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> Here are my feelings, Ill lay them on the line, tho Im sure alot of people
> will disagree.
>
> I do not like being called a celiac or hear the word celiac disease.  I
> prefer to call it a gluten intolerance, when I hear the word celiac used
> to refer to me personally it makes me feel like a disease, not a person.
 
Hi Janet. I respect your feelings, and I do agree with you that this is a
personal thing, but I take a different view point.  I have celiac sprue
disease. I *am* a celiac.  I want people to know that.  I use the term
allergy mainly trying not to be dramatic, but when necessary, I use the
more appropriate term that gluten is a poison to my body. Sometimes
it takes the words "disease" and "poison" to get some (not many)
people to understand why I can't eat something.  All they understand is
outward reaction, not inward destruction.  No matter what you call it, I
still have it and will always have it. I have never been one to try to
downplay a condition with a more "politically correct" term. The other
reason I like being called a "Celiac" or having celiac disease, it is
seems to get people to ask more questions than "gluten-intolerance".
This allows me to educate more people, of which I'm always in favor.
 
Anyway, you can call me a "celiac" or "divorced" or any other label that
viably applies, just don't make assumptions about who I am as a person
based on these labels is all I ask.
 
ben in Conn.  [Go Huskies!]