200th Post

This is my 200th article with this blog! Two Freaking Hundred.

I am so grateful to everyone that reads these posts. I started the blog because I wanted to talk about my participation in the Nexvax trial. I thought the celiac community would be interested in what it was and what the trial really looked like from someone on the inside. This blog has blossomed into a place for me to share information, vent frustration, and receive support when I’m down.

Some days the posts come easily and sometimes they come a little more slowly. Other times, it is down right challenging because I doubt myself. But each day I try to post, no matter the challenge. I sometimes think I go down a rabbit hole that nobody will be interested in and many times, lots of you have been thinking the same things. Other days, I think I’ve hit a homerun article and you all aren’t impressed. I’ve even had to write an apology about something because I don’t always get it right. But I try to write every day.

I’ve been writing this blog for about 18 months. I’ve written about a variety of things. My most popular article has been the about cross contamination and it was one of the first articles I wrote. The best part of that one was that it got picked up by a major celiac website. A friend of mine knew I wrote this blog and forwarded me my article. She said that I should write articles like this – when I told her I wrote the article, she was very impressed! That was a cool moment.

I talk about scientific information – clinical trials, genetics, diseases associated with celiac, and any new research that comes out. I want to keep us on the forefront of information here. I want this to be a reliable source for scientific information. I read the articles, think about how it affects the community, and then provide the information to you all. I provide links to all of the information and source materials I used so that you can go make sure that I’m doing this right.

Also, regarding clinical trials, I want everyone that is able to participate if they can. Many clinical trials do not involve drugs or consuming gluten, so that is a great option!

I talk about social issues – living with the disease, diagnostic processes, and information about how to handle social situations with celiac. Sometimes these are received well. Other times, I get a lot of feedback saying that I can be judgemental. Even more times, I get feedback saying that I’m just plain wrong.

I also sometimes express my emotions – sometimes I’m angry because of misinformation or sometimes I just can’t keep a positive attitude anymore about celiac. I’m sure we all have these days and we just can’t stand it anymore. This group has picked me up in ways you cannot even imagine.

I’ve posted short videos about celiac and reading labels and hope to do more. I just have to take a shower and put on makeup everyday to do it and that doesn’t happen all the time.

When I find new recipes that I love, I post them because we are always looking for something to break up the monotony of a gluten free diet.

My goal for the next 18 months is two fold – first to increase readership in this blog and second to self publish a book on dealing with the first year of having celiac disease. I thought about doing a class, but I like the idea of a book better. I think the first year is the most challenging with the steepest learning curve. I think once you get through the first year, you have enough experience to deal with most any situation that arises. My goal is to have it out this summer. So, wish me luck!!

Without you all reading, commenting, and providing feedback, I would not be posting. So, thank you. Thank you for making this blog a part of your day. I hope you get the same enjoyment from it that I get writing them.