Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

The beginning of September means I have the opportunity to chat with my friend Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com.  On this episode we talk about strategies for parents and teachers to be on the same page about the celiac student and their needs during the school year.  Ellen has some great suggestions.  We also talk briefly about a student exchange program and the person in charge of the special diet requirements.  I hope to speak with her about this interesting topic on a separate podcast very soon.  In science news, researchers have come up with a tool to help doctors determine the risk of celiac disease to some of their youngest patients, and it turns out the gut microbiome has lots more to tell us, and this time it’s about the very specific differences in the small intestine, depending on where the same of the microbiome was taken from.  These advances in science will hopefully mesh together to allow for a better diagnosis rate in the future.

Ellen and I talk about some of my recent podcasts including the story telling author Ann Campanella in her book Celiac Mom (https://bit.ly/Ep233CeliacMom).  Ellen also comes clean about her interest in my co-host Arron’s ongoing journey after bariatric surgery. 

Seasons are changing and Ellen fills us in on where the food trucks go, as the weather gets colder.

Here are the links to Ellen’s articles –

NEWS FROM THE CELIAC SCENE

What to Tell the Teacher About Your Gluten-Free Child

Are We Close to Predicting the Onset of Celiac Disease in Children? 

Have You Thought About Hosting an International Exchange Student?

Small Intestinal Microbiome: An Understudied Ecosystem in Celiac Disease

Aaron’s Recovery Hampered by Heat

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

I’ve said it before, and I’m happy to say it again – the gluten free diet is hard.  I think one of the hardest parts is sending your celiac child off to school with a new class, and a new teacher. 

Ellen and I have tried to suggest some strategies for setting up a safe scenario for a child at school.  The fact is, every situation is different, every teacher is different, every celiac child is different, and every supportive family is different.  Given those variables, it’s no wonder there is lots of advice out there.  In addition to the advice, a family needs a strategy.

By strategy, I mean a plan with lots of options to pivot.  I’ve worked with many different families and the question of school always comes up.  During the podcast, I mentioned my top strategy is involving the child in discussions with the teacher.  My next suggestion would be, to be flexible.  You may have in your mind exactly what you want or need to say to the teacher, but until you have that conversation, you won’t know how your requests will be accepted.  Our thoughts and actions are all formed from our past experiences, and until you make a connection with the teacher, you won’t really know how to get through to him or her. 

Stay calm, and be ready to pivot.  You can’t assume that celiac disease is new to the teacher.  You might have to change from a teaching moment to a sharing moment.  Ellen had a good point by saying that as a parent you will be expected to do your part to make this a successful school year.   As much as we’d like to think that one conversation and the odd check-in is going to make things run smoothly – it just might – but, as a parent, one thing I’ve learned is just when I think I can predict my child’s behaviour, she surprised me.

The school situation is difficult, there are plenty of variables to make every family’s experience different.  Do your best, and remember every September is a new opportunity to learn more about your child and how they are dealing with celiac disease, their teacher, and their classmates.

I’m thrilled to speak with Ann Campanella about her book Celiac Mom.  Ann’s daughter was diagnosed at the age of 5 many years ago.  Ann reflects on her struggles as a parent of a celiac.  Her flair for story telling is often vivid and pulls at our heart strings.  Being a parent of a celiac child, we often find ourselves very protective.  This approach can take many forms, so each family’s story is different.  Ann draws us in with the detail that I’m sure her daughter has long since forgotten, but stays with parents as they navigate these troubled waters.  Ann talks about dealing with schools, choices of friends, and the good and bad about family vacations.  You can find out more about Ann and order her book in either digital or paper form on her website or on Amazon.  Ann is an accomplished author and shares more about her other works on her website as well.  Links are also on her website to her various social media accounts.

http://www.anncampanella.com/

Sue’s Websites and Social Media

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

As I spoke with Ann, I reflected on many of the celiac families I’ve met over the years.  The one constant is our determination to do the best for our celiac child or children.  However, as is human nature, each family accomplishes this in different ways.

I distinctly remember preparing “speeches” I would give to other parents or teachers about the importance of Deanna’s food, only to rethink, pull back to gain a better perspective.  I always had to think about how Deanna and her uniqueness would be perceived by her classmates and the adults around them.  In my mind, I also had to forecast how I would be seen by those same people.

We’ve all met adults who might rub us the wrong way.  Maybe they are too pushy, or too fanatical about something that’s a little out there.  I often wondered about parents who were vegetarian feeding their children only vegetarian or vegan meals.  Did the children understand the reasons they ate different from their friends?  What were the motives of the parents – health? conforming to a family dynamic?  And I always wondered what the children would choose, when they had the opportunity to choose for themselves. 

It was important to me that my musings were not judgemental.  After all, who was I to say that a particular eating style or diet is good or bad.  This did make me wonder though, how our family was being perceived, or even judged by others.  Yes, the diet was for medical purposes, but most people didn’t really understand what that meant, or the importance of it.

What I did learn being a celiac Mom was to have low expectations of the acceptance of our diet by others who had not been introduced to it before.  At the time, I felt badly if Deanna wasn’t invited to a particular birthday party, but in hindsight, I realize she may not have been able to eat safely in that atmosphere.  I see now that when people questioned my on my diet, I often took the opportunity as a teaching moment, but when someone showed reluctance towards Deanna’s diet, I often tried to turn the conversation positive, but pulled back on the “teaching”.

Being the parent of a celiac child is a bit of minefield.  We have to work diligently to ensure our child’s food is safe, the child learns why they have to eat differently, and eventually how to advocate for themselves.  We must do our best for our child, for our family, and we have to be seen to be always trying to set our children up for success in their diet and health.  This is something all families strive to do, but for celiac parents, it’s just more complicated.  I have always had an interest in celiac families and Ann’s is no different.  Also, I love to hear the positive outcomes of all that work as a family. 

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

On this episode, I again speak with Ellen Bayens of The Celiac Scene.  We talk about the articles she has presented to us this past month.  I have attached links below.  I also mentioned my recipe for Cauliflower Pizza, which you can find at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPS07XMdtwk&ab_channel=SueJennett

  NEWS FROM THE CELIAC SCENE
• Impure Oat Flour Foils Sweet Lorens Cookie Mix Across 35 States
• Study Assesses the Systemic Impacts of Celiac Disease
• Celiacs Come in All Shapes & Sizes!
• Diagnosis of Microscopic Colitis Might Actually be Celiac Disease
• A Shout Out to ‘Eat Out on Vancouver Island!’
• Alberta’s Freddy’s Flippin’ Gluten-Free Donut Truck Makes the News!
• Disordered Eating – Gluten-Free Diet Can Alter Perceptions About Food

A CANADIAN CELIAC PODCAST
• Food Choices for Celiac Kids
• Celiac Scene News Round Up

GLUTEN-FREE WEIGH IN PODCAST with Aaron
• Aaron is All Set for Surgery
• Final Preparations for Bariatric Weight-Loss Surgery

SELENA’S CORNER
• 3 Travel Apps for Gluten-Free
• Book Your Free 15 Minute Phone Call with Selena
• Tuesdays Instagram Questions & Answers
• Selena’s Symptom Relief Facebook Group

GLUTEN-FREE RECIPES
• 17 Creative Ways to Consume More Vegetables!
• Vietnamese Spring Rolls / Rice Wraps by Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

I found the article Ellen posted about the Systemic Impacts of Celiac Disease was very interesting.  Rarely, do we talk about how having this difficult-to-diagnose autoimmune condition can have profound impacts on our lives, even once we’ve been diagnosed. 

I think it’s a good exercise to take some time to think about how your body coped with celiac disease prior to your diagnosis, and if any of those symptoms have translated into very real health effects or concerns, now that your celiac disease is, for lack of a better term “under control” on a gluten free diet.

I remember being taken aback when my celiac daughter, 4 or 5 years after diagnosis and on a gluten free diet, broke her arm and even once it had been given the appropriate time to heal, it had not healed completely (as evidenced by another break a few days later).  When we investigated the bone issue, we were told her bones were depleted of calcium with celiac disease and she won’t likely be able to replace the calcium until adolescence.  It took a while for me to wrap my head around the fact that my daughter now at least 4 years on a gluten free diet, and very healthy, still had weak bones.  It made me think about what I might be dragging along with me on my health journey.

We all have quirks about our bodies, but it might be worth it to take some time to think if those issues might be hold over from what your body went through while waiting to be diagnosed and start the treatment of the gluten free diet.  Food for thought, I suppose.