Message from a gluten-free Mom
To the editor:
May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month, not many people in the county know this, most people don’t know what Celiac disease is, but for those of us who have the disease it can be stressful.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease of the small intestine, and has many symptoms. People with the disease cannot eat food with gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and sometimes oats. My daughter and I live a gluten-free lifestyle and have for three years. Other states recognize Celiac Disease Awareness Month, and most states have support groups for people with the disease, we have no support groups in the county there is one in Portland. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says that they recognize Celiac Disease Awareness Month but they don’t do much to promote it.
May is a month to educate and make people aware of the disease, and its effects on our society, it is also a time to recognize our friends and loved ones with the disease, and their struggle to maintain a healthy gluten free lifestyle. I have experienced the reaction of others when they find out my daughter and I eat gluten free for some they ask questions out of curiosity, and some people feel pity for us, I would rather have people feel empathy for us instead. We walk for cancer and other diseases, but nobody remembers those with Celiac disease. I raise awareness not only for my daughter and I, but I also do it for everyone in Aroostook County who has Celiac disease.
It is especially hard on children, because they sometimes don’t feel like the other kids, because their food options are different and sometimes they get excluded from birthday parties and sleepovers, because the other parents don’t understand about the disease or are unwilling to try to understand. I have been very fortunate with my choice of a school that I send my daughter to; Mapleton Elementary works with me, so my daughter can feel like a normal kid at school, they even occasionally provide gluten-free treats for her, the teachers are very understanding about her disease and if they have questions they call me. I am very thankful for the teachers at Mapleton Elementary.
Celiac disease can be depressing for some kids because they don’t feel normal. I feel sad when my daughter says that she would love to have a meal at McDonalds. I try to make her meals as close to the food that other kids eat so she can feel normal.
I am very lucky that there are some stores here in Presque Isle that sell gluten free food, Graves Shop and Save has a nice selection of food and I frequently shop at a new store called The Bread of Life Bulk Food Store where I can get items that I can’t find anywhere else, and the service is friendly. I am really pleased that Pat’s Pizza has gluten-free pizza and I hope in the future that they expand and offer more gluten-free options.
The purpose of this article is to make people aware of Celiac Disease Awareness Month and to show support for those with the disease.
Pamela Stickney
Presque Isle
