Celiac Spotlight: Sarah Jay Brown

In today's Celiac Spotlight, we have, actress, Sarah Jay Brown. Those of you who watch daytime soaps, know her as "Carly Benson Corinthos" from hit soap, "General Hospital." Brown was on "General Hospital," from 1996 to 2001. She later returned to the show, as a different character. Her character's name was "Claudia Corinthos." She left "General Hospital" in 2009, and went on to play "Aggie Jones," in hit soap, "The Bold and the Beautiful." She has, recently, been seen on "Days of Our Lives."

What is not well-known about her, is that she has Celiac Disease. Her first symptom of Celiac Disease was her swollen face. She first thought she was dealing with water retention. Then she began having stomach problems, fatigue, and she broke out in rashes. It turns out, many of her family members were experiencing similar symptoms.

It wasn't until 2007-2008, when she was properly diagnosed with Celiac Disease. The road to her diagnosis was not easy. She realized that her face became swollen after eating bread, so she photographed her face when it was swollen. She went to UCLA, and herself, and seven of her family members, were diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Once they went on a Gluten Free diet, their symptoms disappeared.

Celiac Disease is an inherited auto-immune disorder. It is no surprise that her family also has Celiac Disease. Her story is one that many of us share. We all had suffered years of symptoms, before being properly diagnosed. The most important thing, is that Sarah Jay Brown, and her family, are feeling better, and they are in this situation together.

(photo courtesy of: http://images.lifescript.com/Media/Lifescript%20Media/Article%20Images/Sarah_Brown/Sarah_Brown_symptoms_of_celiac_disease_article.jpg)

Sources:
http://www.lifescript.com/health/centers/autoimmune_disorders/articles/how_symptoms_of_celiac_disease_changed_sarah_browns_life.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Brown_%28actress%29