INSPO Fitness Journal July 2017

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The challenges of COELIAC I was in my early 40s and steadily getting sicker. I used to wake up tired and my body ached. My head was foggy and my memory was non-existent. BY MAREE LYNCH I struggled to go to work each day as a primary teacher; sometimes I couldn’t focus across the classroom or remember a child’s name. I actually couldn’t do my job. I was missing out doing things with my two children as I was constantly exhausted. I used to ride and compete in dressage, but each morning getting out of bed I could feel every riding muscle like I was someone not used to this kind of activity. Sometimes I would have to slide off my horse’s shoulder to dismount, doing everything I could not to land in a heap at my horse’s feet. I’m not sure how I kept riding but I think it kept me feeling a little bit normal. I certainly wasn’t very effective or any good. I was having serious issues with different joints, particularly my knees. My GP diagnosed me with fibromyalgia and more or less told me that was my lot and I might need to consider giving up horses. It wasn’t until I was seeing a locum physio for a sore knee when it occurred to me there was something else going on. The physio told me I needed to get off the couch and get active as I had the muscle tone of an inactive 60-year-old. I was insulted. I left angry. But it got me thinking. I was still active, I had pushed through the pain and kept on my feet and doing things. I had never stayed in bed or lay on the couch. My husband and I decided I needed to take a year off to try and sort out my health issues. Back to my GP I went. I had loads of blood tests and was booked in for Multiple Sclerosis tests as this was considered a possible. The blood results included an tTG which is the coeliac test. This came back positive. I was booked in for the coeliac biopsy the afternoon after my MS tests. I was ignorant about coeliac disease so turned to Dr Google. I skim-read various articles and was quite convinced I didn’t have it. The focus was all to do with stomach complaints and I didn’t think I fitted the mould. I was wrong. My biopsy was positive. Having coeliac disease was the reason for my poor health. I had coeliac disease. I knew nothing about it except it had something to do with bread. I was about to start a very steep learning curve. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder. There are no pills to fix it. However, it is completely manageable by being strictly 100 percent gluten free. But this is way harder than you might think. Gluten is everywhere. It took me more than a year and a complete change in my diet, to start feeling well and regain some energy. And even now I am finding out more about being a coeliac all the time. I still find gluten in places I would never expect. Most of the time I am positive and up-beat about being a coeliac, but every now and then I get totally frustrated and have a poor-me moment. My frustration comes mostly from other people’s ignorance and flippant comments. This time last year I missed watching my daughter’s dance show in Tauranga because of an error by a chef in a local cafe. Instead I spent two hours lying on the filthy floor of the only toilet in a rural service station waiting for an ambulance and someone to come and get me. I was dressed to the nines in my little black cocktail dress and heels. Not a pretty picture with violent D and V. Earlier in the day I had confidently purchased a savoury quiche-type thing from a cafe that prides itself on catering for coeliacs. Unfortunately for me, the chef had used regular flour instead of rice flour. I only took one bite as it tasted awful. In retrospect, it was likely the gluten I could taste. I was very sick and had to take a week off work. It took nearly a month to get my energy back. It only takes 1/64 of a teaspoon of gluten to cause a reaction like this. Only one other time have I been worse and it was on an international flight. Incredibly distressing and embarrassing to have such a public reaction and pretty awful for the people I was travelling with as well. Coeliacs who ingest gluten have 50 percent more chance of getting bowel cancer. Every little smidgen of gluten ,even a bread crumb in the butter or on a knife damages a coeliac’s insides. That is why coeliacs are so fussy. We are not picky for the sake of being picky. We are particular so we can be happy and healthy. For me as a coeliac, traveling and eating out are the most stressful areas of concern. Every mouthful of food prepared by a stranger just might be the one to ruin your good time. I realised when we recently holidayed in Australia that the first thing I check 40 <strong>INSPO</strong> – FITNESS JOURNAL JULY <strong>2017</strong>
out in each accommodation is the bathroom floor. Is it clean? Is there room for me in a foetal position? Going out for a meal is like walking through a minefield. Usually I return to the same place repeatedly when I stay somewhere, to avoid the stress of asking a million questions and scrutinising new kitchens before taking a mouthful. As a coeliac you can never let your guard down. Every mouthful counts. Grocery shopping! Aaarrrggghhhh! I have to psych myself up to go to the supermarket. It is always such a mission. Every label needs to be read. Just because something was gluten free last week doesn’t mean it is today, unless it has the crossed wheat symbol of course. There are many grocery items which could be gluten free, but which contain gluten. I even got home with a fresh whole chicken once, only to find a ‘contains gluten’ label on the back. Things like instant coffee and spices often have gluten in them as well. Eating gluten free is expensive. Here are a few compared prices. • White bread $2.20 • GF white bread $7.40 • Cornflakes Skippy 300 grams $2.79 • GF cornflakes 325 grams $7.39 • Penne pasta 500 grams $2.20 • GF penne pasta 250 grams $4.49 • Gingernut biscuits $3 • GF gingernuts $5.40 Thank goodness wine is gluten free! Hidden gluten. This is the really hard bit. Gluten turns up in the strangest places. I’ve been diagnosed for seven years and am still finding out where gluten could be hiding. I asked on the Coeliac Disease NZ FB page for sources of hidden gluten to add to my list. Some brands of the products below are gluten free and some aren’t. Here we go.... toothpaste, medicines, shampoo, skin products, makeup, jelly crystals, envelopes you lick
Page 1 and 2: Waikato Edition JULY 2017 Fitness J
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTS JULY 2017 On the cover 8 C
Page 5 and 6: Looking to buy... SCRAP GOLD ANY CO
Page 7 and 8: FUTURE’S SO BRIGHT... If you want
Page 9 and 10: Local and accessible isn’t theref
Page 11 and 12: Photos by Gareth Jones For more inf
Page 13 and 14: Raglan MTB Track: Raglan has an awe
Page 15 and 16: do something that is going to make
Page 17 and 18: cause you to avoid social situation
Page 19 and 20: DON’T DO Engage the shoulder and
Page 21 and 22: mind and body working together. I s
Page 23 and 24: 4 4. Warrior 3 pose - Virabhadrasan
Page 25 and 26: Happy body - HAPPY LIFE When it com
Page 27 and 28: Lodge Cheers to Champions Advert OC
Page 29 and 30: BOOK CORNER Take some time out to e
Page 31 and 32: All of this is doubly true for wome
Page 33 and 34: Have you considered exercising IN W
Page 35 and 36: IS YOUR LEAKY BLADDER LIMITING YOUR
Page 37 and 38: BEAUTY SPOT This is Neat When it co
Page 39: ask how you are today or when you t
Page 43 and 44: WIN Treat your palate to a tasty tr
Page 45 and 46: GROW your own food Whether you enjo
Page 47 and 48: The Out and About photos are also p
Page 49 and 50: Raise your hand if you think sunshi
Page 51 and 52: Part of the family for over 40 New

INSPO Fitness Journal July 2017

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