One of the most vocal and well known celebrities with Celiac disease is Jennifer Esposito. Ms. Esposito, until recently, played the part of Jackie, a cop on the hit series Blue Bloods on CBS. To say they had a falling out would be putting it mildly. The actress has Celiac disease and states that she has been suspended from her show due to this illness.
After 19 years of unexplained symptoms and misdiagnosis, Esposito's health issues were correctly identified as Celiac disease. Celiac disease is an auto immune response to gluten. Simply put, gluten is the protein found in wheat, barley, malt, and rye.This protein, to those with Celiac disease, causes damage to the small intestine and prevents the absorption of nutrients, resulting in a myriad of symptoms and illnesses. Depression, migraine headaches, joint pain, intestinal disorders, infertility and in extreme cases cancer have been attributed to this disease. Recently, during a taping of the show, Esposito collapsed due to exhaustion she attributes to her illness. For years many thought she needed a therapist or was just a hypochondriac. She was on doctor's orders to cut back to a part time schedule at work, an order which she claims CBS ignored. The damage caused by Celiac to her body and intestinal tract may never be completely healed. According the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, new research suggests that the small intestines of of to 60% of adults never completely heal despite a gluten-free diet [1]. In 2010 a study was done where 241 Celiac patients showed only a 35% recovery in the mucosal of the small intestine 2 years after following a gluten-free diet. That same group reported only a 66% recovery 5 years later [2]
Jennifer's Way is her blog, where Esposito shares her daily trials and tribulations as she copes with this illness. She is an inspiration and a high profile voice for those of us who also suffer from Celiac. Her strength and advocacy are empowering many to continue the campaign for education and awareness. Esposito was recently interviewed for Fox Files explaining Celiac and her dismissal from CBS.
