How my celiac disease affects my kids

I wrote a passionate post about celiac disease last year that continues to get tons of traffic, comments, and emails. Mostly I think because people are happy not to feel alone. And while I usually stick to the topic of how celiac disease affects me, I want to take a minute and acknowledge the ways it affects my kids.

I was thinking about this today as I was lying in bed trying to sleep off a headache. My seasonal allergies seem to be triggering some of my celiac symptoms, especially the ones that mess with my brain. As I started to wake up, I could hear them shushing each other outside my bedroom door, trying to be quiet so I could rest.

I love that they know how to love me and let me rest when I’m feeling bad.

I hate that they know how to love me and let me rest when I’m feeling bad.

I wish they didn’t have to worry about it so much. I wish they didn’t have to remind each other to wash their hands and face after eating gluten. I wish they didn’t have to eat graham crackers on the back porch so the crumbs don’t get in the house. I wish they didn’t even know what the word gluten was.

But I’m thankful too.  Thankful they are growing up to be compassionate human beings who will treat those who suffer from food allergies and intolerances with kindness and understanding.

And in this world, that is no small thing.

 

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  • Gluten Dude March 3, 2014 at 5:38 pm

    Yep…a total love/hate relationship with the disease. Ah…who am I kidding, I have no love for it 😉

    • InspiredRD March 3, 2014 at 5:40 pm

      Haha, right? NO LOVE.

  • Robin March 3, 2014 at 10:22 pm

    Great post. I have one daughter who must be gluten-free and another who can eat almost anything she wants. Teaching the soft-spoken gluten-free one to stand up for what she can and can’t have in the classroom, in restaurants and even at church has been one battle, while teaching the outspoken other daughter compassion has been the other! And to think my biggest concern going into this was to learn to cook gluten-free!

  • Back To The Book Nutrition March 4, 2014 at 6:43 am

    What a sweet perspective on what your kids are gaining from such a difficult diagnosis. No small thing, indeed. 🙂

  • BeaByers March 24, 2014 at 12:29 pm

    Sad to think there are not a lot of COMPASSIONATE human beings out there anymore. Judgmental, critical, cold and intolerant would describe them better. Our Celiac daughter (only 7) is learning this at a very young age.

    Thank you for this post, it means the world to us to put things into perspective.