10-09-2007
This article is a great example of how cross contamination affects a celiac, as well as the fatigue we suffer from.
Running isn't only challenge for these 3 Fairview athletes
Leaf, Burger, Sabine have all been diagnosed with celiac disease, a lifelong intestinal disorder
By Chris Shelton Camera Sports WriterTuesday, October 9, 2007
Sabine Kunz accidentally placed some of her breakfast on the wrong cutting board Monday. She spent the rest of the day feeling nauseous.
Anna Burger one time this summer went to grab a drink from a water bottle, noticed it had some bread crumbs on it and wiped them off before taking a swig. Within five minutes she was overcome with an extreme headache, a stomach ache, chills and difficulty breathing.
Jenny Leaf went on a church mission this summer to the mountains of Jamaica with Burger and they had to make all of their food ahead of time for the 13-day trip. One day they came back to where they were staying and saw that ants were in their food. They sat down and cried.
That's what life's been like for the three Fairview cross country runners, each of them diagnosed with celiac disease more than a year ago. The life-long autoimmune intestinal disorder causes their small intestine to have a toxic reaction to gluten and it interferes with their absorption of nutrients.
"It's still a struggle," said Burger, who, along with Leaf, has been one of Fairview's top six varsity runners this year. Kunz has swung between varsity and junior varsity. "I still find that my body wears down a lot more than the average person."
Loading up on carbohydrates isn't the challenge these runners face.
They live on a gluten-free diet, meaning they don't eat anything, such as pasta, that's made with wheat, rye, barley and triticale.
Instead, they can eat pasta made of corn or rice, as well as beans and meat — as long as those foods haven't been prepared with anything (sauces or utensils) that has touched another food made with a wheat product.
Celiac disease can cause a host of other problems, however.
Burger was anemic this time last year heading into the state meet. Her iron dropped so low this season that she's had three intravenous iron infusions.
Even if Burger eats properly, she's still more prone to get sidelined from her training.
"I used to get sick once a year," the sophomore said. "Now, anytime one of my friends has a cold, I catch it."
Leaf, a sophomore, first started getting migraines. She also would get fevers that could last up to a week, and she could suffer from vomiting and massive stomach cramps. Difficulty breathing was another symptom.
It was a frustrating process for them to wait for doctors to come up with the correct diagnosis. It took these Fairview runners between one and three months to obtain the right diagnosis. Blood tests didn't reveal the disease, but a DNA test did.
Even now, it takes a constant awareness of what they're eating to stay healthy.
"I still get tired a lot easier," Leaf said. "Sometimes I just feel heavier. Sometimes I need five days of rest to recuperate."
Living that way makes it tough for those three to train on a regular basis, said Fairview coach Teri Cady.
"Being a top runner is difficult in and of itself, let alone at Fairview," Cady said. "It's a dietary challenge. But it's really hard on your immune system. That is more of a challenge for them. Week to week it's hard for them to stay consistent."
Celiac disease is fairly common, even if it's not common knowledge to most people. Cady said she'd never heard of it before Burger was diagnosed. Now she has three students on her team with it.
According the Celiac Disease Foundation, one in 133 people are affected by it.
Kunz, a senior, said raising awareness about the disease is key.
"Go on a gluten-free diet for two weeks," Kunz said encouragingly. "Just try it."
No comments:
Post a Comment