Celiac Disease Diagnosis

A diagnosis for Little O ... finally. The last month has been so crazy. In between getting ready for our move, major health issues began to appear with Little O. We noticed severe irritability, constipation, SEVERE lethargy, DRASTIC drop in her weight, and just overall sad temperment. Towards the end of this ordeal, she actually stopped walking and would only crawl on the ground because she had such low energy levels and her muscles were so weak. Poor thing. Breaks my heart thinking about it. Her pediatrician categorized her in the "failure to thrive" category and blood work and lab panels were immediately drawn. Lab results sent us all over the greater Sacramento area seeing specialists after specialist. After a visit with the pediatric endocrinologist, the pediatric gastroenterologist, and then an endoscopy and colonscopy - we received our diagnosis via biopsy results taken from her surgery. Celiac disease. Celiac disease is a digestive condition triggered by consumption of the protein gluten (foods containing wheat, barley, oats, or rye). People with celiac disease who eat foods containing gluten experience an immune reaction in their small intestines, causing damage to the inner surface of the small intestine and an inability to absorb certain nutrients. Celiac disease can cause abdominal pain and diarrhea. Eventually, the decreased absorption of nutrients (malabsorption) that occurs with celiac disease can cause vitamin deficiencies that deprive your brain, peripheral nervous system, bones, liver and other organs of vital nourishment. No treatment can cure celiac disease. However, you can effectively manage celiac disease by changing your diet. As a result of her celiac and the complications it caused, she was also diagnosed with thyroid problems and a skin condition. We have follow-up appointments with specialists here in the Denver, CO area in the next few weeks to check on her progress and get more lab tests to check and compare labs. I am here to say, we've been gluten free in our house for about one month now. Our grocery bill has increased drastically, but the switch in diet has been remarkable. We are blessed something as simple as a change in diet can help our little one get back on her feet.