{"id":348,"date":"2025-03-14T09:43:22","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T10:43:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/?p=348"},"modified":"2025-03-19T21:33:35","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T21:33:35","slug":"i-have-coeliac-but-i-forced-myself-to-eat-wheat-to-fit-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/14\/i-have-coeliac-but-i-forced-myself-to-eat-wheat-to-fit-in\/","title":{"rendered":"I have coeliac, but I forced myself to eat wheat to fit in"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\t\t\"Megan\t<\/div>
I was only 11 at the time and didn\u2019t have any grasp of what it meant to have allergies (Picture: Luke Albert)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Walking through the hospital car park, Mum and I processed the news.<\/p>\n

I had just been told I had a severe wheat allergy, and on top of that, I also had coeliac disease<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We\u2019d been waiting a long time to find out what was wrong with me, and after years of going back and forth to the children\u2019s hospital, a diagnosis felt <\/a>like we’d closed a chapter, but it was also the start of a whole new one – and this time it was lifelong.<\/p>\n

I was only 11 at the time and didn\u2019t have any grasp of what it meant to have allergies. Now, of course, I know better. But I still think society has a way to go in taking allergies and conditions<\/a> like mine seriously.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Megan\t<\/div>
I began projectile vomiting from the back seat (Picture: Luke Albert)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I always remember being quite an ill child. Throughout primary school<\/a> I\u2019d come out in rashes, hives, and I had to have time off school so we could attend hospital appointments.  <\/p>\n

I wish I could pinpoint all the foods or the moments these things happened, but to me it was just part and parcel of my life. I didn\u2019t always think anything of it.<\/p>\n

However, I do remember that, when I was around 10 years old, I had two particularly bad flare ups. The first came as part of a long car journey.<\/p>\n

At home, Mum always cooked our food from scratch. I was generally eating healthy, balanced meals.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"The\t<\/div>
It took doctors a long time to put their finger on what was going on (Picture: Gareth Cattermole\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When we went on holiday though, I\u2019d indulge in a sweet treat. My choice was always<\/em> a cake from the bakery.<\/p>\n

On this occasion though it caused a really scary episode: Hives covered my body, my lip swelled and I began projectile vomiting from the<\/a> back seat.<\/p>\n

At that moment, Mum \u2013 who was already concerned \u2013 became even more worried about what was going on with me.<\/p>\n

For weeks and months after we went back and forth to the doctor who ran all kinds of tests. Yet they never seemed able to put their finger on what was going on. <\/p>\n

That same year we went on holiday to America and I couldn\u2019t wait to get stuck into a portion of mac ‘n cheese<\/a>. Only, the same symptoms flared up again: my legs were covered in welts and once again I was seriously unwell.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Megan\t<\/div>
I couldn\u2019t just go to a friend\u2019s house for dinner after school anymore (Picture: Luke Albert)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Luckily the symptoms subsided on both occasions but it was enough to make Mum push doctors for an answer.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to note that, when it comes to testing for an allergy, the process is different for everyone. In my case it started with doctors asking me to keep food diaries and write down when I was having reactions. <\/p>\n

A pattern soon emerged and it became clear that I had a severe wheat allergy.<\/p>\n

And just like that, at the age of 11, my life changed.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"The\t<\/div>
I used to envy my friends(Picture: Joe Maher\/WireImage)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I couldn\u2019t just go to a friend\u2019s house for dinner after school anymore. If I did, it all had to be planned out. I\u2019d have to find out exactly<\/em> what their mum was cooking and check with my mum. <\/p>\n

Then, in high school, when every one of my mates was getting their tray and buying lunch in the canteen, I was confined to the contents of my lunch box<\/a>. It doesn\u2019t sound earth shattering as an adult, but as a young teen it made me the odd one out and I hated it.<\/p>\n

I used to envy my friends eating their pizza slices<\/a> or paninis without a care while I had nothing but a chicken salad to enjoy. Because let\u2019s not forget, the \u2018free from\u2019 aisle we\u2019re used to seeing in supermarkets now simply didn\u2019t exist back then. <\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Megan\t<\/div>
I was young and thought I was invincible (Picture: Luke Albert)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There wasn\u2019t gluten free bread<\/a> readily available on the shelf, and even if there was it tasted vile or would be rock solid by lunchtime.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, I\u2019d eat my lunch in the hallway, so I didn\u2019t draw attention to myself as being \u2018different\u2019.<\/p>\n

That desperation to fit in, to feel \u2018normal\u2019 was so all consuming at that age that, to my mum\u2019s dismay, there were times when I would knowingly buy and eat something with wheat in it without any thought for the consequences.<\/p>\n

\u2018What are you doing?\u2019 She\u2019d cry upon seeing the hives up my back or welts down my legs. \u2018You can\u2019t do this.\u2019<\/p>\n

Even then I still didn\u2019t really grasp the seriousness of what I was living with. I was young and thought I was invincible. <\/p>\n

While I can\u2019t pinpoint the exact moment everything clicked for me, suddenly when I was in my early twenties, I realised that this was not something that was ever going to change so I had to find a way to manage it better.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Megan\t<\/div>
Just because something says it\u2019s gluten or wheat free, doesn\u2019t always mean it is (Picture: Luke Albert)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After I moved out, I was forced to learn to cook for myself and to my surprise I fell in love with cooking<\/a>. I realised I didn\u2019t have to miss out on things I enjoyed like burgers, pasta and garlic bread or roast dinners, I just had to adapt them for me.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s partly been made easier thanks to supermarket free-from sections getting bigger and restaurants asking about allergens as they seat you, or having the symbols on the menu, but I still have to be aware.<\/p>\n

Just because something says it\u2019s gluten or wheat free, doesn\u2019t always mean it is. I still have to advocate for myself because my wheat allergy is not something to be taken lightly.<\/p>\n

More than that though, when I started posting about my recipes and the fact I have coeliac disease<\/a> and an allergy online, I quickly realised I was not alone. <\/p>\n

Allergies affect the lives of up to approximately 21 million people in the UK, and 1 in 100 people have coeliac disease, but it\u2019s important to note that these two things are not <\/em>the same.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Megan\t<\/div>
I’m so proud to have a platform where people can come to get dinner inspiration (Picture: Luke Albert)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An allergy is where your body reacts to something and presents as symptoms which range from mild (like a runny nose) to severe (such as anaphylaxis where there is trouble breathing).<\/p>\n

Coeliac disease, however, can cause damage to your gut (small intestine) stopping your body from properly taking in nutrients, and can cause serious damage later in life if you don\u2019t follow a strict gluten free diet. <\/p>\n

According to medical studies, cancers associated with coeliac disease include small bowel cancer, small bowel lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma.<\/p>\n

I’m so proud to have a platform where people can come to get dinner inspiration and just feel seen. I wish there had been more people talking about allergies when I was younger.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s why I also became an ambassador for The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, because I want to use my following on social media and being in the public eye to raise awareness of allergies and conditions like mine.<\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t\tLearn more\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
\n

Megan returns with her second cookbook Love Gluten Free<\/a>, which was released March 13, 2025.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Allergies need to be treated seriously; people are being put at risk, because mistakes are being made.<\/p>\n

Eating out shouldn\u2019t be at the expense of life<\/a>; food shouldn\u2019t be something that has to be feared, and having an allergy should not make anybody feel like a burden.<\/p>\n

Now that I\u2019m a mum, I want Landon to grow up in a world that is not only aware that allergies and coeliac disease exists, but is informed about how to help navigate and incorporate them into daily life.<\/p>\n

For that to happen, we must start teaching ourselves (both adults and children alike) about them. We should know what the dangers are; we should know the signs if someone is having an allergic reaction or flare up and what to do about it. The responsibility is on all of us.<\/p>\n

My son is too young right now to take any of this in, but I\u2019m very conscious about setting an example for him as he gets older.<\/p>\n

And yes, I am gradually introducing potential allergens to his diet on the doctor\u2019s advice so as to prevent him developing one, but should he still get an allergy I\u2019ll be ready to help him navigate that.<\/p>\n

Because life doesn\u2019t have to be different if you have an allergy, intolerance or coeliac disease. Of course you have to be careful and other steps must be taken, but you can have a normal, fulfilling life – and it can taste good too.<\/p>\n

Do you have a story you\u2019d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Share your views in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was only 11 at the time and didn\u2019t have any grasp of what it meant to have allergies (Picture: Luke Albert) Walking through the hospital car park, Mum and I processed the news. I had just been told I had a severe wheat allergy, and on top of that, I also had coeliac disease. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":350,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=348"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":359,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348\/revisions\/359"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}