The storytellers in this piece all learned as adults and after years of suffering that their ailment was celiac disease. I was fascinated by this piece as I had been a celiac baby in 1948, survived which wasn't really the expected outcome, and lived without severe limitations as though I did NOT have to worry about celiac anymore. The recent attention given to celiac disease and the health experiences of my two sons led me to take the blood test this piece refers to and I tested very positive for celiac. I found this piece profoundly personal and extremely important given the millions of Americans who have celiac but have no idea that they do.
I was diagnosed with celiac about 6 months ago so this story really helped as part of my life-long learning related to the disease. This piece offers a realistic but emotional view of what it's like to have a disease that people often don't know they have. The way it takes you though the process of uncertainty and fear about what a person is afflicted with to the clarity after learning that they have it is inspiring. The subjects came from a variety of backgrounds and were at different stages of having celiac, which showed how pervasive the disease dubbed, "great pretender" can be. I would have liked to hear a little more from some different doctors and health officials to give it some more credibility.
Wise production idea to tell the Celiac story in the words of those who suffer it. The narrative seamlessly flows from one person to another. The arc takes us from childhood to adulthood, from suffering to understanding, from being ill to managing an illness. This is cutting edge because until recently few with this disease were diagnosed. All of the voices speak of having felt lousy since they could remember, of suffering constant stomachaches, headaches, bowel problems, severe fatigue, depression and a host of other ailments. All tell of undergoing all kinds of tests, endlessly misdiagnosed or told they were hypochondriacs. All share feelings of failure, humiliation, and frustration at not being “normal.” All relate the joy of finally being diagnosed and finding the solution: stay away from wheat. It’s estimated that 1 in 133 people have this disease, but that 2.1 million remain undiagnosed. Air this excellent production. Spread the word.
This is an excellent piece that reaches out to every individual who has or might have celiac or a similar condition. It creates awareness for a little-known disease among people who may have been suffering all their life, need to know there are other celiacs out there, or have a friend or family member diagnosed with celiac. It inspires hope that there is a solution and that together we can find answers. For the incredibly large number of individuals who have been suffering from undiagnosed celiac for years, the personal stories shared here may provide the missing information they need to find relief.
This documentary takes a very close look at the lives of several people suffering from Celiac disease- the life altering reaction some people have to gluten. As someone who suffers from sensitivity to gluten, I know the power of discovering what it is that is making you sick, and how you can easily make it better. The narrators tell in their own words how they grew up not knowing what was wrong with them. Missed educational and sports opportunites, embarassing gastrointestinal experiences, lives lived within a short run to the bathroom; this is the life of an undiagnosed celiac. The documentary emphasizes how common Celiac disease is and because of this, this report could serve the very noble purpose of alerting people to the prevalence of this disease, and might help someone live a happier, healthier life.
[redacted]
Posted on November 14, 2004 at 04:51 PM
| Permalink
It would have been good to give a guaranteed gluten free diet, for self-testing. The only good list I know of is from Mayo Clinic, on their audio tape set on digestive disorders. They also have the best list of ingredients to avoid, i.e., they say Quinoa is often not safe. I wish I had that list online. This is the only error free list I've found.
The list on http://www.csaceliacs.org/ is too generic, and lists things as safe that are not. For example, red wines from France are often aged in wooden whiskey barrels, and so get contaminated with gluten. Likewise, www.csaceliacs.org recommends carbonated drinks, but carbonated drinks often have natural flavors in them, which is really malted barley.
Both for celiacs and their food preparers, it would have been good to give a way to look up a food item by brand name to see if it is gluten free. The web address http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=celiac
has a search engine finding people's actual experiences with products by name. Not everything on it is correct, but it is possible to get a consensus, summaries, and records of company contacts. It is being continually updated.
For example, could and does Arrowhead Mills gluten-free bread mix ever get cross contaminated by wheat? It is a great place to go if you are still getting sick from something, or you are at a friend’s house risking different food.
Of course, these people are your underwriters, and not all celiacs agree.
Even doctors have a hard time getting good information. No wonder studies disagree.
Comments for Gut Reaction
Produced by Richard Paul
Other pieces by Richard Paul
Rating Summary
6 comments
Virginia Sarsfield
Posted on January 25, 2005 at 10:02 AM | Permalink
Review of Gut Reaction
The storytellers in this piece all learned as adults and after years of suffering that their ailment was celiac disease. I was fascinated by this piece as I had been a celiac baby in 1948, survived which wasn't really the expected outcome, and lived without severe limitations as though I did NOT have to worry about celiac anymore. The recent attention given to celiac disease and the health experiences of my two sons led me to take the blood test this piece refers to and I tested very positive for celiac. I found this piece profoundly personal and extremely important given the millions of Americans who have celiac but have no idea that they do.
Chris Kaufman
Posted on January 21, 2005 at 06:37 PM | Permalink
Review of Gut Reaction
I was diagnosed with celiac about 6 months ago so this story really helped as part of my life-long learning related to the disease. This piece offers a realistic but emotional view of what it's like to have a disease that people often don't know they have. The way it takes you though the process of uncertainty and fear about what a person is afflicted with to the clarity after learning that they have it is inspiring. The subjects came from a variety of backgrounds and were at different stages of having celiac, which showed how pervasive the disease dubbed, "great pretender" can be. I would have liked to hear a little more from some different doctors and health officials to give it some more credibility.
Sydney Lewis
Posted on January 17, 2005 at 10:43 AM | Permalink
Review of Gut Reaction
Wise production idea to tell the Celiac story in the words of those who suffer it. The narrative seamlessly flows from one person to another. The arc takes us from childhood to adulthood, from suffering to understanding, from being ill to managing an illness. This is cutting edge because until recently few with this disease were diagnosed. All of the voices speak of having felt lousy since they could remember, of suffering constant stomachaches, headaches, bowel problems, severe fatigue, depression and a host of other ailments. All tell of undergoing all kinds of tests, endlessly misdiagnosed or told they were hypochondriacs. All share feelings of failure, humiliation, and frustration at not being “normal.” All relate the joy of finally being diagnosed and finding the solution: stay away from wheat. It’s estimated that 1 in 133 people have this disease, but that 2.1 million remain undiagnosed. Air this excellent production. Spread the word.
Esther Riley
Posted on January 04, 2005 at 05:21 AM | Permalink
Review of Gut Reaction
This is an excellent piece that reaches out to every individual who has or might have celiac or a similar condition. It creates awareness for a little-known disease among people who may have been suffering all their life, need to know there are other celiacs out there, or have a friend or family member diagnosed with celiac. It inspires hope that there is a solution and that together we can find answers. For the incredibly large number of individuals who have been suffering from undiagnosed celiac for years, the personal stories shared here may provide the missing information they need to find relief.
Erin Sexton-Sayler
Posted on November 15, 2004 at 04:51 PM | Permalink
Review of Gut Reaction
This documentary takes a very close look at the lives of several people suffering from Celiac disease- the life altering reaction some people have to gluten. As someone who suffers from sensitivity to gluten, I know the power of discovering what it is that is making you sick, and how you can easily make it better. The narrators tell in their own words how they grew up not knowing what was wrong with them. Missed educational and sports opportunites, embarassing gastrointestinal experiences, lives lived within a short run to the bathroom; this is the life of an undiagnosed celiac. The documentary emphasizes how common Celiac disease is and because of this, this report could serve the very noble purpose of alerting people to the prevalence of this disease, and might help someone live a happier, healthier life.
[redacted]
Posted on November 14, 2004 at 04:51 PM | Permalink
Review of Gut Reaction
It would have been good to give a guaranteed gluten free diet, for self-testing. The only good list I know of is from Mayo Clinic, on their audio tape set on digestive disorders. They also have the best list of ingredients to avoid, i.e., they say Quinoa is often not safe. I wish I had that list online. This is the only error free list I've found.
The list on http://www.csaceliacs.org/ is too generic, and lists things as safe that are not. For example, red wines from France are often aged in wooden whiskey barrels, and so get contaminated with gluten. Likewise, www.csaceliacs.org recommends carbonated drinks, but carbonated drinks often have natural flavors in them, which is really malted barley.
Both for celiacs and their food preparers, it would have been good to give a way to look up a food item by brand name to see if it is gluten free. The web address http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=celiac
has a search engine finding people's actual experiences with products by name. Not everything on it is correct, but it is possible to get a consensus, summaries, and records of company contacts. It is being continually updated.
For example, could and does Arrowhead Mills gluten-free bread mix ever get cross contaminated by wheat? It is a great place to go if you are still getting sick from something, or you are at a friend’s house risking different food.
Of course, these people are your underwriters, and not all celiacs agree.
Even doctors have a hard time getting good information. No wonder studies disagree.