Losing My Taste For Bloody Marys

Three words: Bloody Mary Bar. One does not simply pass up such an opportunity to load an alcoholic beverage with goodies like they're fixing up a salad at a salad bar - so obviously me and my friends had to partake.

After mixing up my own drink concoction, I sat down at the booth and began sipping away. However, within a matter of seconds I had convinced myself that it could possibly contain wheat because I hadn't had one since my diagnosis. This led me to Google 'Are bloody marys gluten free?' to gain a consensus on the situation. The search results consisted of conflicting information that didn't put me at ease in any way. When someone's allergic reaction relies on the fate of Google's search results, it's disconcerting when half of the results say it's gluten free and the other half definitely reads otherwise. Losing my appetite for the drink I was so excited for, I pushed it aside and kept to my water for the rest of the meal. Damn Google!

The point of the matter is, I wish Google or a similar website could give me one specific answer when the fate of my stomach is in the internet's hands. I've said it once and I'll say it again: when Celiac Diseasers rely solely on Google to give the 'ok' for what we consume, it worries me how easily the internet could easily lie or give inaccurate information. I know celiac.com is available but it doesn't include every drink or food I ponder about. So for those situations where Google is pulling me in different directions, I'll just keep to my water.

Decreasing the Length of the Pre-Celiac Disease Journey

Grey's Anatomy is one of my favorite shows and I can honestly admit to having watched every episode. One common story line (other than the doctor's sex lives) throughout the series is a misdiagnose of a patient's symptoms. Of course I mainly watch the show to soak up some McDreamy and (now dead) McSteamy eye candy, it's safe to assume that this situation is a common occurrence in reality beyond the TV show.

Every Celiac Diseaser knows his or her facts: 1 out of every 133 people knowingly and unknowingly has this autoimmune disease. I distinctly have memorized this statistic because I'm pretty sure it was one of the first things the doctor told me upon my finally correct diagnosis. It intrigued me that this disease was a lot more common than I ever thought but, after my own long journey of doctors visits, it makes sense that many people don't even know that gluten is their enemy.

Although I'm thankful of my eventual diagnosis, I cant help but resent all the doctors I visited in those 2.5 years of mystery and stomach pain when one simple blood test or intestinal biopsy was all that was required. My million dollar question is: Why aren't people automatically getting tested for Celiac Disease??

Some people are born with Celiac Disease while other unfortunates develop it over time. Doctors know this but they don't seem to be acting upon the fact. My only hope is that someday our society will be tested for gluten intolerance and Celiac Disease before they experience the stomach pains and intestinal issues that I dealt with for years.

I worry I may be biased because of my own experience, which leads me to ask you how long was your pre-Celiac Disease journey??

Follow me on twitter @holdthewheat to read my perspective of celiac disease on a daily basis.