“Wow, that sucks.”

I’ve heard this phrase a few times since hearing my “diagnosis” and sharing with others.  But the truth is, unless you’ve experienced what I have over a period of 10 years, you wouldn’t really understand how this does not suck AT ALL.  Just because the word “disease” is involved in the name of what supposedly “is wrong with me” does not mean that I’m wasting away or missing out on something in life.  It’s quite the opposite now.

Now that a couple of doctors actually PAID ATTENTION to what I was telling them and diagnosed me correctly, despite what a few others have done in the past, I no longer have to live with one or more of the symptoms that I’ve faced on a daily basis.  By labeling me with CD, I can now move on to eating food that:

1. makes me feel good
2. aids in healing my body
3. makes me a healthier individual
4. tastes better than any food I’ve eaten in my entire life (yea, that’s right, you’re missing out!)

I know there’s the wonderment of what this means for my future seeing as how there’s a minimum of 10 years damage done to my digestive system, but this has hardly been a thought in my mind.  I think this has to do with the fact that I’ve been diagnosed “young” and that Dr. Flax and his nurse seemed to be so positive after hearing what I knew not only about CD but how it affects my body and my knowledge on how to prepare the right foods.

I truly am thrilled at the challenge thrown my way to create delicious food in a whole way; it was getting a little monotonous ;)  You’ll be able to see Krista Kooks for more details on the food coming out of my kitchen these days.

All that said, my concerns come when thinking about the times Henry or I do not have control over what my meal selections will be or how they are prepared.  Eating in Houston isn’t so bad thanks to an amazing Celiac group here in Houston as well as a decent amount of knowledge by chefs in this city.  Our concerns come for when we travel to other cities or countries as well as when we eat at other people’s homes.  That might sounds harsh, but, when it comes to your health, etiquette gets a little less important.  This past weekend, we traveled to San Antonio.  Because we stayed in a hotel (Homewood Suites), I was able to bring food I’d already prepared in order to make sure I stayed within the diet I’m supposed to.  Nevertheless, we know that we’ll be able to work it out in most situations, obviously.

Overall, I’m LOVING the food I’ve been eating since the start of my diet, I’m so happy to see my body regain it’s strength, I’m thankful I FINALLY know what’s wrong with me, and I’m so glad I know how to handle all of this.

Most of all, I’m thankful for a husband that reacted in a way like no one else.  He was there for me in a way that I never expected and in a way that I didn’t know was part of him.  I saw a whole new side to the man I married.  I can only imagine how other guys might have reacted, but he just showed me a whole new reason why he is the one God chose for me.  He was there at every appt with me, asked more questions than I could think of, and never cared ONCE how this affected him.  He still constantly cares to make sure that what I put in my mouth is the right thing.

Ok, I’m sure you are ready for the gushy stuff to be over ;)  Next time, I’ll share how grocery shopping is a whole new world!