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Pat asked if people on the Celiac diet are happy because they feel good,
or bummed over the disease.

Well Pat- for me......it's a real mixed bag.
There are times when I long for the good old days when life was more
simple, and I could eat anything.
When the good old days turned into the Celiac blues (bad days) it was a
great relief to have found a proper diagnosis, and yet what seemed to be
a heavy burden of a highly restrictive diet.
I miss the freedom of going to a restaurant, and not having to
interrogate the server infinite details of ingredients.
I miss the saving grace of being dog tired at the end of the week &
calling the pizza parlor to make & deliver dinner hot & ready at my
door.
I sometimes curse the extra work involved in having to make many things
from scratch for my diet, while everyone else in my family can lounge
lazily & eat whatever is served.
I get really frustrated when I am trying very hard to stick to the diet
and some mystery ingredient gives me a reaction & I am really not quite
sure what was the culprit.
I dislke having to read all the fine print on the labels, and still not
be certain that all of those ingredients are actually gluten free.
I dread having to get a prescription filled, and knowing I have to go
through a big fiasco to investigate if it contains gluten.
When another chronic disease (diabetes) was diagnosed, I felt that the
Celiac diet (heavy carbs) were a big cause of triggering the imbalance,
and tipping the scales.
The Celiac diet is hard to explain to others......who over time, tend to
forget....."are you still doing that no wheat thing????" as if it is
some kind of "fad" diet.
It has become easier over time- almost at the 1 year mark........ but
unless I'm eating fresh fruit, or veggies, I must always investigate
foods & question their safety.
It sure takes much of the joy out of eating. Sometimes I hate having to
ask the questions-there she goes again with that cursed Celiac 20
questions routine......
Besides the extra work, the accidental ingestions, the parade of gluten
that is constantly in our face- Celiac disease is a bowl full of
cherries compared to other diseases- and some would gladly trade in
their (name that disease) for Celiac Sprue.
I do feel good that I know what it is I have, and how to stop the
problem- but happy is not the word I would choose to describe Celiac
Sprue.

Fran/Oregon