The Challenge

Hey guys, 
It's been exactly 17 months that I have been on my gluten free diet and I have been feeling fabulous. I have lost so much weight and my energy is back. 

I decided to get my anti body blood test done again to see where my readings are now and the results were surprising. My readings were down so low that I was actually told I was negative for Celicas Disease. This didn't really surprise me because I knew if I wasn't consuming any gluten that my body wouldn't have to fight, which would cause a negative reading on the test. 

I then spoke to my doctor who initally diagnosed me and told him about the result. I then asked him if he for sure believes I have Celiacs disease and he informed me that the only way to truly know for sure is if we went ahead and got a stomach biopsy after the inital test was positive back 17 months ago. Unfortunately, I was told to go right on a gluten free diet without any further testing. 

It was then that I decided I didn't want to play with my body anymore, I need to know if gluten is triggering my body to be at war and attack my tissues and what not, so on March 5th I started what is called a GLUTEN CHALLENGE. 

A gluten challenge is for those who got a positive test on a Anti body test and went right into a gluten free diet before doing any further testing like a stomach biopsy to confirm it. The challenge requires the person to consume gluten for a duration of at least 8 weeks and then get a anti-body test done again. If the test comes back positive, from there the person goes to see a GI doctor (if they haven't already at this point) and talked to them about having a stomach biopsy (also known as an upper GI or endoscopy) done. Once you both agree that it is the best option, you set up an appointment for the procedure and have it done. In the procedure they will send a scope down your throat and into your small intestine. It's there that they will take photos of the inside of it, look around and see the condition of it and also take a small sample of the side of it for analysis. 
This will help to completely confirm that one has Celiacs disease for sure, 

I live in a household that loves their gluten, making it a HUGE CHALLENGE for me in the first place but I am doing this because I need to know if it will be safe to consume some gluten here and there when we are out and about and there is no gluten free restaurant or the funds are low and we just can't get any g.f. food . I also need to know if I need to stay away from it because it will harm my body like a poison. 

I read an article about a week or so ago where the author was talking about how she had went through an endoscopy and how she couldn't believe her eyes at how damaged her insides were. The lining of your small intestines should look like a shaggy rug or a coral, but when gluten comes in there and you have Celiacs disease, it shaves them right off to the point where you have a smooth surface on the sides. Villi which are the long tentacles that line the small intestines(Or the shags of the rug like my example above) help to capture nutrients from the food you eat and help you absorb it, if those tentacles get destroyed, this results in malabsoption. 

I believe I am on week 3 of this challenge and so far I have only seen these symptoms: 

• Severe Fatigue
• Mind Fog & Short term memory loos
• Blurred vision
• Bloating
• Weight Gain  (Already, I know!!) CRAZY
• Head aches
• Aching in the morning
• No energy 
• Constipation
• Occasional diarrhea  (Only had it once so far)  
• Tummy aches (here and there) 

Even though this will suck at the end if the test comes back positive and I have to have the procedure, at least I will know for my future and will have a better outlook on life- health wise. 

Undiagnosed Celiacs disease can cause so many other symptoms/diseases, I don't exactly want that. 

There is one good thing about this challenge though- I get to go out to eat again with my husband and eat some of my favorite gluten foods. I figure this will most likely be the last time I get to do this so I better do it one last time. 

I will keep you guys updated on my challenge but for now- KEEP ON KEEPING ON G.F.

Sincerely, 

Gluten Free Momma