To the editor:?
I have celiac disease, but was not diagnosed until I was 53 years old. At this same time my daughter was also diagnosed.
We both suffered from allergies and asthma and I had arthritis and thyroid issues and several autoimmune diseases.
No one had ever suggested celiac disease, yet I had cost the medical system a great deal.
My cousin’s children were diagnosed with celiac disease and she suggested that my daughter and I be tested through a lab in Dallas.
Both of us tested positive for the celiac gene and sensitivity to gluten. We have followed a gluten free diet subsequently and have felt much better, but would have remained much healthier, if this disease had been caught early in our lives.
In Italy, all children are tested to ensure there is not a sensitivity. Canada has a long ways to go to save money through prevention of disease, rather than allowing preventable creation of disease.
Valorie Vaartnou,
Richmod, B.C.
