Hi, I’m Alice! I was diagnosed with Celiac disease when I was 2 and I just wanted to say that I am always here for you, yes you, if you need it. It’s been a real challenge making the necessary changes in my life to live with Celiac, so please feel free to reach out as I would love to help ease that transition for you. :DD

Some common questions I’ve been asked might help you as you adjust to your life as a Celiac:

• How hard is it to eat out at restaurants or catch dinner with friends? Initially, like with most other aspects of Celiac, it’s difficult. But over time, you will become incredibly good at making a clear and effective order that helps keep you safe and you won’t even have to think about it anymore.
• Do you miss not being able to eat breads, pasta, desserts, etc.? Honestly, no. There are so many gluten free alternatives today that are simply amazing imitations that I can’t even remember the last time I craved gluten.
• Do you have any friends with Celiac? Yes! I didn’t explicitly set out to make friends with Celiac disease, but it just so happened that it’s actually not as uncommon as you would think. We have a lot of fun ranting to each other :))

Please feel free to send me any other questions you might have, as I’m here to help. Like I said above, although it is difficult to make that initial transition, once you get practice ordering food and making dietary changes, you’ll be doing it like a pro.

— Alice, Nebraska, USA