Back Up From My Cake, Mom
Ever since my celiac diagnosis, it’s admittedly been all about me. Me and my vitamins, me and my gluten-free food stuffs, me and my pooping. Of course I asked my GI doc about my children, when he told me heredity plays a huge part in celiac disease. Of course I did! What do you think, I’m an unfit mother? He reassured me that my kids only have a 20% chance of getting the celiac, so to just watch and don’t stress.
Now, I love my GI guy. We share the same birthday, and he’s kind of hot. (Although this isn’t exactly the criteria you want when someone is examining your nether regions, amiright?) But now I’m wondering what the heck is up when not one, but two people have freaked out when I said I did not have my kids tested for celiac. Did you lead me down the path of denial, hot butt doc?
One physician, in particular, expressed concern that since I was already in my late 30s when I was diagnosed, that a lot of damage could have been done. And that my kids needed to know their own status asap in order to avoid the same thing happening to them. I honestly didn’t think about this angle. Because I was just thinking, please god let them not have any reactions until they’re at least out of their 20s, aka, the time of beer and pizza. Seriously, how big of a drag would it be to have to avoid beer, pizza, and late night donut hole gorging while in college, or the college equivalent of being an office worker in your early 20s?
I don’t think bringing your own expensive — and very hard to find — gluten-free beer to a keg party is realistic when you’re already underage drinking and scraping together quarters for a night out on the town. (Not that I’m encouraging this, kids. NOT AT ALL. And please do not look at any photo albums of mom in her college years. Thank you.) And bringing it back down to an age appropriate level, what about birthday parties? We went to two this weekend and both had delicious cake. How can I explain to my tiny ones they can’t eat that? I can barely explain it to myself.
I know the health of their intestines, immune systems, and all around business is much more important than cupcakes and beer. It is, right? So the testing is going to happen soon. I’m just hoping they get their father’s high cholesterol genes instead of my funked up autoimmune ones. Wish those kids luck.
Gluten is my Bitch 
My husband was diagnosed at 36. His GI doc said all first degree relatives should be tested. We tested out asymptomatic 2yo and she has it as well. It’s hard, but the household was already GF from him and we’ll save her years of damage. We’re still waiting for his family to get tested.
Yikes. That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. Our household is 90% g-free (dang those kids love Cheerios), so at home it would be easy. I just worry about everywhere else.
Yep. I mourned all sorts of things for her: dating, keg parties, slumber parties. But we’re adapting. Some places have ROCK groups (we don’t)- and at least then they can meet other kids, plus there are a few GF camps and I imagine it’ll only get easier as time goes by. We’re gearing up for a new preschool year, which comes with lots of new challenges- play doh is not GF! We’re learning as we go….
Play doh is not gluten-free?! What the heck?
My daughter is now 17 months old and can be tested. I just got the order from her doc, and I have to take her all the way down to the children’s hospital to have it done. I admit to procrastinating. I fear bad news. I worked so damn hard at breastfeeding this kid because they say it helps. I don’t want her to be that kid who eats weird food. I’ll do it next week, I promise.
I’m with you. I’m convinced my 2 1/2 year old has something going on, yet I still haven’t made the appointment. I know, I know. BAD MOMMY.
I’ve ended up kicking myself over not testing earlier. My father was diagnosed 10 years ago, and we never tested anyone else (didn’t even know it was suggested, back then). 8 years later, I came back positive, we tested everyone, and my daughter and brother have it as well. My son, who was on the diet like the rest of ’em, if there’s two of us in the house, had symptoms that suddenly disappeared on the diet.
My daughter may have developed hypo-thyroidism because she has had this disease for so long. My son is extremely short for his age (my daughter was taller at 6 than he is at 9 1/2), and it’s believed that may be from vitamin deficiencies from the disease, too. I understand it can not only affect body growth but brain development, and then sexual development during puberty, if it goes undiagnosed that long. Quite depressing, really. 😦
Good news, though – when my kids went off gluten, I discovered that all the emo tantrums I had attributed to my having a couple of drama queens was actually just gluten! Off of gluten, they mellowed so much I could hardly believe it!
Oh, Shauna. I’m so sorry. Yet, thank you. You just inspired me to pick up the phone and make an appointment for my kids right now. Tantrums chilled? AWESOME (in the face of so much not-awesome).
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