Curiosity Kills the Cat

Preparing ourselves for the next step in building our family, I had to obtain all of the lab test results that I've had done over the last few years. Inside of that envelope were my celiac disease lab results. I decided to do a little research after seeing the actual DNA results.

I read that I only possess the DQ2 gene and not the DQ8. Not only that, I only have the one copy, not two (since chromosomes split upon conception and we get 2 separate sets of genes, a maternal set and a paternal set). I also read somewhere that those with duplicate copies have a higher risk of complications in Celiac Disease. That had me thinking that maybe I'm not so sensitive after all.

Fast-forward to the next day. I got to work to find Krispy Kreme doughnuts on the counter and thought, 'here goes nothing' and down the hatch it went. I wanted to see what it did to me after being GF for almost 5 months.

30 minutes later, I was absolutely miserable. The side pain was dang near crippling me, I regretted even THINKING about trying this stunt. Lesson #1.

That weekend I was at a baby shower where my cousin was trying to smash a frosted cupcake in her niece's face. She started sniffing the cupcake to show her niece that nothing would happen and seeing the opportunity, I reached over and smashed it in her face.

I howled... and then licked the icing (that had a little cake attached to it) on my hand.

Later that evening, I felt the effects. Lesson #2.

I went to work again and decided to eat in the cafeteria but asked the chef to make me a grilled cheese with GF bread (they know about my disease and have made me food before). Apparently they forgot about cross-contamination and cooked it in the same place as other gluten food and within an hour, again, same result. Lesson #3

All of these episodes had me in pain, almost as bad as I felt when I first started seeing my GI Dr. Not only was I in pain, I have been 'dragging my tail' I'm so tired! I've also had extreme joint pain, almost like I've lived some other life (maybe like some famous bull-rider or possibly a football player) and destroyed my body. My teeth are again sensitive. My skin has become itchy and dry as well as my scalp (I swear, the gluten immediately makes me scratch my head until it bleeds!). I have restless legs at night and don't sleep well as a result.

I decided to completely forgo eating out (Chipotle has been a frequent stop for me lately), and eat nothing but fruits and vegetables to try and rid the gluten from my system. I needed to control the risk of cross-contamination and heal my body!

It worked!!

Here's what I learned from this experiment: I have the responsibility to change the way I feel, ESPECIALLY since I KNOW what I can and can't have! I was an idiot for trying but in a weird way, I'm glad that I did. I can clearly see my limits and am reminded of where I don't want to be. I AM that girl who will pack my own food. I AM that girl who will eat prior to going to a function where there's a risk of cross-contamination. I AM that girl who will speak out *LOUDLY* about my restrictions when going out (at the very minimum) from now on. I AM in control of the outcome when it comes to my health and this disease. I WILL be better about it.

I'm a work in progress and I'm still learning. =)