At the age of 4, she knew something wasn’t right. Initially, she was told she was anemic and needed more iron in her body. Symptoms worsened, and it got so bad that her body wasn’t growing properly and she needed leg braces and physical therapy to help her walk. Her body just kept deteriorating and eventually, as just a kid, she was already saying her goodbyes to family members and friends; she was prepared to die. Imagine suffering for many years before being diagnosed with a chronic illness, and told that there is no cure for the disease that has already burdened you for all this time. Yes, there are treatments and medications for most illnesses, yet these medications are extremely costly and the costs can add up quickly. Desiree Ferrandi, a 50-year-old female who I had the pleasure to meet and interview, is 1 out of the about 3 million people in the world suffering from Celiac Disease. Celiac Disease is just one out of the many chronic illnesses that affect nearly 3 million people in America. It is a disorder that can lead to intestine damage if gluten is ingested. A strict, gluten-free diet is the only current treatment. Celiac, like other chronic illnesses, not only affects the health and body of someone, but it affects all aspects of one’s …show more content…
It wasn’t until 25 years later (29 years old), that she was finally diagnosed with Celiac Disease. With concerned eyes, she mentioned, “The doctor basically told me I had Celiac Disease and that I couldn’t have gluten. I didn’t know anything else and I didn’t know anyone who was suffering me.” Not knowing about the disease caused her to worry and it was very overwhelming at first. Yet, she was able to find some solace through a support group out of Rockland County, which she attended once a week. This, along with the support from her family, helped Desiree look at her illness with a positive attitude, instead of with grief and
She was diagnosed in 1990, when the disease was not well known. She describes how her mother went to great lengths to ensure her baby girl’s safety in a gluten filled world. Support groups, meetings, and more, Keegan expresses how what her mother accomplished in the community, impressed her. Though what her mother did impressed her as she got older, growing up her mother’s efforts embarrassed her. Brining an extra cone to her elementary school so she could have ice cream, baking 3 separate gluten free pies for her every thanksgiving, and every Halloween calling all of the neighbors to ensure they had candy safe for her to eat. It was the attention her disease drew to her that she
Celiac disease seems to be on an up rise today. You now walk into grocery stores and restaurants and see gluten-free food everywhere. Thankfully, for the celiac disease community, life has become a little easier with these accommodations. When most people hear celiac disease many just think gluten-free diets, but they do not realize that celiac disease can affect all parts of the body and mind, or that the disease has a higher prevalence in women. It is a new lifestyle that many have to take on. In the next few pages, I will discuss the affects that this disease has on the body systems, the lifestyle changes many make when diagnosed with celiac disease, and the importance of educating those who are dealing with the disease on a day to day basis. I also will discuss information from two articles which focus in on the direct affects that the disease takes on women living with it, and the lifestyle changes that are necessary to manage the symptoms.
As if the disease wasn’t bad enough already the current treatment options just treat the symptoms and do nothing to actually help cure the disease.
As a celiacs daughter I quickly adapted the “gluten free” life style out of convenience for my mother. I would even find myself going to restaurants asking for the gluten free menu and strictly sticking to the diet in and out of my household. I was aware that I was lacking some nutrients by not eating gluten but to make up for it I took vitamin D pills and everyday women health vitamins but little did I know that was not enough to keep me healthy. I was not aware of the risks I was putting myself at by eliminating a whole category of food. I was lacking my body of calcium, fibre and iron as well as other nutrients.
Of the suggestions, an adoption of the gluten-free diet has made its way to the top of the list. The gluten-free diet has shown tremendous improvements in overall quality of life for people with fibromyalgia. Usually, the gluten free diet is suggested for people who have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease. What had been brought to light is that symptoms that typically spawn with Fibromyalgia also spawn with Celiac Disease. Thus, an idea was born to test the adoption of the gluten-free diet in those who have fibromyalgia. A study published in the journal of Rheumatology International discovered that a gluten-free diet produced drastic improvements in symptoms that occurred with Fibromyalgia. Patients reported that they were able to fully return back to normal activity and work. Other reported that they were able to completely stop taking their prescribed medication with no undue stress. Many explained that they went into total remission and had no symptoms return while adhering to the Gluten-free diet. Most of the subjects reported a combination of two or all three discoveries. A select few tried to ease gluten back into their regular meals. Instantly, symptoms returned and did not disappear until those individuals reincorporated the gluten-free diet into their lives once
In Modern America, there is a trend going around affluent, white families to ditch gluten. The idea is that by going gluten free, your consumption of food is automatically healthier. Dr. Norelle R. Reilly goes through all the possible reasons for those going on a gluten-free diet and the problems involved. She begins by giving the reader statistics according to, “‘The Hartman Group’s Health & Wellness 2015 and Organic & Natural 2014’ Reports.” According to these findings, the most common answer to why a person went gluten-free was, “no reason”, second to, “healthier option.” Later in the article, Reilly discusses fact vs. fiction of reasons to gluten-free. In the paragraph titled, “Fiction: The GFD (gluten-free diet) is a healthy lifestyle
She began to take her own life from an early age, as young as ten years old. She attempted then to take her own life, though she believes that
She is young and beautiful, “the three women spent their days and night in adoring the young girl; in watching the movements of her sweet spirit in the mirror of her face; in refreshing their souls with the vision of her bloom and beauty; in listening to the music of her voice.” (Twain 1). She was once a loving kid who had strong relationships and a healthy body. Sadly, she caught her mother's disease and became ill to the disease Typhoid leaving her bedridden.Which eventually worsens and leaves her in a near comatose state.
This article is focused around Celiac Disease and how the autoimmune disorder affects athletes that suffer from this disease. This article goes over several difficulties that come along with Celiac Disease (CD) such as, Etiology, exercise prescription, and diet management. The purpose of this article is to inform athletes with CD and even healthcare professionals that sometimes the signs are not clear and professionals have to take the correct steps and test to find the appropriate solution. The summary of this article would have to be that the number of CD cases are increasing rapidly throughout the United States. And with the rapid growth of athletes with CD, healthcare professionals had to become more educated with this disease because it was so hard to spot in individuals.
When we first found out that I had Celiac Disease, we had a hard time adjusting. None of my family knew what gluten was until then. We heard about thing like cross contamination or even that I couldn’t be in the same room that flour is being used. Slowly, we learned how to accommodate for my needs. We went to a dietitian who showed us how to spot foods that had gluten in it. We also found out that the grocery store Reasor’s labels food that is gluten free. After a couple of years, it became easy for us to find foods and drinks that did not have any gluten in
Not all pain and suffering can be fixed with medication. With all medication there are side effects that could make the illness worse than it already is. Doctors try to do
It was something that ran in the family, and it was what had killed her mother only a year and a half ago. It was difficult to think that it was the only thing she had left of her mother: pancreatic cancer.
Improved drugs can result in improved treatment; however drugs are expensive and there are concerns about over-medication and the influence of drug companies upon the healthcare system
Why focus on treatment instead of finding a cure? It is simple; there is in profit in finding a cure for cancer. Desperate and eager to live, the typical cancer patient spends about $50,000 fighting the disease. Chemotherapy drugs are among the most expensive of all treatments, many ranging from $3,000 to $7,000 for a one-month supply. If the cancer industry allows a cure, then their patient base goes away (Dr. Mercola, D. (2011, January 1). Cancer: Forbidden Cures | Natural Cancer Treatment. Retrieved February 26, 2015, from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/03/natural-cancer-treatment.aspx.) It makes more
In light of CASL's second year anniversary, and the impending threat of civil actions for any violations starting July 1st, 2017, itracMarketer had the exclusive opportunity of interviewing Fazila Nurani, one of the Canada's top privacy and information security lawyers, and the founder of PRIVATECH – a privacy compliance and solutions company. Fazila has extensive experience working in both public and private sectors as a consultant and CASL training expert, and has offered great insight about the current state of the anti-spam legislation leading up to the end of the transitional period.