten from her diet before she was diagnosed- she didn't want to create another problem in addition to the undiagnosed one she already had. But yeah I am amazed by the number of people who are posting they have been taught to eat gluten products to calm their stomachs. I knew back in the 80s you don't eat any grains when your stomach is bothering you, and you wait a few days until you go back to them. But then farmers are pretty smart about those things.

As someone who has been tested for brain tumors no fewer than 12 times in my life (3 times by different doctors last summer), and will likely be tested for them again, I admit I don't see the big deal of the issue or why being tested for one would be scary. Your exhausted, in pain, some seizures, and whatever else your current symptoms are, you go through the MRI for an hour, and later in the day the neurologist comes and says you are fine. Nothing scary about it. its been happening to me since I was an infant. If you go to the ER its done before they release you that same day. Its not like its something that takes days, weeks or months of wondering about - just a few hours at most, and if you are in the hospital at the time they are done the same day the doctor orders the test with few exceptions (like if the doctor happens to order the brain scan on a saturday or sunday)

To #197, I'm really sorry you've had to go through that all of your life. I understand how it could become routine to you, but I'd never had anything like that happen. Frankly, I think most people are fairly afraid of brain tumors and MS (which they were also checking for). I hope your scans are always clean. I am in college, but the GF diet shouldn't be a big deal. The school has to provide me with food I can eat or a kitchenette, so I'll be fine. I'm just glad to finally be healing. I'm able to walk around again and climb stairs without pain, I don't have to sleep 13 hours a day, and my debilitating muscle cramps are starting to go away. I consider myself lucky. I just thought being told to eat bread to help my digestion was extremely ironic. I know it's an autoimmune disorder. I wasn't paying attention when I wrote the thing at 3am. I didn't even think I'd make it on the site.

I have celiac diseases too. At first it kinda sucked but now I've had it for 3 years and its fine. NO big deal anymore. But I found myself cheating on the diet 1 year into it and don't do that cause the doctors know when u have a check-up thinger. AND BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN! lol. I've heard of some1 getting cancer from it and many other things. Just stay positive. By the way you can make GF peanut butter cookies with 1 egg, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 cup of peanut butter, bake them on 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or until done. Thay aren't the best for you but they're insanely good...! Good luck!