Slow process and can't put my finger on the exact time frame. I was so sick for so long with my intolerance's that I didn't realize was the problem. I had aches and pains for years--I remember trying to learn to crochet, my hands hurting so much, and my mother saying it was just because I wasn't used to it and the more I worked with it, the easier it would become. Believe me, it took me over 5 yrs to crochet this lap afghan and it is the only one I ever did. She used to tell me that I was too young for so many aches and pains, that I complain too much and that was in my late 20's, early 30's. By that time I was already in true malabsorption, so I am sure much of the "aches and pains" were my neuropathy in progress. My hip pain worsened in 2001, I remember it would come into my dreams and I would wake in terrible pain with tears running down my face, still do sometimes.

I think it is really difficult for some of us to pinpoint when it started. I think it sneaks up on us, we never saw it coming. It was minor little annoyances at times that we didn't give a second thought to at the time.