Thursday, October 02, 2008

Celiac Awareness Month

October is Celiac Awareness Month. Break out the drinks and pizza to celebrate. Just make sure it's gluten free!

If you are not aware of celiac disease, as are most people, it is an auto immune disease that attacks the intestines when gluten is digested. Gluten is found in wheat, oats, barley, and rye.

Our ten-year old, Sparky, was diagnosed with celiac when he was just 19-months old. However, onset can happen anytime in life. In fact, I know a woman who was diagnosed at 70.

Unfortunately, celiac disease is terribly under-diagnosed in this country. Recent studies show that only 5% of people with celiac disease are properly diagnosed. And those who are diagnosed often suffer for years before finding relief. It's a terrible shame as celiac is 100% treatable with diet changes.

Over the month of October, I'll write more about celiac and how we live with it at our house. Stay tuned.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I read about it in the Catholic National Register. It seems a couple of years ago, some people were using to to show how "outdated, prejudice, and rules-crazy" the Church is. They were talking about the "need" to be more lenient in what is defined as the Eucharist because anyone with celiac disease can not under any circumstances ever receive proper Communion. It seems these people have never had Catechism where they would find it is perfectly acceptable for anyone to receive either species for the sake of Communion.
And c'mon who are they fooling? These are the same sort of people who are just trying to change everything about the Church's rules.
Most liberal parishes where they mess with Communion didn't change the wafers or say we should take both or whatever to champion this disease. They are just using it to further their cause- how disgusting.

I hope Sparky has no trouble with Communion. Do they just give him the Blood instead?