When 3-year-old Aidan Meredith had surgery to remove his tonsils and adenoids, his parents found out he had an issue that they didn’t quite expect.
“They did an upper and lower scope because we had concerns over weight loss, loss of appetite and upset stomach,” said Nicole Meredith, Aidan’s mother.
Meredith and her husband, Brad, found out Aidan has celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder in which the body reacts to the protein gluten, which can be found in wheat, bran, rye and some oats. The disease makes it difficult to absorb and digest nutrients through the small intestine. Symptoms include diarrhea, constipation, abdominal cramping, joint pain, fatigue, certain rashes, low iron or anemia, low vitamin D, low calcium and mood irritability.
“We were upset and worried about the lifestyle change. We were kind of relieved we could put a finger on what was going on,” Meredith said. “We were wanting to make sure he would be OK. We didn’t know much about celiac at the time.”
The Edmonson County family decided to find help at the new Celiac Support Group, which helps people with the disease as well as others who have gluten intolerance. The group meets from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at The Medical Center Health and Wellness Center at Chandler Park.
“We’re trying to learn everything we can and what’s best to eat,” Meredith said. “We want to make sure he’s getting enough nutrition and eating the right things.”
The Heart and Pain Management Center of Bowling Green’s Dr. Fred Gott – a specialist in cardiology, internal medicine and pain management – is facilitator of the group. He has an intolerance not only to gluten, but also to wheat, milk, onions and sulfites.
“I was diagnosed about five years ago, but I’ve had symptoms for more than 20 years,” he said. “I was becoming malnourished from it.”
After eating a food with gluten, Gott would have to lie down and prop up his legs on pillows. “With milk, in 24 hours I’m over it. With wheat, it takes a week or so,” he said. “It happens if I eat even a trace of wheat.”
The support group had its first meeting Tuesday evening. Jean Nehm, who was at the meeting, later talked about her own diagnosis of celiac disease, which came in January 2007. The Bowling Green woman went to the meeting to share what she has learned with others.
“I think of how scared and alone I felt,” she said. “From January to May, I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
For Mother’s Day, one of her daughters presented her with Bette Hagman’s cookbook, “The Gluten-Free Gourmet.” Since then, Nehm has received several of Hagman’s cookbooks from her daughters.
“It was like a breakthrough. One of the best parts was learning how to mix your own flour,” she said. “I can just go to that when I have to cook.”
Nehm said she and her husband eat a gluten-free diet, although her husband doesn’t have celiac disease. They don’t eat out very much.
“There is hidden wheat all over from soup to salad dressing and ketchup,” she said. “We’re eating well. I’ve always liked to cook, so it’s not a problem.”
Nehm said her gluten-free foods don’t taste bland or like cardboard.
“It’s absolutely delicious,” she said. “I use plenty of spices.”
Jeannie Atwood of Bowling Green said she is happy about the new support group.
“I’ve been saying for a while now that we needed one,” she said. “I would love to see people come for support and tell what they’re going through.”
Atwood found out she had gluten intolerance after experiencing other health issues.
“I have had problems with my thyroid and osteoporosis with a high risk of fracture of the hip,” she said. “I prayed that God would send me to somebody who would not look at just my thyroid.”
She began having tests in March. After doing a saliva test and bloodwork, Atwood’s doctor had her do a 21-day elimination diet. She found out she had intolerances to corn, soy, dairy, wheat and gluten. Since she has taken those things out of her diet, her health has improved and she said she feels blessed to be getting well.
“My cholesterol was also out of whack. It dropped 50 points,” she said. “My thyroid is in normal range.”
Atwood said that when she eats at restaurants, she finds it easiest to partake of the salad bar.
“It’s all about eating whole foods and no processed foods. You’ve got to be really careful that it doesn’t have gluten in it,” she said. “It comes in so many things. Read the labels and research.”
More people are aware that those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance need gluten-free foods, Atwood said. She has been to gluten-free restaurants and products are available in many stores.
“If you’ve got it, now’s the best time in history to have it,” she said.
Gott said he copes with his intolerances by reading labels carefully before he eats anything. Some foods he enjoys eating include avocados, eggs, potatoes and whole-grain rice.
“I have my own beef slaughtered and packaged,” he said. “I don’t eat anything if I don’t read the labels.”
Gott said he wanted to have a support group so that people can get together and help each other. Having celiac disease or gluten intolerance can be difficult.
“The social impact is immense. Sharing a meal together is a sign of friendship,” he said. “If you don’t do that, you’re considered anti-social. If you don’t eat what they serve, they get offended.”
Even as a doctor, Gott runs into challenges. In situations such as potlucks, he often brings food that he can eat.
“Medical meetings are hard,” he said. “They have all these gourmet foods that I can’t eat.”
He also made some other lifestyle changes so that he won’t feel isolated.
“I have taken up ballroom dancing,” he said. “It’s about socializing and not eating.”
Meredith said that when the family returned home from the hospital, they cleared their shelves, went to the grocery store and stocked up on as many gluten-free foods as they could. Since then, they have noticed improvements in their son’s health.
“He knows that his stomach feels better. He told his dad, ‘Daddy, my stomach feels better,’ ” she said. “Now he’s saying he’s hungry. He’s wanting to eat. He has always liked fruits and vegetables.”
Aidan has been able to eat safely at preschool. Meredith packs his lunch with gluten-free foods. The family is adapting to his diet.
“My husband’s not big on bread in the first place, plus I’m trying to cut back on the carbs, so it’s a big help,” she said. “So far we’ve not been overwhelmed by it.”
Meredith said she’s thankful for the support group.
“We were so excited when we saw that there were other people to talk to and get good ideas and support from,” she said. “The other people were so helpful, and that was a big relief.”
— For more information about the support group, call 745-0942.
