Gluten intolerant and so grateful for Teeccino!

My Teeccino Story I first began having frequent and debilitating GI distress when I developed hyperthyroidism in 1997. My disease was not due to the usual causes and this meant it took about seven years and several doctors to make a definitive diagnosis and choose an effective treatment. During those years I was introduced to Teeccino (it is important to avoid caffeine when you are hyperthyroid) and I discovered that my GI symptoms were less severe as long as I drank Teeccino daily. And it was a delicious treatment - I sweeten it with Stevia and use almond milk and call it liquid candy! I was using a gold filter at this time. In January of 2005 I had radioactive thyroid ablation. After about 18 months my system changed from the frequent (usually 3-5 times daily) diarrhea to constipation. Through all of this I kept up my daily Teeccino and on the rare occasions I would miss I definitely felt worse (this was before the introduction of Tee-bags which are great when traveling). After another six months or so my thyroid hormones were balancing and I felt better on many levels including the GI symptoms. But this did not last. I began to have even more severe episodes of GI distress and fatigue which made life very difficult. I saw three different Gastroenterologists who provided no benefit. I also saw two internists and began to feel that they were all judging me as hysterical. I am a physical therapist and I do understand the medical system pretty well - and I could not get anyone to take me seriously or make an effort to help me. Then in September of 2009 I finally got help (and sadly, I have to regard this as a miracle. It is very common for a gluten intolerant patient to wait years for a diagnosis in the US). I saw a new Gastroenterologist at a major teaching hospital. He suggested the possibility of Celiac disease. I had to wait four months for my endoscopy/biopsy so during that time I tried going gluten-free just to see how hard it was. After about three days I began to feel remarkably better. Then I had a meal which contained gluten and the next day I could barely wake up, had all over joint pain and the GI distress was severe. I began my gluten-free diet in earnest at that point! And I continued my Teeccino because of an article in the newsletter stating that Teeccino had been tested and found to be gluten-free, especially if brewed using a paper filter. Since my experience had consistently been that I felt better with Teeccino, I almost felt I didn't need the paper filters (which I use with my gold filter as a double filter system) but it seemed an easy and inexpensive way to increase my safety. I went through a very tough two weeks before my endoscopy/biopsy when I had to go back on a gluten diet. This is essential since the tissue changes in the GI tract don't show if they have not had any gluten to react to. This is why it is so very important to have the full medical assessment before going off gluten permanently, because you can miss a proper diagnosis completely. In my case I was initially shocked to learn that all of the Celiac tests were negative. I asked the doctor if this must mean I was indeed mentally ill since going off gluten had helped so much but the tests were negative. It was his turn to be shocked and he assured me that Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance (NCGI) is a very real condition and that in fact NCGI patients can be even more sensitive to gluten than some Celiac patients. This has turned out to be true in my case. My college roommate's husband is Celiac and I have had strong reactions to some things that he has no trouble with. Throughout all of this I have continued to drink Teeccino. When the dandelion based varieties were introduced I tried the Mocha to see if I felt any different. I do not perceive any difference between the other varieties and the Mocha. But I love to breathe in the aroma of the grind before I brew because it smells SO good. And I do think it is even more delicious than the regular version of Mocha. I will drink the Mocha exclusively when I have had an inadvertent gluten exposure, but I don't seem to get better any faster than in the days before the dandelion blends. I am so very grateful for all the benefits I have had from Teeccino and it is my favorite time of day as well. So I must go now to make my daily brew. I think it will be Almond Amaretto tonight!