Merry Christmas to me! This article in the L.A. Times talks about new possible treatments in development for celiac disease sufferers.  I know it’s a long way off, but…does this mean there’s a chance I could eat regular cake or cookies ‘n’ cream ice cream at, say, my 60th birthday party? Wow.

After over four years of living with a Celiac diagnosis, in many ways, I’m grateful. It got me thinking about my health in a more active way, and eliminating gluten was the first time I really felt results when I made a change in my lifestyle. Plus it’s so nice to not even have the option of a donut or McDonald’s fries; will power doesn’t even come into play.

But what I would love is the option of going out to eat without fear. Or showing up at a party/wedding/event, knowing that I could eat safely, even if the crackers were placed right next to the cheese and fruit. Or not feeling like a pest when someone makes a beautiful meal and I have to grill them about the ingredients. For those reasons, I hope there is someday a successful treatment for this disease.

That said, the article is absolutely right with this introduction:

In a sense, the 2 million plus Americans with celiac disease are lucky. No other autoimmune disease has such a safe and effective treatment.

Celiac Disease is a nuisance, but (once diagnosed and managed), it doesn’t really affect quality of life like so many other autoimmune diseases.  Even if it’s never “cured,” I’ll count myself lucky.