The spring of 2008 was a challenging year for our family. Whenever I saw another family go through a scary time because of health issues with their child, I always felt very sorry for them, but could not imagine how I would make it through something like that. Little did I know, I was about to find out.
Our precious two year old daughter, Savannah Grace, was normally a fun loving, outgoing toddler. She was a vivacious, healthy little girl with a gigantic appetite! But in the spring of that year she gradually became clingy and more grouchy than usual, so we thought she was going through a stage. What was more unusual were the tummy “issues” that she was having. It had suddenly gotten worse, and we thought she might have a milk allergy or something similar, so we took her to the pediatrician. The doctor wisely knew something was majorly wrong with Savannah Grace when she saw how distended her little belly had become. She immediately ordered a blood panel to be administered and helped us get an appointment with a specialist at La Bonheur hospital in Memphis.
As we waited for our appointment, Savannah Grace was getting worse by the day. She would barely eat anything, and insisted on sitting in my lap when she did. Afterwards, she immediately got sick. She was miserable. We prayed over our baby, and waited on the appointment. We were ready for answers.
That day finally came, and my husband, Ryan, drove our family of four to Memphis. We had heard that our doctor was gruff, but we also heard he was the best! He took one look at Savannah Grace, felt her little tummy, and gave us some bad news. He said that something was very wrong with Savannah Grace, and probably had been for some time. He started reeling off the list of tests she needed, and the possibilities of horrible things that could be wrong. The doctor said that our sweet little two-year-old daughter could possibly have Cancer, Cystic Fibrosis, Chromes Disease, a parasite, Celiac Disease…. the list went on and on. We left the doctor’s office crying and afraid. We were scared to put our baby through all of these tests and were terrified of what the results may be. We prayed over her in the parking lot and tried to gain our composure before the drive home… and before the calls to our worried friends and family.
Next was the wait. The weeks that followed are now a blur. I remember feeling overwhelmed and sad, but also I felt a kind of numbness. We sent e-mails out to everyone we knew, begging for prayer. We were asking everyone to pray for Savannah Grace to be healed, or to have a parasite or Celiac Disease. These were the least detrimental of the possible diagnoses from our perspective. Through the weeks of waiting and testing, we were finally able to cross some things off the list, but, the doctor said that her colon was extremely inflamed. She was also horribly malnourished, and had been loosing nutrients when she went to the bathroom. Illness showed all over our daughter…her skin was pale and she was very thin except for her belly, which was incredibly distended. Every day that went by was worse than the one before… she was so very sick. Mother’s Day was approaching and I remember thinking that all I wanted for Mother’s Day was for my baby to be healed. During those few weeks we prayed, quoted scripture, and waited for what seemed like an eternity.
Then, one day, it finally happened. We got the results! Our prayers had been answered. Savannah Grace had Celiac Disease, and could be completely treated with a gluten free diet. I knew it would be a challenge as a mother, but I was thrilled begin this new journey! I never thought I would be so grateful for a mere dietary restriction. Savannah Grace showed miraculous results; they said it could take up to six weeks to recover but she was back to herself in 10 days! Our doctor suggested that our entire family get tested, so we later discovered that our other daughter also had Celiac Disease.
Although my husband and I were overwhelmed with gratitude to the Lord for healing our baby, going gluten free was a little more challenging than I had imagined. Thankfully, I was already very aware of what my children ate, so I only needed to learn to read the labels. This proved more difficult than I anticipated because legally gluten doesn’t have to be listed with the name “gluten.” It can be hidden under broad ingredient labels such as “natural flavors” or “spices.” If we introduce a new product into our family I call the company to verify the gluten free status. My goal is to list everything in my gluten free notebook, but this can be a challenge with three kids to take care of! We eat lots of fruit, veggies, cheese, rice, and plain meat, which enables me to primarily shop the outer perimeter of the grocery store. If either of my girls are going to an event that is not in my home, I call and ask if food will be served, and try to replicate the menu. This could be considered a hassle, especially now that I have school aged children, but I consider it all joy! There is not a day that goes by that we are not affected by being gluten free, but it serves as a glorious reminder of our God. He is a God who answers prayers, a God who heals, and a God who cares… even about going gluten free.
We are a gluten free family, and are living this way with thankful hearts.
What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease of the small intestine, which interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food. People with Celiac Disease cannot tolerate gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, rye, or barley. Celiac Disease is not an allergy, and it is hereditary. Gluten can be found in a huge variety of food, but can also be found in everyday products such as shampoo, medicine, vitamins, and lotion. Symptoms are across the board and may include but are not limited to diarrhea, constipation, skin rashes, stomach pain, distension of the stomach, anemia, depression, joint pain, migraine headaches, etc. Please visit www.celiac.org for a complete list of signs and symptoms.
Rebecca Carwell
A former Elementary school teacher who now is at home with her husband and three children. She has become an advocate for Gluten free food availability at many restaurants in her community and offers mentoring and information to individuals experiencing Gluten intolerance in her area.