Empathic Ink

In March of last year, my daughter was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. On one hand, we're thankful that's all it is and that as long as she doesn't eat gluten at all for the rest of her entire life , she'll be okay. On the other hand, Celiac Disease is no joke! It's not a simple food allergy. It's an autoimmune disease that can affect her entire system, not just her stomach, and it has. Looking back at the problems she started having in middle school, a lot of things make sense, now. Is it all connected to Celiac? We'll never know. However, after doing a lot of research, I'd say it played a role in a lot of it. That's why I wanted to share our experience because, from what I've learned so far, this disease affects everyone differently. Joint Pain Around sixth grade, my daughter started complaining that her knees hurt when she bent down and that her ankles sometimes caused her pain when she walked. After talking to her pediatrician about her disc...

I often hear parents of newborns say, “It’ll be easier in a few months when they’re on a better sleeping and feeding schedule.” That never happens. They often say, “It’ll be easier when they’re toddlers and can do more.” Yes, they can do a lot more, leaving you chasing them everywhere and tired for several years. Then they say, “Oh, I can’t wait until they start school so I can take a break.” And then your baby goes to get out of the car on that 3 rd day and starts to cry, not wanting to go and have to leave you, yet again, for what feels like an eternity. You’ll cry, too. Then it’s, “It’ll be so much easier when they can drive themselves to school and ball practice.” And then you worry yourself sick every time they get behind the wheel or ride with a friend. During those tough teenage years, they say, “I can’t wait for them to grow up and start living their own lives.” Then, they do. That’s the part no one warned me about! Letting go, for me, has 100% been the hardest part of be...