Two Journeys

My life has been revolving around celiac lately. The only way I can explain it is that I am doing my best to learn as much as possible about celiac and the gluten-free diet as I can before I meet with the GI doctor and start the gluten-free diet.

That being said, diabetes hasn't gone away. It's still here. All the time. Being a total pain in the rear. BUT, I feel like I'm starting a new journey. For many years now, I've been blogging (although inconsistently) about all the things that I deal with in regards to diabetes. All the things that concern me about diabetes.

Now my journey involves living with and coping with TWO chronic illnesses. Both of them invisible, yet such a big part of my life.

Tomorrow is my first appointment with my new gastroenterologist and dietitian. I start a journey of a confirmed diagnosis, learning to live without gluten, and learning to pay even more attention to every morsel of food that enters my mouth.

I have had my pity parties. At least the "pre-gluten-free" pity parties. For now, I'm done. Now, I start the new journey. The new part of my life. It doesn't mean I'll never be sad again. It doesn't mean I won't have pity parties again (can anyone say "diabetes burnout?"). But it does mean that I am going to tackle this, like I have diabetes.

I'll do the best I can. I'll hate it. I'll love the things it brings into my life. I'll hate the things that are no longer a part of my life. I'll have good days and bad days. I'll sometimes be sick because of celiac. Just like I'm sometimes sick because of diabetes.

But just like diabetes had never stopped me, I don't intend on letting celiac stop me either. I'm already out there, online. I'm searching and making contact with others. Perhaps I'll find an online community like the D-OC. A community that will help me get through on the bad days, and will make me laugh and smile on the every day. I'll learn tips and tricks. I'll learn new ways to cook, and to bake (my secret passion) and maybe I'll share those so someone else out there, who has been newly diagnosed with celiac disease, will see that their life isn't over.

This blog has been diabetes for so long. It will still be diabetes, it just might be a bit more celiac for a while. And then one day I'll find the happy medium, and I'll share both sides of my story in equal parts, so others can share with me.