Victoria Television Group 3808 N. Navarro
Victoria, TX 77901
Phone: 361 575-2500
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Celiac Disease
Written by Lacey Harris
Monday, 22 October 2007
GLUTEN-FREE PANCAKES MAY NOT SOUND VERY APPETIZING, BUT 8 YEAR-OLD SMITH BROOKHART LOVES THEM.
GOOD THING...BECAUSE SMITH AND HIS MOTHER HAVE CELIAC DISEASE. THEY CAN'T TOLERATE ANYTHING WITH THE GLUTEN PROTEIN FOUND IN WHEAT, RYE AND BARLEY.
At first it was completely overwhelming and almost paralyzing in the kitchen.
OLD EATING HABITS CHANGED QUICKLY FOR VIRGINIA WHEN SHE LEARNED FROM HER DOCTOR THAT CELIAC IS A DIGESTIVE DISEASE THAT DAMAGES THE SMALL INTESTINE AND INTERFERES WITH ABSORPTION OF NUTRIENTS.
Celiac is not an allergy, it's not a food intolerance, it's an auto-immune illness.
GASTROENTEROLOGIST CYNTHIA RUDERT SAYS CELIAC PATIENTS OFTEN GO UNDIAGNOSED FOR YEARS.
They languish under other misdiagnoses, commonly irritable bowel syndrome, spastic colon.
CELIAC RUNS IN FAMILIES AND IS INITIALLY DETECTED THROUGH A BLOOD TEST.
THERE IS NO CURE AND THE ONLY TREATMENT IS TO AVOID GLUTEN.
Gluten is in breads, cereals, soups, sauces, pizza and even medication.
FOR VIRGINIA, THAT MEANS A LIFETIME OF SCRUTINIZING LABELS.
