פֿאַרעפֿנטלעכט: 17.02.2017
For many a hindrance - for us an adventure - our celiac disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease, you must not consume the gluten protein, not even a little bit or a trace - even that harms the body and can lead to colon cancer. That is why a strict gluten-free diet is very important!
If you want to know more about celiac disease, you can find information at the German Celiac Society, for example at http://www.dzg-online.de/
For us, it will be an exciting adventure to see how people in other countries live with it. It will certainly not always be easy, as you can't just go to the bakery for a quick snack, but it's no different in Germany either. So far, we have always survived our trips well and enjoyed delicious food, and besides, Australia is said to be a paradise for celiacs and in Asia (our layovers) there is plenty of rice, vegetables, and meat/fish! Be curious about what we will find to eat - we certainly are ;)
If you want to know how we came to have celiac disease, just keep reading....
On July 12, 2002, my parents told me that after many doctor's visits and a small intestine biopsy at the hospital, I have to be careful with what I eat. I can only eat what they allow me to - I have celiac disease! I quickly learned what is allowed and what is not, I finally gained weight and grew. With the great support of my parents, family, and friends, I rarely had moments when I felt bad or had to do without something.
On our second date, Patrick offered me a cookie, I said no thank you, I can't eat that. He couldn't believe it, how can someone not be able to eat a cookie, and wanted to know every single detail, he had never heard of such a thing! From that day on, there were only gluten-free snacks, he made immense efforts.
In early 2014, Patrick started feeling bad, he lost more and more weight - so he was sent from doctor to doctor and received various diagnoses. Until the end of June, he was kept in the hospital after an examination by the thyroid doctor - his intestines had shifted and twisted - he had to undergo surgeries. As it is inexplicable for the doctors how something like this can happen to a young person, he had to stay - with the statement that since they don't know what's wrong, it is possible that he won't leave the hospital alive. Our world collapsed! I decided to do my own research and had a suspicion - Patrick has celiac disease! After many attempts to convince the doctors to do a test, Patrick finally received his diagnosis on July 11. So, he was free again on July 12, 2014, and was able to quickly gain back the lost 20 kg through his gluten-free diet :) Since Patrick already knew exactly what to consider, the switch was no problem.
Since then, we have been happily living together in our gluten-free apartment, and our journey begins in a few days :)