My Body on Gluten

Colleen Kmiecik
Troy, MI
Celiac

Fifteen years ago, my migraines began. Stabbing eye pain. My head in a vise. Jaw twisted and immobile. MRI: Not only is my brain healthy, it’s exceptionally healthy, showing no typical signs of aging. Vision exam: Nearly perfect vision. Chiropractic. Physical therapy. Head and facial pain specialist. Jaw specialist. Drugs. Yoga. Nerve blocks. Needles in my head, needles in my neck, needles in my jaw. Dental surgery. Ice packs, darkness, peppermint oil. Also, muscle aches, joint pain, and relentless fatigue, mostly dismissed by my doctors because “bloodwork looks good.” Then — an unrelated, routine test: results show damage caused by gluten. “You have celiac disease. Eliminate gluten immediately,” my doctor said, and I did. Nearly two years later, what had been ten days every month of torment is now one or two days of discomfort – unwelcome and cruel, but manageable.