Elizabeth’s Story

Elizabeth McDonald, 39, is a learning support helper, and she’s married to David, a 41-year-old school janitor. They live in Nairn, Scotland with their 3 children, Lee 15, Dayne 13, and Jamie 9.


In January 2003, after ten years of unexplained symptoms, Dayne was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Two months later, Elizabeth was also diagnosed with the condition.

Elizabeth says: “Dayne started being ill from the age of 3. He suffered terrible migraines, which left him very lethargic and often physically sick. All sorts of terrible thoughts went through our minds. We seriously wondered if he had some sort of tumor.

He then developed chronic diarrhea and would often be doubled up in pain with stomach cramps. At other times he couldn’t stand bright lights so we worried he had meningitis.

We noticed Dayne reacted after certain types of food, so we cut out fizzy drinks and sweets that contained food colorings, but the headaches continued. We went backwards and forwards to the doctor but we always ended up with medication for migraines. We never got to the cause of the problem. My husband and I knew something was wrong with Dayne and we were desperate for the answer.

When Dayne started secondary school last year (2002), he decided to take raw sugar out of his diet. He was looking for reasons to explain why he felt so terrible. He’d been moody, tearful and his joints were so achy. He was worn out all weekend after a week at school and the weight was falling off him. We were incredibly worried. When we saw bruises on his ribs, we even started to think he had leukemia.

In December 2002, Dayne was referred to a pediatrician at Ragimore Hospital in Innverness, where he had blood tests. We were given a preliminary diagnosis of stress, but when the blood tests came back, they told us Dayne had celiac disease.

A biopsy in January 2003 confirmed the diagnosis. We cut all gluten from his diet, all the obvious things like bread, as well as food gluten is hidden in, like sweets, gravy and batter. The change in Dayne has been amazing. He’s sporty, has put in weight and is like a different child. It was such a huge relief to have a diagnosis after 10 years of worrying.

Meanwhile, I’d been suffering since having a pelvic floor repair operation seven years earlier. I’d caught an infection and was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome and suffered such breathlessness I worried I may have a heart attack.

When Dayne was diagnosed as Celiac, the doctors suggested the whole family was tested. My blood tests came back positive and a biopsy in March confirmed this. As soon as I cut out gluten, my health improved drastically. Now if I eat anything that contains gluten by mistake, my joints get sore, my eyes swell up and I get a rash, as well as breathlessness.

Being diagnosed with Celiac disease was a blessing for us because we can do something to prevent these symptoms. Dayne always jokes “he was sent to save me!”

________________________________________

If you would like to share your own story with us, please use the comments box below or contact me at: support@glutenreview.com