New support group for Celiac disease sufferers at WakeMed Cary
CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Maureen Barnes has suffered from celiac disease all her life.
"What it does is it causes terrible cramps, pains in your stomach and you have, well, bathroom problems as well," she explained.
But her severe reaction to eating or even touching anything with gluten in it wasn't diagnosed till 10 years ago.
"All the years before, prior to that, I went through my life not knowing what was wrong, because I got different diagnostic results from different medical facilities and doctors," said Barnes.
Up until then, there wasn't much known about celiac disease, and there certainly weren't the gluten-free options on store shelves you see now. Still, to manage her disease, Barnes works with a dietician at Cary Wakemed. The two have collaborated to form a support group for other celiac disease sufferers.
"We are hoping to create a warm and caring environment for people who are suffering with this or just need to learn better coping mechanisms, learn from each other," explained WakeMed dietician Parul Kharod.
And also gain support since celiac disease is often met by skepticism by others, due in part to gluten- free diets becoming a fad for some, minimizing the real danger to those who are truly allergic to gluten.
"Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, rye, and barley. And when people with celiac disease ingest gluten, it creates an autoimmune response that literally attacks the small intestine," said Kharod.
One in 100 people worldwide have celiac disease, although there may be more who have not been diagnosed.
The next meeting of the Celiac Disease Support Group:
WakeMed Cary Hospital
Tuesday, April 21, 6 to 8 p.m.
WakeMed Cary Hospital, Conference Center
1900 Kildaire Farm Road, Cary
Link to support group: events.wakemed.org
More on celiac disease: http://celiac.org/
