The Child has been gluten free for nearly a year now. She was diagnosed with celiac disease shortly after her 7th birthday. While she was essentially asymptomatic at the time, there were enough little things, that, in hindsight especially, make sense and have improved.
I worried about the Child developing celiac disease from before she was born. I went out of my way to only feed her gluten free foods her entire first year. Her cake that first birthday was gluten free. Of course I was still eating wheat, so the Child was exposed to gluten through my milk, but she seemed fine. She was a fat, happy baby and turned into a chunky toddler. She exhibited none of the classic symptoms of celiac, and the concern faded from my mind as she grew. She was six when her similarly aged cousin was diagnosed with celiac disease, and that, coupled with her self-diagnosed aunt on the other side of the family, made me start worrying again. She had a rash on the back of her legs that we just could not get rid off, a rash that had waxed and waned for 2 full years at that point. Could she be celiac? We asked at her annual well-child appointment, and we were told that was it highly unlikely. She had no specific GI complaints, and was solidly in the center of the growth charts for both height and weight. Everything seemed to be within normal limits. We pushed for the blood test, and I think it truly was a surprise to everyone when it came back positive. Her numbers were more than 10 times the upper limit of normal on each of the tests. Because of the absence of classic celiac symptoms, the Child had an upper endoscopy for a definitive diagnosis. The final pathology left no doubt: all five pieces of tissue taken in the procedure showed changes consistent with celiac disease (Marsh Score Stage 3a).
Fast forward to nearly a year after her diagnosis, and the Child is thriving. She grew a full inch her first 6 months of being gluten free, and her blood levels came down significantly. Her hair is thicker, with an abundance of new growth. She has become an adventurous eater, a kid who is eager to try new things. She has been a remarkably responsible seven year old, and I never worry about her sneaking a bite of a cupcake at school-- she has no interest. We've been working hard as a family to make gluten-free fun and normal; we have embraced the gluten-free lifestyle 110%. The Child is happy, and our family is happy. Gluten Free.
