Diana Piasecki likes to go out to eat with her husband. But the Fleming Island resident has to be careful about where she goes.
Piasecki has celiac disease, an affliction that causes her to get sick if she eats products with gluten — that is, products containing wheat, rye or barley.
“You’re nervous about trying new places,” she said. “If I go out to a restaurant and get some wheat, boy do I know it.”
May is National Celiac Awareness Month, when celiac advocates are hoping more people will learn what the disease is all about. Celiac disease is a genetic disorder that damages the small intestine when people eat foods with gluten, so celiacs must go on a life-long gluten-free diet.