Christmas Day

Christmas is finally here! We had an absolutely wonderful christmas - lots of love, laughter, and exciting gifts. Dinner was a challenge this year as we left home for a family dinner at a relative's house. Now I react to any teeny weeny crumb of gluten, so I am always super careful. No one ever really wants to feel sick, and certainly not on a holiday! So I did not eat even though I brought a gluten free dish. I was too nervous about contamination. I ate a few doritos and once we got home I had a really nice chicken salad. I hate not eating at a family get together, but I deal with it as lightly as I can. It's embarrassing when people make an issue of your gluten free status, they just don't understand!

At home we roasted a plump little chicken, and boy was it great! I made sweet potato casserole and had many christmas cookies to munch on. I refuse to let food ruin any more holidays for me! Thanks to lots and lots of trial and error cooking and research I no longer feel left out at get togethers - I either host and make all gluten free foods (no one notices I swear) or I bring myself a small plate. I'm slowly changing things so having celiac disease doesn't prevent me from enjoying any situation!

A good friend of mine's father has celiac as well, and has some health issues. He currently is on a lung transplant list - and upon hearing about that my son started crying asking me when that will happen to me. He knows I'm healthy, there isn't anything "wrong" with me, but he assumed that since her father had celiac and I had celiac that I would someday have lung issues as well. I quickly explained that no, celiac doesn't follow any certain path, and as far as I know I don't and won't have any issues with my lungs. It's very hard when things like that happen, because celiac disease affects each person so differently there really isn't a model of "that will happen to me someday". I know I'm a little out of shape, but overall I think I'm really healthy!

Happy Holidays!! I'm off to enjoy a week of relaxation with my family :)