Realization

Obviously this disease is on my mind quite frequently lately. I look things up, I check out recipes, I study it, I ponder it. I have learned a lot already and will just continue to learn until it is all just a natural part of my life.

I have read over and over again that I should not cheat on this diet and that I should be extremely cautious of cross-contamination. I have read why, but admittedly, it does seem rather silly and over the top at times. Tonight I was thinking about that and talking to Geoff about that. Yes, some people get affected by even the smallest little itty-bitty crumb of gluten and others don't at all. Now, by affected, I mean it makes them feel sick in one way or another. OK, so what if I cheat and accidentally get that little tiny brush of gluten? What if I do and I feel fine? It shouldn't matter then if it happens, should it? YES!!! It does matter! Why does it matter? That was my realization.

CELIAC DISEASE IS AN AUTO-IMMUNE DISORDER! It is not a food allergy. Let's just think about your immune system. What does your immune system do for your body? If your immune system becomes compromised by even a little bit, your body gets affected. You are more susceptible to getting sick, like colds, fevers, etc. Well realize, a weak immune system does not just make you more susceptible to those things but to other things as well. Some other auto-immune diseases can be Crohn's disease, MS, Graves Disease, etc. and guess what? You can have more than one. I have Grave's and Celiac. I have noticed that there are quite a few people that have Celiac Disease and also have something else, or more.

So, even though having a brush of gluten may not affect me to the point that I notice it, my body will notice it. My immune system will notice it(yes, even the crumb) and will weaken and could potentially lead to other things. One of the biggest things it could lead to would be Lymphoma, yes, Cancer. Oh, and Cancer is not an uncommon thing in my family.

After giving birth to my baby, Geoff told me that there were a few times he thought he was going to be a single dad. Do you think that didn't scare me? It really put things in a new light for me.

You decide, what would you do? Would you cheat? Would you be a little lazy in the cross-contamination area? I can tell you right now, I want to watch my children grow up. I want to live a long and happy life with Geoff. The fact that my husband is admitting to me that he was worried about that........frankly, that scares me.