“It’s not easy. But I’m pretty good at it, and I feel like I can travel anywhere.”

“Living with celiac disease doesn’t necessarily define me, but it absolutely helps shape who I am.”

“I would experience a tightness in my chest, as if the food was stuck. Many times I figured that I had eaten too fast and just let the feeling pass.”

“I’ve become passionate about advocating and educating others about celiac disease. It’s been a challenging journey, but I hope to help others navigate their own path toward diagnosis and healing.”

“One thing I wish had been explained to me is how living with CD could impact my body long-term and potentially increase my risk for other chronic illnesses.”

“Countless doctors appointments and tests later I still had no answer to what was causing all these issues that deeply impacted my life.”

“Prior to my celiac disease diagnosis, I was always in the kitchen cooking with my grandma, making meals for my family. I enjoyed having the freedom of eating whatever I wanted.”

“I believe the forced restrictions of my diet since such an early age contributed to my eating disorder.”

“A cure for celiac disease could mean the return of the life I once knew. Being recently diagnosed, there is a mourning period you go through for the life you once had.”

“It would have been nice if I was screened after my miscarriages by my OB, and if I had some guidance to how long to be on a gluten-free diet before becoming pregnant again.”

“[Claire] was down to eight pounds at 18 months old. We went to the doctor, and they kept telling us it was a virus, and that it would go away. We finally took her to a Children’s Hospital.”

“Celiac isn’t the end of the world or good food. It just means you really have to be mindful of you.”