Welcome to Gluten Free RN!

April 19, 2008 | Discussion | | by Nadine Grzeskowiak |

Hi, my name is Nadine Grzeskowiak and I am a registered nurse with 16 years experience in emergency and trauma nursing.  I realize now, in hindsight, I have had symptoms of celiac disease my entire life.  When I was finally diagnosed correctly, at the age of 40, I gave myself 6 months to live.  My body was dying and I couldn’t figure out the cause, and I am a nurse… Had I listened to the doctors I saw over that period of time, I would be dead, certainly by now.  ”The celiac serology was all normal.  I assume the dermatologist will talk to you about alternative causes of herpitiformis dermatitis(sic).”  Some of you are laughing already.  I have the paper that was sent to me by one of the doctors I saw, if you ever want to see it.  This happened to me.  I am horrified every day by stories I hear about other people.  Nice people that are trying to be good patients, don’t know the questions to ask and naively believe their doctors. 

My goals are simple. Get EVERYONE on a gluten free diet, at least for a month.  I will test anyone that wants or needs to be tested.  Hopefully, through education, people will start asking to be tested for celiac disease FIRST, and not have to wait until they are almost dead to find out the foods they eat every day are killing them, literally. 

Please know that first and foremost, I am a nurse.  My DUTY is to be a patient advocate at all times.  I will find and get the most accurate, up to date information from all over the world.  Sometimes I will be wrong.  Please bring errors to my attention, and we will have a discussion.  I want YOU to ask questions.  My main question is ‘How can you hide and pretend an entire disease process doesn’t exist?’  Celiac disease was officially recognized as a disease in 1888…I, as a nurse, didn’t hear about it until I got diagnosed, in November 2006.