I Hate Celiac Disease

I wish I still had my "Hate Book" going, god, remember those things? What a great place to vent. I was reminded of mine yesterday when working with a girl at my school. Her and her BFF have a note book they pass back and forth. In this age of high tech, it made me smile to see something so simple alive and well.
I wish I had my hate book because I would fill it daily with all thereasons I hate Celiac Disease. I hate it. I'm not even the one who has it and I hate it. I just realized this week that Ava can't play with Play Doh anymore, it's "secret ingredient" according to Hasbro is of course flour. I knew that, but wasn't thinking about it till Ava kept getting sick and I couldn't figure out what was glutening her. Freaking Play Doh! I had to order really expensive gluten free play doh to stock preschool with and a mat for her to play on so her safe play doh doesn't touch the poision play doh. Poision. That is what it is to her. Damages her insides, turnes her behaviorly into a monster. I can't believe what it does to her. Never in a million years would I imagine food could do this to a person.
I hate that she will never be able to go get a "slice and a soda" after school when she is a teen. Our sports teams always do spaghetti dinners in the fall. It's a tradition at my school. If she is playing field hockey or soccer, something so fun and simple, will be a pain in the ass for her. I hate that we can't go to the Applebee's fund raiser this sunday for the girls cross country team. A simple pancake breakfast. Nope, not happening. I hate that we can't go out to eat, or grab something in a hurry. Everything has to be planned in advance. I can't run out of gluten free food, cause there's not much available locally. I hate that slumber parties will be different for her. I hate that when it's cupcake days at school for kids birthdays, she will have to bring her own. That sucks. Big time. I hate that she won't be able to buy lunch at school. There is hardly anything there she can safely have. And college. That's something I think about. The dinning hall.

Mostly I hate all the normal things she can't participate in. I hate that her risk of certain GI related cancers is very high for her. Gluten destroys villi and healthy stomach homeostasis, cheating on the diet is not an option for her. Keeping on it 100% of the time is really tiring.

I hate it. I know it could be worse, but I still hate it. I told you I could fill a book.

I'm Aware Allright!

Welcome October, my favorite month! Halloween Month! A day off this month for Columbus Day ( as screwed up as the history is)! Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Typically, I donate to our school fund raising for BCA month, and that's about it. This year, I feel I have kicked up my own personal awareness to a level I never really needed. I had my first baseline mammo. in September, just like I said I would. Sure enough, I get called back for more "views" they like to call it. Views my ass! Flattening the boob in question ( my left) to even flatter dimensions is now what I call a view. They told me they would take more photos and then see if I needed an ultra sound. Turns out there was a mass they could see in the original photos. They thought at first it was a lymph node. Who knew your breasts had those? Not me, but no surprises there, I never paid attention in science class. The extra photos get looked at, not a node. It's off to ultra soound. Again, who knew they would ultra sound my boob, I asked the tech. To which she replied "Who knew I would ultra sound boobs all day?" The Doc that read the images said likely just a cyst. They measured it and I have to go back in a few months to "follow up" I think that's code for more "views."

All in all, I was pretty calm. I surprised myself. I will not freak out over this, and I will diligently follow up. All in all the prodding, flattening, and "viewing" of my boobs didn't bother me too much. I like my boobs, always have, they are a feature of mine that I am at peace with. Perfect "C" cup ( after babies, used to be a "b"), not too flabby, still not saggy. I hope medicine never has to mess with them, and I have vowed to get them mammoed every year from now on.

Happy Breast Cancer Awareness Month, from my boobs to yours.