Laurie Schirra, whose daughter Tracey was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2001, now commercially manufactures gluten-free food products because of the difficulty acquiring them. Her food line is called Tracey's Treats.

Ordinary tasks like grocery shopping and meal planning are anything but ordinary for Laurie Schirra, whose 13-year-old daughter Tracey suffers from celiac disease.

Also known as celiac sprue, the autoimmune disorder damages the small intestine when a susceptible person eats gluten, a protein found in wheat and some other grains.

"It is in just about everything," said Schirra of Penn Township, whose quest for gluten-free foods eventually led her to manufacture them commercially under the name of Tracey's Treats.

"Wheat, rye, barley and unsafe oats may be found in everything from candy to flash-frozen chicken, canned goods and of course, most baked products," she said.

Schirra and her husband, John, entered the gluten-free world after Tracey was diagnosed in 2001. Symptoms included stomach aches, diarrhea, fatigue and weakness.

"She couldn't walk once around the block without asking us to carry her," Schirra said, citing bumpy nails and skin issues as additional symptoms and food absorption problems among the consequences.

Schirra said it took two years of searching before Tracey's illness was diagnosed. Subsequent family testing revealed that she was not alone.

"We all had the celiac gene testing done as we saw symptoms in our other children," said Schirra, whose five children range from 5 to 15 years old. "We found out we all carry the celiac gene," she said.

"There were very few things marked gluten-free at that time. There was no allergen labeling law; there was no gluten free section in grocery stores. So I called manufacturers each time before I would feed her anything. Back then, many manufacturers didn't even know what gluten was, let alone whether their products contained it," she said.

Through a lot of trial and error, Schirra and her husband developed a good recipe for gluten-free bread, eventually expanding to other products.

Last year, Schirra said manufacturers also began labeling products that contained the top eight allergens, which include wheat, peanuts, shellfish, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, fish and soy. Because gluten is found in wheat products, the labels can be useful to those with celiac disease, she said.

According to Dr. Ernie Stanley, a gastroenterologist at Three Rivers Endoscopy Center in Moon Township, diagnosis also has changed. Stanley said one in about 250 people are currently being diagnosed with celiac disease. Five years ago, one in about 5,000 was diagnosed."When I was being trained in the early '90s, this disease was classified as a pediatric disease. So when an adult presented with these symptoms, celiac was not even considered," Stanley said.Stanley said weight loss and diarrhea were once the only symptoms typically associated with celiac disease, but fatigue and anemia have since surfaced as indicators.Though primarily physical in nature, John Schirra said it also carries its own share of emotional baggage."I think when people finally get the diagnosis, they feel panic, then relief, then panic again," he said. The second wave of panic is trying to adjust to living gluten-free for life, he added."People don't understand gluten intolerance," said Sande Guetthoff of Butler Township, who was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2003."Gluten is found in hundreds of items from the church communion wafer, beauty and health products, and many others," she said. "Many times, the patient-doctor relationship ends with the diagnosis. Patients are left to fend for themselves and figure it out on their own."After spending considerable time gathering information for herself as well as her daughter and grandchildren — also diagnosed with celiac disease — the 60-year-old Guetthoff began to field calls from others with celiac disease. Much like the Schirras, a lack of resources led her to fill another community need. The many calls she received led her to start a support group that will begin at 7 p.m. Feb. 7 at the North Street Christian Church in Butler."This meeting is open to anyone who is interested in gluten-free living and would like to learn more about the gluten-free diet," Guetthoff said.The focus of the meeting will be to learn what gluten-free foods are available and where to find them. Information and recipe sharing also will be featured."It is important to give people hope that this is manageable," Guetthoff said.According to numbers posted online by the National Institutes of Health, celiac disease affects 3 million Americans, a number that exceeds epilepsy, which affects 2.8 million Americans; Crohn's disease, affecting 500,000 Americans; multiple sclerosis, 333,000 Americans; and cystic fibrosis, 30,000 Americans.

<B>WHAT:</B> Gluten Free Cravings support meeting for those with celiac disease<B>WHEN:</B> 7 p.m. Feb. 7<B>WHERE:</B> North Street Christian Church, 220-226 W. North St., Butler<B>INFORMATION:</B> Pre-register by calling 724-283-1188 or sending an e-mail to jefferinowencade@embarqmail.com.

Laurie Schirra and her husband, John, of Penn Township prepare food for their five children, who are on a gluten-free diet. Everyone in the family carries the gene for celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes gluten intolerance. Gluten is a protein found in many foods and some health and beauty products.