Everyone hates the doctor, right?

Everyone is always worried about getting shots or failing vision tests. Whenever they ask you a question, the first thing you do is turn to your mom and ask her to answer it. It's not a cheerful place, and when you're in there, it's usually not for a good reason. Now some people like the doctor. Some people enjoy going and getting that feeling of reassurance that everything is fine with them. Well, I am not one of those people. At least not anymore.

They say one trip somewhere can make a lasting impression on you. Well, this was the case for me.

Villi. Nutrient absorption. Immune response. I'm sure you have no idea what these words mean. I didn't either. After 6 long years, I have learned almost everything you can know about Celiac Disease - what to eat, what to stay away from, and the difference between doctors in a rush to the next patient and the ones who will actually stay with you.

6th grade. A lot of people are small. Some people ahead in puberty, some who haven't quite matured yet. We assumed that was my case at first. I was skinny - some even say tiny. I was fairly active, doing cross country and playing volleyball. Apparently, to play sports, you have to have a physical done with the doctor and then send the results to school to allow you to play. Just like every physical, they tested my hearing and my vision. However, when they weighed me and checked my height, they were concerned. I was further behind than just being "small". They decided to perform some more tests, just to see if they could figure out what was going on.

After some more time and what felt like 100 tests, they were able to confirm that I had Celiac Disease.

I could kiss bread, cakes, cookies, or any other treat a child loves goodbye. I had grown up eating all these, so this would be a huge adjustment. It took a lot of time and effort but I got used to it.

Birthday parties were hard, and I had to be very careful at restaurants. This, like many other experiences, was a life changer. I will have this for the rest of my life, and 6 years ago, I could have never seen myself eating the way I do today. People can act like everything is fine and they have everything under control when in reality it's the opposite. Over the past years, I have had many blood tests, endoscopies, and multiple hospital visits. I look totally fine on the outside, and if I ate gluten tomorrow, I would have no idea what was happening to my body.