Ellen WIlcox

Topics discussed:

Common adult symptoms
Finding gluten-free food
Eating in restaurants

Video Text

Well if you put all of my symptoms together, happening at the same time, which is: Not being able to stay awake in important meetings and such, going to the bathroom – running to the bathroom every 45 minutes to urinate because my bladder was so irritated, vomiting if I ate something wrong, feeling nauseous all the time anyway -- did effect my life and the decisions I made. I didn’t get depressed, and I knew that there are so many people who have worse problems than me, and who were sicker than I was, but it did change how I lived my life.

It’s really hard to describe -- at age 43! -- to be told that all these things that have plagued me my whole life were all connected. It’s extremely hard to describe. But I was really disturbed by it. I was relieved, to now have a diagnosis, to have something that I could do about it that was really so easy to do, but you do look back at the 43 years and think, “I suffered with all this for so long” and also think, “What other worse things might have happened to me that I know happened to other people?”

The diagnosis of Celiac Disease does follow you through the day everyday. You don’t ever forget about it. Because you’re surrounded by food and you need to eat every day. Traveling is always something on your mind and going out to eat at a restaurant is always an event. But I’ve gotten better at it. You call – I learn what restaurants are friendly to Celiacs. I always call ahead to the restaurant and speak with them and ask to speak with the kitchen staff and have very good experiences.

I’m Ellen Wilcox and I’m living my life with Celiac Disease.