Diet

Diet fuels our body.  Diet affects us.  How much is it affecting us?  Its a trend, yes, but when it is a real thing it's frustrating.

I had a great conversation with my lovely and smart, 14 year old cousin this weekend who has celiac.  She was educating me all about it and how she feels better after changing her diet last year when she started researching it.  Now, at 14, she understands it, reads food labels and watches her diet.  Unintentionally, this is the second conversation with celiac experts I have had in a week, and those experts are not medical professionals.

I first heard about this gluten allergy 13 years ago, with wonderful husband's first cousin who has dealt with this allergy her whole life.  This was before gluten free was trendy.  Wonderful husband's aunt had only 2 or 3 speciality food stores in the entire south side that she had at her disposal for buying raw ingredients and staples, she couldn't go to the main grocery store and buy things like you can now. At family parties, this cousin would have her own personal pizza and other things that only she could eat.

Lovely and smart cousin loves us so much that she pointed out maybe my eldest has celiac.  I couldn't believe it.  This was the second person in a week who mentioned it.  What I love about this 14 year old is that she's looking out for our best interset, she's not worried about making me angry or setting me off, which I wouldn't.  If you love us, it's like what the new psa says 'if you see something, say something.'

She pointed out that eldest is super skinny (which I've noticed only recently) and we now know he has officially been diagnosed with ADHD.  Deeper into our conversation, we were off topic talking about genetics and how her sister and I are both adopted and it's frustrating to not know about some genetic links.  When I told lovely and smart cousin that I had psoriasis, she leapt out of her seat and said 'THAT IS A SYMPTOM OF CELIAC!'.

Could it be?  I think maybe.  The other person who mentioned celiac to me was eldest's Occupational Therapsit, another one who will say something if she sees something, and rightfully so.  Occupational Therapist was shocked when I told her how much my eldest eats.  I guess these are things you forget to tell the arsenal of therapist and medical professionals.

This week I have a meeting with the neurologist.  I will mention I want eldest tested for celiac.  If he's not the right person, I will go to the pediatrian.  If she's not the right person, I will go to the geneticist.  If she's not the right person, I will add a new person to the arsenal and call my allergist.

The crazy thing is that I just found out this week that wonderful husband's 23 year old cousin who has had celiac for all these years, also has been on medication for ADHD since childhood.  Could eldest be just like her?  I think I have a now 20 year vertan in an aunt to add to the arsenal.  (it's a good thing this is the one who likes me)

I never realized that along with all the things I am: daughter, sister, cousin, friend, wife, working stiff, mom...I'm also a detective, finding and listening all the time for little clues to help us all along.