When Lilly was diagnosed with Celiacs Disease at age 2, I was very worried that some of her life experiences would be limited. It has been a learning curve to go to birthday parties, work with the preschool menu, etc. Would she really be able to ever go away to a summer camp, where we are not there to help her make the right choices with her food?

Needless to say, I was incredibly excited to learn that Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery™ wants to give children with Celiacs the same chance to go to camp as other kids. Rudi’s is offering 20 children (10 in Canada and 10 in the United States) the chance to spend a week at a summer camp where the food is completely gluten-free through their Happy Camper Scholarship. This is the first year this contest is offered in Canada and while Lilly is too young for camp just yet, it has me very excited for her future!

Winning Canadian kids can look forward to an experience at either the Rod McDaniel Celiac Kids Camp at Camp Kindle in Alberta where campers can take on the ropes course, go hiking, and try new sports, or the Camp Silly Yak at Brigadoon Village Camp in Nova Scotia where kids enjoy swimming, canoeing, hiking and the talent show contest.

Between February 18 – March 18, 2014, Canadian parents* with eligible children ages 8-17, can enter the Happy Camper contest by ‘liking’ Rudi’s Gluten-Free on Facebook and helping their child submit a 100-word statement on what makes him or her special. Winners will be notified by April 1, 2014, to allow them plenty of time to plan for the summer camp experience of a lifetime. So simple!

-Rudi’s Gluten-Free Camping Giveaway-

In addition to the camp scholarships, Rudi’s wants to encourage EVERYONE to enjoy the great outdoors this summer. They are giving away an incredible camping package valued at $250! Enter to win a tent and cooler, so that your family can enjoy nature in style!

Prize: LightSpeed Tent that sets up and tears down quickly, has a large front door and two side windows for ventilation, an extended awning for added protection, and more. Tent sleeps 6. You will also receive a cooler with two insulated compartments for both hot and cold storage, and is made with waterproof material.
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With opportunities like this from a great company like Rudis, it really is the ideal solution for Celiacs children like my daughter, to enjoy the same summer experiences as everyone else.

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This post struck a chord with me. There has been something that I have wanted to get off my chest for a long time and this article really just gave me that last push to spit it all out.

I am positive that I have Celiacs disease. I have yet to be diagnosed, because when our daughter was, I was dealing with a hernia. I got that repaired, spent a few months getting strong again and then got pregnant. My pregnancy has been complicated with risks of stroke, etc. Not that any of that would have mattered, since I am not going on gluten for 6 weeks and making myself sick when I have a baby depending on me to be healthy for him.

So needless to day, my full diagnoses has been put on hold for a while.

Should that really matter to anyone else? No. Should I eat gluten simply because I haven’t officially been told I can’t, even though it makes me sick? No.

Unfortunately, that is not the way that many people in my life feel. Sadly, I actually get where they are coming from. There are a lot of people, especially young girls/women, who are making the choice to go gluten free because they think it will help them loose weight. It is due to them that many of the people I have spoken to are concerned for me. As if I need additional validation against the “fad” that has risen out of the gluten free wave.

Let me be clear, I am not talking about anyone who feels they are gluten intolerant, or parents of children who have had to make the choice due to developmental disorders, etc. If you have a genuine medical concern related to going gluten free, or someone in your household does, then I get it completely.

Some facts about my case in particular:

• Our daughter was diagnosed around her second birthday. You can read all about it here.
• I am the carrier of the gene that was passed onto Lilly. We know that. It is in my side of the family.
• I spent nearly 2 years after Lilly was born with tremendous stomach problems. I was eating horrible food at all hours of the day/night, because I was an exhausted new mother. I wasn’t working out, and yet I was the lowest weight I had been since I was 13 years old…something there does not add up.
• Fact about Celiacs Disease, it can lay dormant in a person’s body and be triggered by a stressful event. Such as a big move, marriage, PREGNANCY, etc.
• When Lilly was diagnosed, I quit gluten along with her. It just seemed easier. ALL of my stomach issues went away! Suddenly I was no longer dealing with excess bloating, fatigue and nausea. Also, some issues I had been having with arthritis in my hip stopped flaring up – a common symptom for some individuals with Celiacs if they have gluten.
• Also when I quit gluten, I gained a good 10lbs. I felt healthier and stronger. I had better colour and my close family stopped saying that my face looked sunken in.

Will I go get a diagnoses one day? Yes, very likely. When I am done with all this hernia (which needs to be repaired again), babies and stroke business, then I will go put myself through 6 weeks of hell to get a little piece of paper and validate FOR EVERYONE what I already know.

I am not asking everyone to go out of their way to make my life easier. I can and have been preparing and bringing snacks and food for Lilly and I when we go places. I am not asking for sympathy for the new lifestyle we have.

What I am asking for is for everyone to kindly butt out of my personal health choices and stop saying the contradicting phrase ‘well, you haven’t actually been diagnosed.” Yes, thank you. I am very much aware.

For now, it is my body, my lifestyle, and I will do what I feel I need to do, to be in the best of health I can be for myself and my family.

Ideally speaking, everyone else will kindly back off.

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