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Small talk with a wheat farmer’s wife was a conversation of a lifetime because it changed my life. We were both vendors at the Farm Festival, attended the same Lutheran Church, and I was in Bible Study with her grandma. Some of her custom wall art graced my vintage windows and when we had a little lull between customers, we caught up on each others lives. This young mama told me how she had been misdiagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, given wheat hoppers full of prescriptions, then much later tested positive for celiac disease. When she stopped eating gluten (wheat, barley, and rye) her symptoms were gone. She said she felt amazing. That diagnosis had reclaimed her life. Oh, the irony that a durum wheat farmer’s wife can’t eat pasta. As she clicked off her former symptoms, I was hearing my current symptoms. For years and years I had battled severe, uncomfortable, bothersome digestive issues, and immobilizing joint and muscle pain. My brain felt foggy and I was struggling with the family business bookkeeping. Hubby thought North Dakota was killing me and threatened to take me back to Texas. I was a mess.
When she turned away to help a customer, I immediately googled celiac disease on my smart phone. From the Celiac Disease Foundation, I found that “Celiac disease is a serious autoimmune disorder that can occur in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. It is estimated to affect 1 in 100 people worldwide. Two and one-half million Americans are undiagnosed and are at risk for long-term health complications.” I learned that there are more than 200 symptoms associated with celiac disease.
I was sold. I was convinced. I was persuaded. I did not make an appointment with my small town North Dakota doctor. I just made the decision right there in the Farm Festival Building to be gluten free. No more hot buttered homemade bread on cold winter days. No more No more crackers to stuff down the acid. No more cobblers, cakes, cookies, chicken fried steaks, gravy, or hamburgers. No more. No mas. None. Nada. I stopped all gluten cold turkey. Period.
I do not have an official diagnosis, but within a couple of weeks I was off the couch and off pain meds. I was back walking to the Post Office and church. I was getting a life back. I was reclaiming my life and being restored.
My hope for this little blog, is to inspire folks like me and the wheat farmer’s wife to reclaim their lives too.
Have a great life, y’all and stay tuned for more healthy living!
