15. Collecting, Creating & Reading An Informative Library Can Gradually Cultivate Tools for Attaining Gluten-Free Simplicity.

  If you like to read, this will be easier.

  If you love Internet Surfing… this is really easier.

  If you hate both reading and the Internet, perhaps a well-paid and loyal consultant could assist you.

  The point is, learning and having on-hand information about Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free Living is quite helpful and probably necessary for a number of years after first diagnosis.

  Here are some hopefully helpful ideas:

• On the Digestive NIDDK web-page, there is a listing: “What I need to know about Celiac Disease”.  This is followed by:
  • What is celiac disease?
  • Is celiac disease serious?
  • What are the symptoms of celiac disease?
  • How is celiac disease diagnosed?
  • How is celiac disease treated?

                   https://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac_ez/index.htm.

  After this is the heading: “Points to Remember” at: https://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac_ez/index.htm#remember. 

This link is followed by:

• Points to Remember:
  • People with celiac disease can’t eat foods or use items with gluten in them.
  • Celiac disease harms the small intestine.
  • People with untreated celiac disease can’t get needed nutrients.
  • Without treatment, people with celiac disease can develop other health problems.
  • Celiac disease is diagnosed by blood tests and a biopsy of the small intestine.
  • A gluten-free diet must be followed for life.
  • A dietitian can help people choose the right foods.

  Having been a person with Celiac Disease, a Researcher for some time as well as a healthcare Social Worker, I would think that each of the 12 listed items in the two sections above would warrent at least a basic understanding for any person newly diagnosed with Celiac Disease or who otherwise wants or needs to understand the disease.  In other words, this list could be your basic research outline.

  Take any one of the items above and using the Internet or another source (i.e., medical reference text), look it up and read what you find.  Try to determine if it seems like a valid source of information.  If the information is good, then perhaps even make some basic notes or a copy so that you can go back for reference as needed.

  For example, one can go to Google or another search engine and type in: “What is celiac disease”.  The search engine will kick out quite a few hits.  Start at the top of the list, pick the ones that seem to be valid, and read.  

  By “valid”, I mean information that is as correct as possible.  Notice that the webpage sourced above has the initials NIH and NIDDK in it.  These stand for National Institutes of Health and National Institutes of Diebetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders, respectively.  Both reliable resources.  That is important because this is your health we are talking about… right?

  Learn and keep learning this information.  And try to remember.  Then copy that which you cannot remember.

  Having valid and helpful information on hand until it is learned will likely help you attain a sense of Gluten-Free Simplicity.