She would get a tummyache whenever she ate anything with fat in it, (which took quite a while to figure out on our part). Sometimes she'd get downright nauseous, and apple cider vinegar was the only thing that made her feel better.

Curiously she didn't have pain with the consumption of gluten, only fat. That's why the disease is so hard to diagnose. The symptoms are as humongously varied as - Iodine DEFICIENCY! (I'll get to that). Our doctor felt her abdomen and said her gallbladder was "mushy" feeling which meant it wasn't working properly. Our doctor didn't suggest she get tested for celiac...didn't think there was a need. I already had a sister diagnosed with Celiac Disease and this was the straw that broke MY back to finally have us tested. CD is genetic and my sis had been trying to convince us to get tested for two years at that point, anyway. And, gallbladder trouble is a very common problem in undiagnosed celiacs.

We promised our daughter she didn't need a needle, as I already knew of a doctor that tested for diseases of the intestines (Kenneth Fine MD) through his lab in Texas. I met him giving a talk on gluten intolerance at one of my sister's support meetings. I sent for two "stool-checking kits". Yep, we were both gluten-intolerant!

My daughter was already on a low-fat diet per our doctor, and after her gluten intolerance diagnosis, we went gluten-free as well. She not only stopped having pain, but she was able to return to eating fats. Whole organic milk, butter, peanut butter, hot dogs...nothing bothered her tummy anymore.

HOWEVER, as much as the gluten-free diet helped us, I always KNEW in the back of my mind, that there was something else. The CD diagnosis was NEVER the "end-all-cure-all" of our whoas and ills.

I get the chills when I see all the problems associated with Iodine deficiency. They are associated with gluten-intolerance as well!

I wish I could be there when my sister realizes that there's something even more simple than what we've already learned!