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Hi!

        This List has been very informative and it is helps to know that so
many other people share CD.

        I've been a celiac all my life.  I had CD when I was
an infant..couldn't drink cow's milk..was in recession except for a few
symptoms throughout my teenage years as well as my 20s and 30s (I thought it
was the flu)...in my 40's I went from 135 lbs. to 98 lbs (I looked like the
walking dead)..had all the usual symptoms w/stools, badly swollen from the
waist down, was losing hair..had a ravenous appetite(but it went right
through me), perspired heavily when eating, legs ached, hands went in to
rigidity (with an effort I straigtened them)..I felt like a skeleton and
looked liked one, too.

        In 1989, I went from doctor to doctor and after a series of tests,
they still did not know what was wrong.  Finally, I found a doctor at MCV,
Richmond, VA, and after a series of tests was diagnosed with CD.  He built me
up slowly with calcium, iron, potassiam, etc. and introduced me to the
special gluten-free diet.  Since then, I have gained my weight back.
However, every once in a while if I get something in my food, I shouldn't
have, I have a reaction.

        To the best of our knowledge, there was no one in our family that had
CD.  However, my husband and I took a trip in 1992 to Finland and Ireland to
visit relatives.  The Irish relatives knew all about CD and it seemed to be
quite common there.  I did all right, but watched everything I ate.  No
re-actions.  The Finish relatives had not heard of CD, but I could not even
have milk in my coffee without having a reaction!  I stuck mainly to seafood.

        Thanks for letting me share my experience with the List members.

Connie in Virginia
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