What is the best way you have found of explaining coeliac disease to someone else. Do you have a particularly good way of dealing with Drs.

[Mia1057]

I thought it would help us all if we shared our experience.

[barny]

hi i just explain the way i was told by the doc and why we carnt have any thing with gluton think thats the only way realy and people seem to understand i had never heard of it before x

[Falk1]

Our Doctors have trainee doctors each six months, and I now go and talk to them about CD and how I was diagnosed, what happened and how it affects me, and others, as we all react differently. I did my first talk over six months ago and am due to speak to them again later this week. The more knowledge they have the better. On the first occasion there were so many things that the doctors were totally unaware of and they said they found it most helpful, so have asked me back again. Perhaps other members could offer the same help at their GP's, which may help with more awareness. I have to say I empathise with people who have the very violent reactions to gluten.

[weee]

I try not to get annoyed when I'm asked if its an allergy.

But I generally describe how I came to be diagnosed which was a fairly unusual route, I think, having been diagnosed following a blood clot in my arm.

I always call it an auto immune disorder and describe the damage to my intestine when I eat gluten and I also say how the short term effects of eating gluten, while unpleasant, are not as worrying as the potentially more serious long term effects..