Gordon Banks

Gordon Banks, Labour MP for Ochil and South Perthshire, talks on the impact of coeliac diseaseA condition where a person is unable to eat gluten as it makes their body attack itself. and the unforgiving lifestyle of a Member of Parliament.

I was diagnosed with coeliac disease about a decade ago after 10 long years of suffering, misdiagnosis and prolonged investigations.

After having been treated for Duodenal Ulcers and finally IBSIrritable bowel syndrome - a common but poorly understood chronic (long-term) condition where the normal functions of the bowel are disrupted I was left to get on with it.
 
Things did not improve, indeed, they got worse. At that time I was running my own business and the last thing I needed was to be spending hours in the bathroom!
 
Finally, I went back to my GPGeneral Practitioner, or local doctor and told him I could not live like this for the rest of my life.  I had become very thin and had a terrible rash on my face which felt like someone had rubbed sandpaper on my nose, eye sockets and forehead.
 
My GP referred me to a different specialist at my local acute hospital and he recognised my condition within minutes of reading my notes and speaking to me.
 
After being successfully diagnosed and placed on a glutenA protein that is found in the cereals wheat, barley and rye. free diet I began to recognise that symptoms from my childhood such as anaemia and bloating were indeed very likely to have been associated with coeliac disease.
 
My conditions stabilised with the removal of gluten in my diet but I suffered another blow. After a DEXA scan I was found to have osteoporosisA condition where your bones lose bone mass and become brittle. as well. As far as I am concerned this is a result of the lack of early diagnosis of coeliac disease. It was an added concern I could have done without as I was diagnosed during the General Election campaign of 2005 when I was standing for Parliament.
 
When I won the election in 2005 a new challenge beckoned. This meant being away from home for at least four days a week and living a lifestyle that is simply not sympathetic to the management of a medical condition.
 
However, I gathered together with other Parliamentarians who either suffered from coeliac disease, had family members who suffered from the condition or were just interested in it to form an All Party Parliamentary Group on coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformisUsually shortened to DH, this is a form of coeliac disease where the skin is affected with small blisters..
 
As Secretary of the Group, I am kept very busy as our main objective is to raise awareness of the condition in both the political and the medical spheres.
 
The cafes and restaurants in the House of Commons display menus with gluten-freeWhen a food has less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten so it is safe for people with coeliac disease to eat. options so that it is no longer a minefield. Staying away from home is also easier as I am able to cater for myself when time allows.
 
I feel so much better now than prior to diagnosis and, even though I've lost a lot of my hair, I think I look better now than the skeleton I was before!
 
What do I miss eating? Well, normal ordinary bread, and, a niceNational Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence - an independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance on promoting good health and preventing and treating ill health. NICE had produced a clinical guideline on the recognition and assessment of coeliac disease. cold bottle of beer. However, both of these things can be managed - the bread available to those with coeliac disease is now much better than before and even a local supermarket stocks gluten free beer - bonus!
 
As an MP, I will always work to promote awareness of this condition and I must say that everyone at Coeliac UK has been especially helpful in providing the APPGThe All Party Parliamentary Group on Coeliac Disease and DH is a special interest group in Parliament in Westminster which MPs and Peers can join. It allows a forum for issues affecting people with coeliac disease to be discussed. with comprehensive advice and support.
 
There is life after gluten!