Against the Grain

Support Group formed to help Celiac and Gluten-intolerant individuals

A new support organization, called “IF Celiac” has formed and the first meeting will be in September.

Amy Lientz, one of the people organizing the group, understands the need for such a group.

AMY LIENTZ

She remembers her first day grocery shopping after being diagnosed with Celiac disease. “I literally cried. Every label I read contained wheat. I felt completely helpless.” Now she wants to help make it easier on others suffering from the same problem.

Amy is one of the estimated 3% in the US that has Celiac disease, a chronic, inherited disease in which the body cannot tolerate the gluten found in wheat, barley, and rye.

Celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune condition in which a person’s intolerance to the gluten protein triggers an immune-system response that damages the villi of the small intestine. The villi are the small fingerlike projections that are responsible for absorbing the vitamins, minerals and nutrients out of food. When a person with Celiac Disease ingests gluten, these villi become more and more damaged – over time, becoming flattened. When flattened the body can not absorb the nutrients it needs to function. 

There is no cure. The only treatment for Celiac disease is a strict and lifelong gluten-free diet. People with Celiac have to be careful of cross contamination, and must use their own butter, toasters, etc. to avoid crumbs and particles from bread and other harmful foods.

Many franchise restaurants, like Outback Steakhouse and PF Changs, offer gluten-free or "Celiac-friendly" menus. Locally, the Collage takes pride in serving Celiac-friendly dishes. Also local specialty stores such as the Wealth of Health and the Eagle Rock Co-op carry a variety gluten-free products.

Cheating is not an option on this diet. Most people with Celiac disease do not want to cheat because one speck of bread makes them feel badly. If left untreated Celiac can cause infertility, intestinal lymphoma, colorectal cancers, gall-bladder malfunction, life-threatening changes to the small bowel, pancreatic insufficiency, vitamin deficiency and both neurological and cognitive complications. Due to the combination of it being both an autoimmune disease and a condition of malnourishment, Celiac can affect patients on the digestive, hormonal, metabolic and neurological levels. 

Common symptoms of Celiac are of a gastrointestinal nature – bloating, nausea, vomiting, irregular bowel movements, reflux and diarrhea. Sometimes, it can be misdiagnosed as or come along with IBS and other gastrointestinal disorders.

“I hugged Dr. Hendrix when he told my I was Celiac. He told me no one hugged him when given this news, but I finally knew what I had and what I could do about it. I just wanted to feel better,” Amy said.

To diagnose celiac disease, doctors like Dr. Hendrix at Teton Gastroenterology, will conduct a blood test. If blood tests and symptoms suggest celiac disease, a biopsy of the small intestine is performed to confirm the diagnosis. During the biopsy, the doctor removes tiny pieces of tissue from the small intestine to check for damage to the villi.

"Getting the diagnosis is only the first step; implementing a new diet plan is the hard part. I spent hours and hours researching on the internet, but if there would have been a support group it would have made my adjustment easier.”

And making it easier for others with the disease is what Amy and a few others are setting out to do (date, time, and location to be determined).  Those interested in more information on this organization and obtaining meeting notices, are encouraged to email their contact information to Amy at  amylientz@hotmail.com.

_{Posted on Jul 15, 2009 by River City Weekly}