At seven, my sister was diagnosed with celiac disease. The first few months were horrible with specialist appointments, endoscopies, and learning every day that there was another thing my sister couldn’t eat. I realized that celiac disease isn’t just about eating gluten-free; it’s reading labels, asking ten different questions at restaurants, and sometimes getting sick after eating what the waiter said was gluten-free. Celiac disease is constant trust issues; celiac disease is the pain that only celiac patients and hopefully their families understand.
Months later, it’s still tricky living with celiac, even if you’re cooperative and understand that you can’t have what you used to. Celiac disease is like a dark cloud; while it may linger, it usually moves on. Even if some of it remains in the sky, the sun eventually breaks through, and the emotional toll fades as positive experiences arrive.
Through my blog and being an ambassador at Beyond Celiac, I hope to help families who have just started/continuing their diagnosis journey.