I am lucky. I know that sounds weird if I have to eat a gluten free diet, but I am! More than lucky, I have been blessed by so many wonderful things throughout this change coming into my life.
Blessing 1-I got married! As I grew up I had lots of funny “ailments” doctors couldn’t connect to each other-it was just odd. It wasn’t until I got married and back from our honeymoon that things began to change. Within 4 months I gained 40 pounds and was sick every day of those first 4 months. Luckily I married my best friend of a long time, so he knew that wasn’t what I was normally like, but the only change was getting married and moving in with him. That-and I became the head cook. The head cook that decided to show off to her new husband that she could make: homemade bread, chicken strips, breakfast pastries galore, donuts-you name it. Enter stomach aches and constant trips to the bathroom. Everyone else thought I was pregnant-I knew it was something else.
Blessing 2-We were both working 2 part-time jobs each and my husband was finishing his Bachelor’s degree and none of that came with health insurance. The blessing came in that when I went to a clinic to try to figure out what was wrong the doctor threw a lot of ideas at us. We went home and researched them all and one made sense-Celiac Disease.
Blessing 3- Since we weren’t restricted by which doctors our non-existent insurance would cover, we got to pick who I would go see. In our research we discovered that the closest Celiac Disease specialist at the time was 5 minutes from my house. The next closest-2 days away. This doctor was amazing! Not only was I diagnosed within a few months when most people wait years to finally hear what has been making them sick for so long, but my doctor was great about helping me transition to the new lifestyle.
Blessing 4- It’s taken a long time, but since being diagnosed in 2004 my family and I have learned so much about how to live a full and fun gluten free life. One of my favorite things to do, is to share what I’ve learned with others. So many of my friends or friends of friends have had to face a gluten free lifestyle for one reason or another and it has been a pleasure helping them navigate this new life. I can’t wait to help you!
Gluten Free Life Hacks 