5 Reasons Why a Celiac Diagnosis is Not As Bad as You Think

That celiac diagnosis can be a shocker.  Many people haven’t even heard of celiac when it comes across their doctor’s lips.  That definitely was the case when my daughter was diagnosed.  And just yesterday I read New York Times Best Selling Author Jason Wright’s diagnosis story (which is a good read by the way) and he hadn’t heard of it either.

When you are told you have a disease and you’ll have it the rest of your life it impacts you, some differently than others.  Whether you are a veteran, or have just been diagnosed with celiac, you can have moments of furstration with  the only treatment: a gluten free diet.  The diet can be very inconvenient when you can’t have the food you crave, feeding your child is a challenge or dining out is more difficult.  Here is a quick reminder to help put it all into perspective.

Why a celiac diagnosis is not as bad as you think

5. Treatment can happen as quickly as soon as you get your celiac diagnosis and you start the gluten free diet.  You can start feeling better as early as a few days or a week.

4. Maybe you always knew you need to overhaul your eating habits to make them healthier.  Use the diagnosis as an opportunity to make changes to your diet beyond the gluten free requirement. It might be time to push yourself to eat more fruits and vegetables.

3. If there is a misstep in treatment (aka getting “glutened”), most people with celiac know it right away and can correct the problem!  If you suddenly get symptoms again, you know something is not right and can fix it.

2. You got the diagnosis!  The majority (97%*) of people with celiac disease in the United States have no idea they have it and many of them are walking around in this world feeling crummy and don’t know why.  The average amount of time it takes for a symptomatic person to get a diagnosis is 4 years*. Be happy you are no longer in that undiagnosed group and you are moving forward treating your celiac disease.

1.  In most cases, a strict gluten free diet heals your gut and allows your celiac symptoms to subside. No medicine, no therapy…just the gluten free diet helps in treating celiac disease!

What are some positive thoughts you have about celiac disease?  Share them in the comments below!

*Source:  University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center’s Celiac Disease Facts and Figures

If you are newly diagnosed with celiac disease, check out my free e-book The First 30 Days Gluten Free.  It is a quick read that will give you the basic information you need to kick start your gluten free diet.

Tags: celiac, diagnosis, diet, gluten-free, therapy, treatment