I was fifty years old by the time I was diagnosed with celiac disease

I later did an apprenticeship as a baker and confectioner, like my dad. Luckily my focus was on pastries, so I didn't work with as much flour as normal bakers do.

When I was in the army, they recommended that I have allergen-specific immunotherapy because they thought I might be allergic to flour. At least they had noticed some link to flour. But nobody thought of celiac disease. That's not an allergy, so the immunotherapy didn't make any difference. The symptoms didn't go away.

Over time, I developed more and more symptoms and unusual things that nobody could explain. The liver-related levels in my blood were still too high and my thyroid wasn’t in a good way. I had anemia too: I needed an iron infusion three or four times a year to top up my hemoglobin. At the same time, I had water retention in my legs.

At one point, when my blood readings were so bad that it looked as if I had leukemia, my family doctor finally thought that there must be a cause for all of these symptoms. He said it was unlikely that I could have so many inexplicable illnesses all at once.

He then recommended that I have a gastroscopy to take tissue from my small intestine. In other words, a biopsy. Then I finally found out what was wrong: I had celiac disease. I was told to completely remove all gluten from my diet from then on.

Of course, I knew what gluten was because I was a qualified baker. But I was still surprised by how often gluten is used as an additive in foods and ready meals. Even where you wouldn’t expect it.

One big question was whether I would be able to carry on working as a baker. After all, I was working with flour every day. I tried to apply for retraining through my professional association. But the application was rejected. I was told it wasn’t an inability to work, just bad luck. That seemed pretty cynical to me, but people didn’t know that much about celiac disease back then in the late 70s.

I then made the best of a bad situation and decided to specialize in making gluten-free bread. That’s how I managed to keep doing the job I love. I can see the positives now: I found my niche and am successful with gluten-free bread.

Because I also offer normal bread, I had to make some changes: I now have two separate bakery rooms. Everything is kept strictly apart because even traces of gluten can be enough to lead to symptoms.

With our additional dietitian qualifications, my wife and I can give our customers solid advice. But only a small percentage of people who follow a gluten-free diet actually have celiac disease.

The rest either have a gluten sensitivity, so don’t tolerate gluten very well. Or they do it because it’s a trend and don't really know much about it.

One thing that has changed a lot is that eating in restaurants has become tricky. They’ll often tell you that things are gluten-free. But people don't understand that even traces are enough to contaminate the food with gluten.

Like when I went to a pizzeria that also offered gluten-free pizzas. I was so pleased and ordered one. Half an hour after eating it, I started to feel unwell and had to go home and vomited. The next day I had diarrhea.

When I asked them later, they told me that the gluten-free pizza bases are put on the same work surface as the other pizzas, the tomato sauce is spread with the same spoon on all pizzas, and the same wooden paddle is used to put the pizzas in the oven. That is enough for the otherwise gluten-free pizzas to then be contaminated with gluten.

I always take something to eat with me when I’m out and about, like a piece of cake. That way, I can go to a café spontaneously. And then explain why I have brought my own cake.

I take my own food if friends invite us over, too. I prefer to play it safe.

Our friends were a little offended at first because they thought I didn’t trust them. They later understood when they realized how difficult it is to cook completely gluten-free. It also makes life easier for them because they don’t have to feel bad if I'm unwell after eating.

We don't go to hotels anymore, either, but always book a holiday home where we can cook for ourselves. It’s the easiest way. Luckily, my wife and I really enjoy cooking.

I try to see the positives in my diagnosis and make the best of the situation. Of course, I have to be careful about what I eat. I do a lot of cooking and make sure I use good-quality ingredients. That means I have a healthier life.

I try to help others with the disease to see the benefits of cooking, too. You should try to turn it into an event: Invite friends over, cook together, set the table nicely, light some candles, maybe have a glass of wine. Friends then realize that gluten-free cooking is possible and also a pleasure – and the food can be just as tasty.

I'm also very active in the celiac disease association and in a local support group. At first, I learned a lot in the classes they offer, and now I pass on my own experience, which also helps me. It keeps me in contact with other people and I stay up to date. Practical tips are especially valuable, like if the ingredients of certain food products have changed or a new restaurant has opened.

An earlier diagnosis with celiac disease would have spared me a lot of trouble. I even had an appointment for a thyroid operation. I didn’t end up having the operation, thank God, because my thyroid levels were okay again after changing my diet, just like my liver and iron levels.

My quality of life is better as well, despite having to cut out gluten. I didn’t used to drink any alcohol because of my poor liver function and because I was worried I’d do even more damage to my liver. Nowadays, I treat myself to a glass of wine now and then.

I do wish that there was more awareness of the disease, though. Lots of people don’t take it seriously when I tell them I have celiac disease. They think it’s a new-fangled diagnosis and don’t understand that it's a disease, and not just a mild reaction to gluten.