Nancy's Celiac Adventure Blog

<p>Hi there. I'm 48 years old, and I was diagnosed with celiac disease in December 1998. It was a very sad time for me. I knew I should be happy that my medical problems could be solved by diet alone, without dangerous drugs and bad side effects, but still, I wept every night for the beloved foods I had to give up, and I mourned the ease with which I had formerly dined in restaurants and friends' homes. I was single, and I thought my social life (pathetic as it was) was over. Who'd want to date someone on a gluten-free diet? I thought my traveling days were over, too. I'd traveled all over the world, but now, how could I travel to places where I couldn't explain my dietary needs? A lifetime of observing the Jewish holiday of Passover -- with no bread or bread products for 8 days each year -- provided metaphors. I went to a health food store and naively, optimistically brought home a loaf of rice bread. I bit into a slice, fresh out of the plastic packaging, not microwaved or toasted, and I thought to myself, "This is the bread of affliction."

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<p>So now, here I am, more than 7 years later, happily following the celiac diet. I'm married to a wonderful guy. I've become a really great cook. Our home is often filled with guests, and everyone loves the meals I serve, which -- except under extraordinary circumstances -- are gluten free. (Occasionally I'll serve a store-bought gluten-containing dessert, but only when it makes my life easier.) I've learned new tricks that let me keep traveling (although not as exotically as I used to -- but that's at least partly due to the fact that my money's been going into home renovations instead).

<p>Every now and then someone I know will tell me of a friend or a friend's child who was just diagnosed with celiac disease, and they'll ask me for some pointers. I'm thinking that I'll use this blog as a place to post my notes, and then I can direct people here.