Leaky Gut and Gluten Intolerance

I am a member of numerous online adoption groups.  In a couple of the groups parents discuss leaky gut and how curing their children's leaky gut has helped with their behavior problems.  I am lucky that K really doesn't have any behavior problems so I have haven't investigated leaky gut but the concept seems odd to me.  There is also a lot of discussion about gluten intolerance in these groups.  Again another subject that I do not know anything about but I do find it curious that so many people as of late are gluten intolerant.  

I have a friend who was having terrible stomach aches.  She went to a GI doctor who she decided she did not like (that could be a subject for another post but is probably better left unsaid for now).  A friend then convinced her to go to a holistic doctor who started treating her for leaky gut and gluten intolerance.  She spend thousands of dollars on dietary supplements but the stomach aches got worse and worse.  She finally decided to go to another GI doctor.  I think there was also a trip to an acupuncturist someone during the six months.  The GI doctor did not know what was wrong but recommended a colonoscopy.  This friend is in her 40's.  I agreed to take her to the colonscopy.  After the procedure we were asked to meet with the doctor. This friend is very high energy and wanted to know if the doctor could just call because she was ready to get out of there.  The nurse said that she would tell the doctor we were in a hurry.  We were escorted to a small room and the doctor came in.  She asked if it was all right if I was there?  My friend said sure.  The two of us had no idea what was about to transpire.  The doctor said they had found something.  I thought maybe a polyp?  The doctor gently told us that it was a mass or a tumor.  I think she said mass to ease us into the whole thing.  She stopped calling it a mass during the conversation and switched to tumor.  My friend wanted to know if she would loose her hair and if she could go to Mardi Gras and then tuned out.  I was desperately trying to organize my thoughts not even knowing what I should be asking.  I have started a blog with updates on her treatment. 

www.updatesonmignon.blogspot.com