From the time she was 15, Jana S. of Los Angeles, California was anemic. But it wasn't until the age of 27 when she lost her first pregnancy at eight months that she knew something was terribly wrong. During her second pregnancy, doctors monitored her closely. Her labor was induced at eight months due to fetal distress. She delivered a healthy baby girl, but Jana was anything but healthy.
"Two back to back pregnancies, and my system was completely depleted", recalls Jana. Not only was she iron-deficient, but Jana was constantly fighting unbearable fatigue. She had frequent sore throats, fevers, sinus infections and flu-like achiness. Her doctors diagnosed her with Lupus. Her medications never seemed to help, nor did any other treatment. Finally, her rheumatologist suggested testing her for celiac disease. She had never heard of the condition, but the test was positive and Jana, then 40, switched to a gluten-free diet. The achiness, sore throats and fevers quickly disappeared, as did the signs of Lupus in her blood. Her constant fatigue and anemia were also gone.
Studies show that most celiac patients go undiagnosed for an average of 9 years and see at least four doctors before diagnosis. If celiac disease is left untreated, damage to the small bowel can be chronic and life threatening.
Celiac Disease affects 1 in 133 yet 97% remain undiagnosed. CDF continues to raise awareness to help increase the rate of diagnosis and eliminate years of needless suffering!
