Gluten-free diet transforms Mariea’s life

CONTRACTING a parasite during a holiday in South America three years ago proved to be a blessing in disguise for an Ennis-based woman, who was subsequently diagnosed with coeliac disease.
Originally from Monaghan, Mariea Hand came to work in Ennis five years ago and in November 2008, had the misfortune of picking up a parasite during a trip to South America.
When she came home from her holiday, it kept coming back, which prompted a consultation with an Ennis GP, who suspected coeliac disease. This prognosis came back positive after a blood test.
Mariea was referred for a biopsy with a gastroenterologist in Galway and six weeks later, she had the procedure. She had to keep eating gluten until after the treatment, which was a bit difficult as it made her feel unwell.
“The parasite was in the lower intestine. That didn’t affect the coeliac disease. When I took tablets to kill the parasite, I was still unwell because of coeliac disease, not the parasite. I was actually lucky I found the parasite because I would have gone on another few years feeling sick.
“In the end, it was a relief. All through my childhood, adolescence and adulthood, I would always have been slightly tired and had an autoimmune disease associated with coeliac disease. I had bloating, fatigue and was anaemic for a long time.
“After the parasite, the coeliac disease was very bad. I was really unwell and had lost a stone in weight. I was really tired and severely anaemic. Once I found out, I was almost delighted because at least it explained what was happening to me,” she recalls.
“Low mood and depression are linked to this disease. I was suffering from low mood because I was so tired. Chronic fatigue can be a symptom. Coeliac disease isn’t an allergy; it is an autoimmune disease. Because the lining of your gut is damaged, anything you eat isn’t absorbed so you are running on empty. You are still trying to do things but you are exhausted,” she says.
Having lived in Ennis for almost five years, Mariea recently moved to the Newmarket area. Before her diagnosis, she ate all food. However, she never loved bread or pasta because somewhere in her body she knew it didn’t suit her.
If she ate chinese food or a burger, she would feel very tired an hour later and tended to avoid these type of foods if she had something important to do. Going gluten-free transformed her life and she is now back to full health. She completed the Flora Mini-Marathon for the Coeliac Society of Ireland this year, which would have been impossible before her diagnosis. She had suffered from sore joints and hips, which meant she would not be able to do a mini- marathon.
“I can’t describe how much better I feel. Your standard of living is so much better. Before I was sleeping at 8pm every evening and after dinner I used to fall asleep. Sometimes when I was visiting someone I would fall asleep, which was embarrassing.
“When I was driving I used to find it hard to stay awake. I would have been always tired. I had a thyroid problem and eating gluten would make me feel tired.
“Now I can eat and go out the door and do something. The tiredness has gone and I have loads of energy. Your attention span and interest in things improve.
“I was 28 when I found out. I believe there are a lot of coeliacs who are only being newly diagnosed. I know women in their 50s and 60s who are only being diagnosed now,” she says.
Sufferers can get tax relief and food on a medical card. Mariea tries to eat a lot of natural, gluten-free foods, like millet, buckwheat and quinoa because it important to have fibre in her diet.
It took about three or four months before Mariea felt relatively normal again. She started to notice improvements in herself and was less tired, more interested in doing things once more and was looking healthier.
After gaining some weight, she was no longer anaemic for the first time in about 12 years and was able to become a regular blood donor again. Once she started to see and feel the benefits of the diet, it made the restrictions worthwhile.
She was no longer falling asleep for two hours in the evening. It took about two months for her low mood to improve because initially she felt a little hard done by watching people eat what they wanted without any restriction.
“You are trying to look at labels. Food is really dear and you don’t know what to buy. You feel a bit lost. While you have low mood and you are trying to deal with this, it is hard. But once that passes, it is ok. You know it is trial and error. Some food is nice, you find what you like and stick with it,” she explains.
However, it took two years for her bloods to return to normal. While the disease is genetic and her cousin found out within two weeks of her diagnosis, none of Mariea’s immediate family are sufferers. Her nephew is undergoing investigation but neither her mother nor aunts are coeliacs.
She believes GPs have a heightened awareness of this disease, which has led to increased diagnosis. She explains being diagnosed with the disease involves a lifestyle and not just a diet change.
“If you are going out for a family occasion, you must plan ahead and ensure the location caters for coeliacs, otherwise you must find another venue. It can be a hindrance at times. You don’t want to get sick, while you are there. You can get sick quite rapidly within an hour.
“Weddings, work functions, Christmas parties and social occasions still cause some degree of anxiety. Meeting someone for lunch has to be organised. Gone are the days where you can drop in anywhere for something to eat. I always bring some food with me when I am out in case I can’t find something to eat,” she explains.
She believes pubs and restaurants could attract more business by providing a gluten-free option on menus because it facilitates coeliacs and potentially a group of their family and friends.
Joining the Coeliac Society of Ireland (www.coeliac.ie) really helped her, particularly at the beginning and she found it a great source of information. She actually joined the society before her biopsy because she was convinced she had the disease after reading all the symptoms.
The society provided a booklet with a list of companies and shops with gluten-free products, as well as the importance of preventing cross-contamination using separate toasters, utensils, butter, food labelling and financial assistance.
It has an online forum, which allows sufferers to share their experiences and provide support around the time of diagnosis. It also has a travel section where sufferers can source the names of hotels and restaurants catering for coeliacs abroad, which is very useful when planning a holiday.
The Mid-West branch of the Coeliac Society of Ireland held their Christmas lunch and food fair last Sunday at the Best Western Pery Hotel, Limerick.