On the Sunny Side of Celiac

I was feeling a little guilty about how Debbie Downer my last post was and decided it would be a good exercise for me to write out some of the positive things about our recent Celiac news.  I can hear a friend telling me right now, "Just FEEL what you're feeling, for pete's sake"...bless her heart, that was such a freeing concept when I needed it most.  And, don't get me wrong, I've not come to terms with this just yet.  I just need a little optimism to carry me through right now.

So as I face throwing out/donating this pile this week (not pictured: nearly the entire contents of our freezer plus the kids' medicine cabinet)...

...I'm going to choose to look on the bright side:  

1)  We discovered it early.  Though it feels frustratingly late to me, statistics show that most diagnoses of Celiac Disease don't come until adulthood...with millions going undiagnosed forever.  We caught this early enough that she'll never really remember anything different.  I'll be able to raise her with the knowledge of how to shop for and cook GF stuff and it'll just be a way of life for her. Five years old is a way better age to deal with this than during the already-tumultuous teenage years.  

2)  Since we're committed to doing this as family and David and I will be 95% GF at home (we saved some cereals and the like that the kids don't eat anyway), this will mean healthier eating for all of us.  Just about everything I've bought that's gluten-free is also organic and contains wonderfully good-for-you ingredients.  There's going to be less processed junk filling us up and there's going to be less eating out.  All changes for the better!

3)  There are so many choices out there.  When we first found out, I was completely overwhelmed about the foods this meant AJ would have to give up.  Turns out, there are GF options available for just about everything.  Now, finding ones that taste good is going to be a longer process, but there are plenty of choices to try.  We've actually turned it into a game by rating things and are trying to have fun with it!

4)  We are not alone.  Audrey has several friends with allergies and is familiar with the concept of having to stay away from certain foods.  This will help her feel less ostracized and alone and give us a bunch of resources to pull from as we figure this out. 

5)  Audrey will feel better.  She is already perfect to us, but the inside of her little body is battling against itself and, however mild her GI symptoms are, this will improve them and make her life better on the whole.  

No promises that tomorrow's post won't be "5 Ways Going Gluten-Free Has Ruined Our Lives Forever", but for now, we're feeling okay.  Thanks again for your continued prayers and support!