"What do you mean Panda Express isn't gluten free?!"

Here is the story of when I finally accepted the fact that I had Celiac Disease

I don't know about you, but when I look at this picture, I start salivating. The orange chicken and chow mien are absolutely calling my name. And strangely enough, they're the reason I finally accepted the fact that I have Celiac Disease.

Seems kind of weird right? You may be thinking something along the lines of "there's no way" or "she's just trying to make it a good story". Well, I'm being serious.

So, let me tell you.

Glutinous loving life

If you've read my other blog that tells you a longer story about my life, you'll know that when I was growing up the only foods I would eat had gluten.

Pasta, bread, doughnuts, goldfish, pretzels, ritz crackers, and the list goes on and on. I think the only thing I ever intentionally ate without gluten was salad (but that was only when we were out of croutons lol).

The problem was I was always sick.

I'd eat and ten minutes later I'd be ill in the bathroom. No doctors could figure out the problem, they just thought I was malnourished. Then they'd tell me to eat more gluten. When you add that up, it definitely didn't help the situation either.

So, fast forward to 18 year old Haley, and I was just barely about to come to terms with my diagnosis.

Celiac disease

I was completely in denial that I had celiac disease. My parents tried to convince me, but I'm pretty stubborn at times. Besides, there's no way this would happen to me, right? Right.

But, my body disagreed. So, I stopped eating it for a few weeks. I didn't notice too much, until one fateful day I decided I really wanted Panda Express.

You can't tell me that doesn't look delicious.

Well. I like the temptation get the better of me and I ate it. I ate the entire delicious bowl within 5 minutes of buying it. I was loving life. Until I wasn't.

As I was sitting at a table in the middle of a very busy mall food court in down town Las Vegas, I started to feel funky.

"It's not the gluten. I ate too much I think", I told myself. But 10 minutes later, as I writhed in pain in a nasty Vegas bathroom that smelled so strongly of weed I almost threw up, I started to realize that it was the gluten.

My stomach had swelled to the size of a small pregnant woman and I wanted to die. These describe pretty much how I felt:

#Depression #GlutenFreeNow #IWantWheatButMyBodyDont

Accepting my fate

After experiencing death by orange chicken, I started to accept that I had celiac disease.

I started looking for gluten free bread that I enjoyed, gluten free ingredients, and snacks that would taste just as yummy as the ones with wheat in them.

Four years later, I have completely accepted my fate and have actually learned to make my own orange chicken so I don't ever have to experience that day ever again!

Do you have any crazy stories of how you discovered you were gluten free? Let me know!