Freedom Feature: Kristina Schumacher “Ms. Modify”

Connecting the celiac disease and food allergy/intolerance community together by sharing our stories to food freedom. From our beginning struggles to striving after a diagnosis, we can all relate and help each other out by sharing what we’ve learned and our unique personal journeys.

Another Freedom Feature for you this week! Today we’re welcoming the lovely Kristina Schumacher, the celiac blogger behind Ms. Modify! I know you’ll find Kristina’s story very relatable. Her path to diagnosis, concerns, and difficulties are ones I hear all too often from celiacs. But there is hope and her story reinforces the fact that we are not alone and we have the ability to modify, adapt, and keep on living a joyful life!

background: who are you?

what was life like before your diagnosis? 

how did you finally find the right doctor and get tested?

There was a time when I didn’t trust doctors because they couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Interestingly, my mom is an infusion nurse for autoimmune diseases. I can remember calling her one day, crying, saying something is so wrong with me, I think I’m dying. My symptoms were getting worse. Everything from bad stomach issues to headaches, insomnia, fatigue, joint pain, and hair loss! My mom made it her mission to take me to every specialist in Southern California, but sadly they couldn’t figure it out. I heard so many things from lupus to rheumatoid arthritis to social anxiety (What?! Ya!)…. it was such a scary and frustrating time. I was in graduate school at the time and so many doctors kept telling me I was under a lot of stress and it was making me sick. No joke, one day I was watching the Dr. Oz. show and he did a segment on celiac disease. When I saw the list of symptoms I immediately called my mom and said, “I know what’s wrong, I have celiac disease.” After that day I went to my doctor and insisted he test me for it. I remember he didn’t know that much about it and really thought I wouldn’t have it because I didn’t have the classic “celiac look” (yup, he said that!). Once all my testing came back, he personally called me to tell me I had it and apologized for saying that.

how did life change after the official diagnosis?

I’m a different person now! I feel great, no more stomach aches or any of the other symptoms, which has been life changing. I remember actually being excited when I got diagnosed because that meant I knew what was wrong and could avoid gluten and start living life again! The one thing that I was not prepared for was how hard celiac would be on the other aspects of my life. Yes, I feel better which is huge! But, life is different now. I can’t go out to dinner with friends without planning ahead of time, traveling is much harder than I ever thought it would be, even buying cosmetics, I now have to take a double look at things. I’ve always been a planner, perfectionist, type-A person… but celiac took it to the next level and I was not prepared for that.

why did you start your blog and what did you hope to achieve with it?

Make sure to follow along with Kristina on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!

So tell me:

+ What was the hardest part about accepting your diagnosis/new diet?

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