*UPDATE:
Six months gluten free (and one year gluten free) photos at the end. Remarkable! (Good thing family didn't stop at a negative blood test to determine if Aaron was being impacted by gluten.)
Six months gluten free (and one year gluten free) photos at the end. Remarkable! (Good thing family didn't stop at a negative blood test to determine if Aaron was being impacted by gluten.)
Ever since I was diagnosed with celiac (in the year 2000) and discovered the "WOW" factor of a gluten free diet after 40 years of symptoms, I have wanted to shout it from the rooftops. I had a wonderful opportunity this summer to shout it out to a group of women who can impact boys' and girls' lives in a big way (who DO impact boys and girls daily)---100 school nurses at a School Tools for Nurses conference in Missouri.
I received an email last fall from one of those nurse that made me cry---literally (and still makes me cry.)
With her permission, I am sharing Connie's email, and a picture of her son, Aaron. I remember her coming up to talk to me after my presentation. It was great to hear back from her with an update about her handsome, active, nearly sixteen year old son.
I received an email last fall from one of those nurse that made me cry---literally (and still makes me cry.)
With her permission, I am sharing Connie's email, and a picture of her son, Aaron. I remember her coming up to talk to me after my presentation. It was great to hear back from her with an update about her handsome, active, nearly sixteen year old son.
 Hello Ms. Simpson, I am a RN that attended your presentation this summer at St. Claire. As I sat there and heard your story, the symptoms I was seeing described my own 15 year old son perfectly, though his pictures did not look typical. I called Aaron's GI Doctor and asked to have him tested for celiac disease. His blood test came back negative. Though we put him on the gluten free diet right away. In 3 days, he had incredible results. After 2 weeks, his stomach pains and bloating almost had gone, his head was clear, his breathing was better, and the cloudiness in his head had cleared. He reported he felt 90 % better. We didn't pursue a biopsy but believe from the results of going gluten free, we didn't need to. He has continued to feel tons better and we consider it an act of God to have found this solution to his problem that would have gone undiagnosed for many years to come. You saved him. Thank you from the bottom of my Mommy's heart. 😢 I will be watching for my students at my school with similar symptoms and I thank you for your work and your witness. |
Connie is a school nurse who is now better informed about celiac signs and symptoms and will be on the look-out for kiddos in her school. And with the materials provided through the School Nurse Celiac Education program, Gabriel's Journey, she (and all the other nurses who attended the conference), has information to share with parents.
Celiac is the most common genetic autoimmune disorder, yet the most under and mis-diagnosed. And to make it even more complicated, there are over 300 symptoms. As you can see in Aaron's case (and my own son's case) NCGS (nonceliac gluten sensitiviyt) is very real!
Celiac is the most common genetic autoimmune disorder, yet the most under and mis-diagnosed. And to make it even more complicated, there are over 300 symptoms. As you can see in Aaron's case (and my own son's case) NCGS (nonceliac gluten sensitiviyt) is very real!
Gabriel's Journey was created by someone like me, who just wants kids who are sick with symptoms to have it recognized. And who better to be educated to recognize it than all the amazing school nurses out there who see our kids every day --- more often than their doctors.
Materials are available through the website (and heck, if you are within an hour or so of the St. Louis area, I'd love to come talk to your school nurses, or teachers and staff.)
email: dsimpson@dsimpsonbooks.com
phone: 618-830-8136
Materials are available through the website (and heck, if you are within an hour or so of the St. Louis area, I'd love to come talk to your school nurses, or teachers and staff.)
email: dsimpson@dsimpsonbooks.com
phone: 618-830-8136
UPDATE: I originally shared this post in the fall (2016). After resharing recently, mom saw it and sent an updated photo. Six months (or so) gluten free. WOW, wow, wow. He started weight lifting about a year before going gluten free but was frustrated with the inability to gain weight no matter how much he ate (and he ate a lot!). His bloodwork for celiac was negative, but he wasn't feeling well and the family wanted answers, so they chose to try the diet anyway.... And WOW! He's now able to build muscle, obviously! 40 pound weight gain!
| Shortly after going gluten free (summer 2016)  Shortly after going gluten free summer 2016. A little over one year gluten free! A-Mazing!  | Six or seven months gluten free.  Six or seven months gluten free. Check out these other "Before and After" stories. Be sure to scroll past all the photos to read their stories. Amazing! TOO MANY are sick when a "simple" diet change can change (and save) their life. Thank you again Sybil, for creating this program. Another life changed! |
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