Oh please let me be over reacting!

So, you may or may not know, but I have celiac disease. For those of you that don’t know what that is, it means I cannot eat anything that contains gluten (found in wheat, rye, and barely – and oats because of cross contamination in harvesting). It severely limits what I can eat, or I have to pay 6 bazillion dollars for a gluten free version that doesn’t even come close to tasting as good as the original. It’s super (not) fun.

I didn’t get it until I was in college (one cause can be stress – my grandfather and sister died within a month of each other, I graduated high school 2 months later, moved from my childhood home another two months after that, then went away to college two weeks after moving – I’m guessing stress was the cause for me) so I was able to enjoy a normal childhood of eating an entire batch of cupcakes by myself, having the stuffing at Thanksgiving dinner, and never, ever looking at an ingredient list. I am grateful that I was able to eat “normal” as long as I did, I know I would have just done what I needed to do but there are so many times that I didn’t have control over what was available to eat and it would have been extremely difficult. I didn’t officially get diagnosed until after I graduated college. I kind of knew what it was (I have an aunt and uncle that also have it) and was in denial so I didn’t go to the doctor’s until after I graduated. The doctor was nice and told me he’d schedule my biopsy (the only good way to diagnose it) until after my wedding that coming August so I could enjoy my wedding cake. I really thank him for that!

My children have a 33% chance of becoming diseased like me. (Meaning they have a 67% chance of not getting it, right???) I am constantly worried that they will fall victim to this very inconvenient (and possibly deadly) disease. I’m always looking for signs but so far have not had anything to worry about. Until this weekend. 

I may be over reacting (I truly hope I am) but I am very worried about Bud. In college, I began developing this weird sore in the corner of my mouth that would last for a few weeks. It wasn’t that noticeable but it was very painful. It was not a cold sore but I have no clue what it was. All through college I kept getting it. Not until I started on my gluten free diet did it go away -- I haven’t gotten it since. I consider this sore one of my first symptoms of celiac. (Followed by horrible digestive problems -- which is a nice way of saying I got horrible diarrhea and extreme constipation on a rotating basis.)

Bud developed this sore over the weekend! I’m highly slightly freaking out. I hope that it is nothing and he never develops celiac but I am going to be watching him like a hawk. I fear I’m going to become my Nana (who had an unusual desire to check my father’s poop every time he went to the bathroom as a child). I love my Nana dearly, but I’d really rather not be a poop checker! If more signs and symptoms start occurring I will have to get him tested. I pray that he’s “lucky” like me, and if he has to get it, it’s not until later in life. But I really, really, really hope he’s lucky and doesn’t get it at all!!

Lily