I am 27 years old and was finally diagnosed with celiac disease about 2 months ago.
When I was in middle school, I experienced a lot of stomach issues and missed a ton of school. My mom took me to doctor appointment after doctor appointment. The doctors told my mom I was anemic and that I might be making my symptoms up because I didn't want to go to school.
I suffered with mild stomach problems until I was about 22. Then I started getting extremely bad stomachaches, nausea, fatigue and back pain. It was to the point that I hated leaving my house because I never knew when I would need to run to the bathroom.
Finally, my husband talked me into going to the doctor. First, he said I had heartburn. When the symptoms continued, I was sent to a gastroenterologist for blood work, ultrasounds and an MRI.
Nothing was found, so I gave up until a couple weeks ago, when the symptoms got even worse. I could no longer handle the constant stomach pain, headaches, fatigue and frequent trips to the bathroom all day.
I made an appointment with a new doctor, and after talking with him for 10 minutes, he said “I think you have celiac.” I had the blood test, and that confirmed it. I can't believe it took so many years to get an answer, but I am gluten-free now and feel so much better.
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