Celiac Disease: Voracious
Today's word is Voracious: meaning wanting or devouring great quantities of food. I adore food but ever since I was an infant I have been limited to what I can and cannot eat. It's a daily struggle -- even 30 years later.
When I was nine months old I became the very first child of my age to be diagnosed with Celiac Disease. For those unaware; A chronic immune disorder triggered by gluten ingestion. It results in damage of intestinal lining and causes diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, bloating and anemia. - If you get the information from searching google. The explanation you would get from someone like me is: Eating bread makes me sick and can kill me. - Not as fluffy as the Google version, but the information is accurate.
I have always wondered what it would be like to not have to worry about the ingredients in my meals. Even, for a brief time, was able to do so. However, a mistake was made which could have ended with me developing cancer. *Flashback to 2017 -- I was advised I no longer showed results for Celiac Disease. Meaning, I was able to eat whatever I wanted. This went on for about 18 months and I was so very happy to be able to go anywhere and eat anything. That is, until I became deathly ill and ended up in the hospital. I was then told that there was a mistake with my results and that I should have never been advised to eat gluten in the first place. Furthermore, I was now in danger of having colon cancer and would need to be evaluated immediately*
I'm not going to describe that procedure - mostly because I don't want to relive it and because it's disgusting.
So, now here I sit. Living off of whey protein shakes to keep my weight up and eating what I am able and can afford. Which is harder than one might imagine. (Example: Gluten free bread = $6 -- Regular bread = $0.98.) You can see where many individuals with this disease can become frustrated. Moral of the story? I AM VORACIOUS! I'm so hungry I could eat a horse, as they say. However, at least I still can each chocolate.
If you are recently diagnosed with this disease and having a hard time finding recipes to create meals that suit your diet. I have placed some of my favorites below. Happy Eating Everyone!