My GF Story
I baked 900 cupcakes my last year of high school.
900. Gluten. Filled. Cupcakes. In nine months.
Senior class historian, that was me, and the job description included celebrating every ASB member’s birthday – with cupcakes for all. I even celebrated half birthdays for those who were born in the summer months. 30 birthdays, 30 cupcakes every time. The most requested flavor was Betty Crocker’s rainbow chip cupcakes with matching sugary sweet frosting. I can still taste them….. *sigh*
I graduated that summer, went off to college in the fall, and by winter I was sicker than I had been in my life. I missed my second quarter of college, back home in my parents’ house, nauseous, losing weight, and miserable. First, I was diagnosed with Mononucleosis. Weeks later, a blood test proved otherwise. Next, hypoglycemia. Again, blood test proved otherwise. I cried and cried each time I got negative test results. All I wanted was to know what was happening to me. I went through stomach x-rays, ultrasounds, and numerous different diets. Doctors and family started thinking it was all in my head. I was imagining the symptoms. I just needed to snap out of it and move on. I felt worse and worse, and began struggling with depression and anxiety on top of everything else.
The following summer my brother was hospitalized with a blood sugar level of over 600. Diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes, at 18 years old. Shortly afterwards, he developed symptoms much like mine. My whole family was struggling and confused. We had always been so healthy. I was starting to lose hope, just trying to find ways to cope with my symptoms. I enrolled in our local community college to continue my education, and planned to live with my parents for awhile.
That fall, after one year of being sick, I got my answer. A little blurb in a diabetes magazine prompted my mom to have my brother tested for Celiac Disease. Positive. Next I was tested. Positive again. And so began my journey living gluten free.
But, my story doesn’t end there.
Ecstatic to have found the answer, I changed my diet immediately. But I didn’t feel better. I was still struggling with anxiety and began seeing a psychiatrist for help. This helped a lot. But I was still sick to my stomach. Referred to a gastroenterologist, I had a biopsy to confirm my Celiac disease. Confirmed. The damage caused from eating gluten was so bad, he told me, that it would be awhile before I fully healed and would feel better.
Slowly I started to feel better. Physically, and emotionally. I was ready to get my life back. And I did. Over the next 10 years my life seemed to just fly by. I asked out my future husband, was accepted to the University of California, graduated with a degree in Psychology, started a career in Market Research, moved three times, and got married to the most wonderful man in the world. Then, in January of 2008 we had our first son, Lucas, and I quit my job in market research to be a full time mom. When he was one we tested him for Celiac and he was positive. In September of 2009 we had our second son, Nathan. He turned one last month, and we plan to have him tested next week. Finally, in February of 2010 we bought our first home. Whew!
Which brings me almost….. to today. A lot has happened in the last year. I’ve had to make more changes to my diet, going dairy and soy free as well. We’ve struggled with eczema and allergies with my older son Lucas and still are trying to find the triggers to his problems. Also, I have changed a lot. I went through a major transition without even realizing it until it was over. It is one that I think every mom must go through. It’s the point where we start feeling like grown ups. Maybe it starts when your kid is old enough to sit there and have a conversation, ehm, argument with you. I don’t know, but somehow I’ve become not just a mom, but a MOM – hair in a pony tail, a purse the size of Texas, an extra arm or two… I’m no longer just a lady with a baby. I’m a house cleaning, organizing, appointment scheduling, grocery shopping, meal planning, preschool room mom-ing, playdate and party planning, honest to goodness MOM of a gluten free toddler and preschooler. And I love it!
