An Introduction to MeAndGlutenFree.com — I’m Christianne, and I’ve been living a gluten-free life since 2009, which has led me to embrace a lifestyle free of gluten. But my journey to get here was anything but simple. It started during what should’ve been one of the most joyful times in my life — shortly after having my fifth child at age 40. Instead I began a nightmare in my personal life, dealing with an abusive partner at home and many other unbelievable stressful events in my life.
Instead of soaking up baby snuggles and adjusting to life as a mom of five, as I was dealing with unbearable stress, my health also began to spiral in a way I couldn’t explain. It wasn’t just fatigue. I was experiencing:
- Sudden blackouts — like someone was slowly dimming the lights on my brain.
- Extreme brain fog — I once forgot my own sister’s name… and how many kids she had.
- Crippling chest pain — so intense I questioned whether I was having heart attacks or strokes.
- Rapid weight gain — 80 pounds in just 3–4 months, gaining size after size week after week.
- Severe joint pain — I could barely walk, my feet felt like I was 80 years old, which eventually led me to a lifestyle free of gluten.
- Blinding fatigue and cognitive fog that made me feel like I was slipping away.
Of course with all that I was going thru, it was easy to just blame it on stress, even friends and family brushed it off — “You just had a baby at 40.” But I knew something was deeply wrong. This wasn’t about age or stress alone; my gluten-free lifestyle eventually showed me the root of the problem.
The Search for Answers: From Misdiagnosis to Surgery
After what felt like an endless cycle of doctor visits and dead ends, I finally found someone who looked beyond the surface. A doctor tested my thyroid — and it was seriously overactive and in my case, my hyperthyroid was threatening my heart. To manage this, adopting a gluten-free lifestyle had to be considered.
We first tried medication, but it didn’t help, likely because I had tumors surrounding and even growing inside my thyroid. I had no choice but to have them both removed. I hoped this would be the end of my health nightmare — but the symptoms barely improved.
Next came a GI specialist, a gluten-free lifestyle colonoscopy, and an endoscopy. The results were terrifying: bleeding ulcers in my esophagus. I was told even a piece of lettuce could be deadly. No more lemons, tomatoes, or — gasp — coffee. Thus solidifying the need for a lifestyle devoid of gluten.
At that point, I hit a wall. Enough was enough.
Taking Back Control: The Elimination Diet That Changed My Life
I decided if no one else could figure it out, I would. I cut everything from my diet for one week. Then I slowly reintroduced foods, one at a time — like feeding a baby their first solids. During this initial week, I did experience some relief for the first time in such a long time, supporting the idea of a gluten-free approach.
And then it happened: I added gluten back in, and BOOM — every awful symptom came crashing back. The blackouts. The fog. The pain, difficulty walking, Everything. Gluten was the root and pivotal to my lifestyle of avoiding gluten.
I tested it a few more times (hello, cheeseburger experiments!) just to be sure. Every time, my body confirmed the truth. So I quit gluten for good. And guess what?
- I dropped 60 pounds in just over two months.
- My joint pain vanished — I could walk again without wincing.
- My brain came back online — I could think, remember, and focus again.
- My doctor was stunned — my second endoscopy showed a completely healed esophagus.
No antacids. No giving up lemons, tomatoes, or coffee. Just gluten — gone.
What’s Next?
I stayed symptom-free for over a decade. Nevertheless, I’m facing new challenges again, deeply related to living a lifestyle that is gluten-free to manage my health. But that’s a story for another post.
Thanks for being here. I hope my story helps you on your journey, whether you’re newly gluten-free, considering it, or just looking for answers. You’re not alone. Choosing a lifestyle free of gluten has been crucial for me. I do believe many of us, whether we are Celiac or just Gluten-Intolerant, have likely discovered this under duress of some kind. It’s not an easy thing to take in and accept at first. Once I made that choice, it was clear there was no going back to a gluten-containing lifestyle.