Be Free For Me Blog

When I first got diagnosed with celiac disease six years ago I was lost. I actually had the doctor write down the words “celiac sprue” on a diagnosis sheet to take home with me because I had no idea how to spell it or, for that matter, even pronounce it.

How my world has changed since that day.

One person who was with me from the get-go, helped me start the gluten-free lifestyle, get me on the right track and continue the journey successfully was Shelley Case; a complete stranger, but one who personified herself through what I call my “gluten-free map”,  more commonly know as the “Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide”.

This guide went through it all with me. Like my first car when I was sixteen, this book helped me learn the ropes and got a few nicks and scratches along the way. Dog-eared, note-scribbled, highlighted and full of splatters from ingredients of newly-learned gluten-free recipes, this guide became the map while navigating through my diagnosed gluten-free life. 

The first year of being diagnosed the guide was with me at all times. I toted it around in my bag – never quite knowing when I may have to refer to it. The guide helped me discover if buckwheat was gluten-free (Answer: Yes!) or if spelt should be avoided before the first bite (Answer: Yes!). I fondly call my standing-order shopping list “The Page 84 Hit List” and got some fantastic meal ideas and recipes that are still favorites today.

As you can imagine, I was more than thrilled when I was sent the revised and expanded edition of the “Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide” for review. Fresh, clean, unscathed and almost triple the size of my original edition, I quickly realized that the map that helped me navigate through the gluten-free lifestyle in 2003 is now the GPS of 2009. Jammed packed with classic and new info, it is a must-have for those new to the gluten-free journey, as well as the seasoned gluten-free traveler.

In a quirky way the expansion of the guide is symbolic of the growth of my gluten-free journey over the past 6 years.  Looking now at the original copy of “My Gluten-free Map”, I smile fondly at the dog-eared pages, the notes in the sidebars, and the memories the book transpires. I remember the paths that were traveled, the questioned asked, the guidance received and the lessons learned along the way.

I’ve come along way since 2003, and I am looking forward to the rest of the ride – especially since Shelley Case has provided my GPS.