Friday, March 15, 2013

Does Patience Come With Time?

It has come to my attention that most of my blogs seem to shed a negative light on Celiac Disease. I suppose it's because I'm in that state of mind with the disease that I resent it more than I embrace it at the moment. Do people embrace it more over time?

When explaining my gluten free lifestyle to people, I don't tell anyone that I hate it but in my head the thought definitely crosses my mind. I don't want to come off ungrateful for being able to rid myself of the stomach issues I had for 2 and a half years undiagnosed. I don't want to be that girl that whines and complains about things she can't control.

Since I have made it pretty clear that this is a positive blog, not a negative one, I'm going to list the benefits of being diagnosed with Celiac Disease, emotionally and physically:

1) Forcing you to eat home cooked meals, not fast food or restaurant food, which can be very unhealthy

2) Finding out who your real friends are. Your true friends will go through the process with you, researching the meaning of Celiac Disease and restaurants and foods you can eat

3) Sence of maturity, knowing that one slip up can cause you pain for hours, or even days. Yes, you always have to be on guard, but you realize that the fate of your stomach is your own decision

4) It's a great conversation starter for people who want to know a random fact about you. It takes them off gaurd, which I find entertaining

5) Appreciation for the taste of food. I used to be a really picky eater and it just makes me cringe because, now, as long as something tastes like food and not cardboard, it puts me in the best mood ever. It doesn't take a Celiac Diseaser long to realize the red flags for cardboard-tasting food. Eating home cooked meals always taste better than any precooked meal found at the grocery store.

So there you have it. But what I really want to know: Do people truly embrace the disease more over time?? I sure hope so. I can see how the link between Celiac Disease to depression is very high (Don't worry. Celiac Disease doesn't get to me that much)

(Follow me on Twitter @HoldTheWheat)

2 comments:

  1. I struggle with patience, too, as I haven't started feeling better yet.

    For a laugh, here are a few funny Gluten Dude posts on the topic of good things about celiac disease:

    http://glutendude.com/celiac/13-reasons-to-be-thankful-you-have-celiac-disease/
    http://glutendude.com/celiac/8-great-things-about-celiac-disease/

    -Molly

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  2. I think you definitely learn to embrace it over time. Some people take longer than others but I learned to embrace it pretty quick! I just take the days where I feel good to be glad I feel that way because I'm not eating gluten. And I take the days where I feel bad to hate how I feel from gluten and be glad I can feel better without it. Just my opinion..but I think you're nowhere close to being alone on this topic!

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