#CouldItBeCeliac

Jennifer Palma, BC Global News Anchor

l was an adult in my early 30s when I was officially diagnosed with celiac disease (CD) but had not felt well since I was a child. As a child I naturally avoided certain foods like pasta and pizza, as they never agreed with me. By the time I was diagnosed I was extremely sick. Just prior to my diagnosis I was unable to walk, I looked gaunt and frail, I was always bloated and feeling unwell. In fact, my producers called to check in on me asking if I was OK because I looked so sick. One day at work I could not stop vomiting and assumed I had a bad case of the flu. That day I came home, and my husband had to carry me up the stairs. I could not keep anything down including water. Thinking this was the flu I nursed myself with tea and toast, which only made it worse. Two days later, I ended up going to the doctor and was sent immediately for an emergency endoscopy. When the results came back, I was shocked to hear it was celiac disease.

— Jennifer Palma, BC Global News Anchor