Just as we are getting past the majority of Asher's many food allergies and therefore food restrictions, we are embarking on a new set of them in this household. Addilyn has just recently been diagnosed with celiac disease. Since celiac disease is a hereditary autoimmune disorder and I was diagnosed just before Christmas this past year, this finding doesn't come as a complete surprise. It will be an adjustment to us all in some ways.
We did a blood test at our regular doctor's office which indicated that she might have celiac. To confirm this diagnosis, she had to have an endoscopy to see if there was the characteristic damage to her small intestine. For this, we had to travel to children's hospital in Sioux Falls to see a pediatric gastroenterologist. The rooms at the hospital had video games which Addilyn enjoyed trying out.
If you've seen the movie Big Hero 6, you might enjoy, as Addilyn did, the reference to Baymax. "There, there."
After her official diagnosis, we went out to eat her first gluten-free meal at Five Guys. If you ask for your burger without a bun, everything else including the the fries are gluten free. Yum!
Here she is trying some of the gluten free pizza I have been eating for the past few months on pizza nights.
While we weren't aware of how much she had been suffering throughout this school year until recently, it will be nice to see her recover and get some pep back in her step. She is understandably saddened and frustrated, but seems to take solace from the fact that she and I will be able to do this together. She is really a pretty amazing kid.
If you are interested in learning more about celiac disease and the diet restrictions that come along with such a diagnosis, check out
https://celiac.org/celiac-disease/what-is-celiac-disease/
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