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This is my first post and I wanted it to serve as a note of encouragement
for those who have recently discovered their intolerance for wheat and
gluten.  I am 42 years old and suffered from gluten intolerance for 25
years or longer before I finally figured it out in October 2000.  Had it
not been for the Internet, my illness might still be a mystery.  And were
it not for the many valuable contributions to this listserv, I doubt I
could have resolved all my food issues so quickly.  So a word of thanks at
this time of Thanksgiving to the listserv owners and to the many of you who
have contributed to this invaluable resource.

I will give a brief history of my symptoms, as perhaps some or many will be
able to relate similar experiences.  I have had allergies (non-food) and
asthma since early childhood.  When I was about 18, I discovered that I
could no longer drink milk due to bloating and flatulence.  At about the
same time, I began to experience eczema on my hands.  I also started to
experience lightheadedness and dizziness.  I thought at the time that this
dizziness was related to when I consumed food, but never associated it with
what in particular I was eating.  I did mention this to the doctor, and he
ran a glucose fasting test (for diabetes/hypoglycemia?), and the results
were negative.  I do recall that at that time I liked to have SHREDDED
WHEAT for breakfast!  Well, the doctor basically said I was fine and seemed
to imply it was all in my head.

Fast forward about 20 years to age 39.  By then I was experiencing
heartburn every day, and should have bought stock in the maker of Zantac,
considering all the profit they made on me!  Although I worked out a lot, I
was about 25 pounds overweight.  I decided to improve my diet.  I went to a
low-fat vegetarian diet and the reading materials I consulted suggested an
increase in fiber and GRAIN intake.  So I started each day off with either
a couple bowls of oatmeal or whole wheat farina.  Soon a whole host of
neurological problems either began or exacerbated - dizziness, brain fog,
inability to focus, problems thinking, memory lapses, slowed reaction
times, stomach and leg twitching, pain in extremities, fatigue (despite
aggressive mountain biking and other conditioning), and more.  One night I
was very bloated, but couldn't think of anything I had eaten that would
have caused it.  I thought back on what I had eaten at each meal - WHEAT!
So I punched "wheat allergy" into a search engine and was dumbfounded when
I noted "celiac disease" and further mention of associated neurological
symptoms.

I immediately removed gluten from my diet.  The dizziness and indigestion
improved immediately, and most of the other neurological symptoms also
quickly improved.  I had a blood test the following week, but it was
negative.  That didn't matter to me, and I told my doctor as much, for the
exclusion diet had told me more than enough.  I did have some vertigo for a
few weeks about 6 weeks after going GF.  Other than that, my health has
CONTINUALLY IMPROVED.

My eczema has completely cleared.  My allergies and asthma were only about
one-tenth as bad this year as they were last  year.  For the first time in
my life, I can actually breathe through my nose and both nasal passages are
clear.  My senses of smell and taste are noticeably improved.  And my
memory, not just for things on my "to-do" list, but also of events and
people in my life has come back in a way that would be hard to describe.
My weight is where it should be for the first time since I was 18
(attributable to both a healthy/correct diet and lots of exercise).

For those of you in need of encouragement, becoming GF made a huge
difference for me.  Sure, I miss some things I used to eat.  But I feel
great!  And I am still improving.  Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Todd Zerin