HOUSTON -- A Houston-area woman who decided to help others learn from her disease is this month's Jefferson Award winner, KPRC Local 2 reported.

As a child, Janet Rinehart's parents were told she had a condition called "failure to thrive." A pediatrician suggested she go on a banana diet.

"Eating nine bananas a day, which I did, my mother says for a couple of years, which sort of got me over that hump," she said.

She was finally diagnosed in her 40s with Celiac Disease. Rinehart said her last pregnancy triggered it. So, why the Celiac silence?

"It's twice as common as Cystic Fibrosis, also Colitis and Crones combined, and not that many people know about it," Rinehart said.

One in 133 people have it. Celiac disease is a genetic disorder where gluten or wheat products damage the surface of the small intestine. It's often misdiagnosed as Irritable Bowl Syndrome.

Celiac symptoms include the following.

Diarrhea and/or constipation
Abdominal cramping
Bloating
Anemia
Chronic Fatigue/weakness
Lack of energy
Weight loss
Depression
Irritability

"Ultimately, you can develop cancer down the line because Celiac Disease is an inflammatory bowl disease, and chronic inflammation can cause the development of cancer," Rinehart said.

The only treatment for Celiac is a gluten-free diet for life. That means no wheat, barley, rye and oats or any derivatives.

That can be a difficult hard change to make for someone newly diagnosed. That's where Rinehart's Web site comes in.

HoustonCeliacs.org was founded in 1989 and helps 1,500 people with Celiac in the greater Houston area.

"I usually talk to them for at least an hour and a half, and before we leave the conversation, I want to hear hope in their voice. We teach people how to read labels, shop, cook, go out to eat and travel as safely as possible," Rinehart said.

For instance, grocery shopping becomes a very different experience.

Rinehart said you should shop the perimeter of the grocery store -- for the fruits, vegetables, and meats. When you go down the aisles, label reading is key and must be done at all times because manufacturers can change their formulations.

However, some grocery stores, such as H-E-B, make it easier by offering a gluten-free section.

Removing gluten from a diet before being diagnosed can lead to inaccurate results. But Rinehart wants people to know that if you have Celiac, you'll have support.

"My life is not defined by Celiac Disease, it's enhanced by Celiac Disease. My husband said if I didn't have this disorder to help people, I'd have another one," Rinehart said.

Rinehart is an amazing spokeswoman for this disease. That's why she was named this month's Jefferson Award winner.

"Wow, I'm really honored. Thank you very much. My members say that I've made a difference for them, and I'm very gratified," she said.

A big motivation for her is the fact that it takes an average of nine years for someone to be correctly diagnosed with Celiac.

She is hoping the information on her Web site, which also includes doctors' referrals, will speed up that process.

More Information:

HoustonCeliacs.org
Mayo Clinic: Celiac Disease
National Foundation For Celiac Awareness
www.celiac.org