Our numbers are growing...we're coming to take you out!

Last week, I was in Chapters looking for a specific book about dealing with cognitive behaviour therapy (check my other blog for more about me and my therapy!) and ended up in the recipe books section. Yeah, I can't follow that logic either...but anyway...I did my usual scan for gluten free cookbooks (even though I don't buy them cause I just tweak all my recipes to make them gluten free) and couldn't believe how MANY there were. I swear when I was first diagnosed, there were TWO. Yes, TWO...and they were both by the same author. Cooking GF and Baking GF. Now, I found three SHELVES of gluten free (and other allergy free ones as well) cookbooks. My jaw hit the ground (I'm still bruised). I couldn't believe it. GF cookies, GF cakes, GF meals, GF...well, you get the point...it was damn impressive! I still didn't buy any but I stayed there for a little bit just taking it in and feeling pride that my "disease" was finally getting more recognition. In other news, I now have two other family members with Celiac (my dad's sister and my grandmother, his mom) and at least four friends with either diagnosed Celiacs (two-Rachel and Sarah) and two friends who eat gluten free because they feel better (Kelly and Natalie). In addition, one of my coworkers is Celiac and my boss is gluten intolerant. Sadly, this makes me happy. Not to see them suffer or watch as they struggle to find food but to have other people that understand EXACTLY what I am going through is like validation that I'm not just doing this to piss people off or being picky. I can bemoan the cost of food to them, share in the excitement of a new gluten free product that doesn't taste like a lump of sawdust, swap recipes, give each other tips on great places to eat or foods to try. When I go to eat at their house, I can relax knowing they aren't going to send me to the bathroom. When I was diagnosed 5 years ago, I knew NO ONE with my issues...now, I'm forming an army! Oh yeah!