It's been a journey this year for my boy cherub.
He has handled it well, but together, as a family, we are figuring things out.
It all started with his 15 year check up.
I received a small reprimand from his pediatrician that the previous year I didn't take him for blood work . . .
you know, just to get the base-line established and make sure things were well.
Here's the deal -- I need one-stop-shop when it comes to doctors!
If there's nothing wrong, then the "go get this done" thing doesn't usually get done.
It's not that I try to forget . . .
there's just nothing wrong to make me remember to get it done!
But this year, when an in-office test came back with out of whack result, I was quick to obey the doctor's request to follow up with blood work.
The short version, which included many blood draws and several months;
my boy cherub was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease.
The blessing: he was minimally affected and he has gotten his medicine worked out and he's doing well.
That was until Spring Break.
Then things turned again.
He began getting very sick, loosing a significant amount of weight very quickly, and nothing was working.
No medicine cured, no test was conclusive, no diet made him feel better, no amount of rest or time was giving him healing or relief.
A little more than 2 months of this; a referral to another specialist;
an endoscopy test and a genetic blood test, and more days of being sick and loosing weight,
we finally had answers.
Another auto-immune disease.
It is not uncommon for these two to go together;
kind of like peanut butter and jelly!
The day we left the doctor's office,
with the advise from the doctor that said, "you either do it all in or don't do it at all"
was the day my boy cherub started getting better.
He received instant relief!
He is gluten free.
Not by choice.
But for health.
We have been on a journey.
A journey to both understand how to maintain his health as well as to understand what, exactly, makes this disease unique.
It is life long.
The only cure is through diet.
We are thankful.
Thankful that it is "only" this.
Thankful that this new diagnosis can be controlled without medicine.
Thankful that even though his body attacks itself, he can lead an active life.
The day he went gluten free, is the day I did too.
The Mr. and my girl cherub, they made the commitment to finish the gluten-filled food that was at home.
That's taken more time than I realized!
But they have almost accomplished the task!
They're achievers!
Once that's done, our home will be gluten free.
To be fair to my boy cherub, but more than that,
to support him.
That's what family does.
While I'm not saying this is a "gluten free" blog, most of my recipes will be reflective of how we are eating these days.
If you're not gluten free, I've tried to make the "regular" substitutions suggestions for you, especially if it is a baked good. Most of the time, it should work to make it gluten-filled! But occasionally, it may not . . . welcome to my world!
We have found great tasting recipes that fit my boy cherub's needs.
Even if you're not gluten free as a life style, I do hope you'll continue to try the recipes and bring a little (gluten free) gourmet into your day!
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