I'll be celebrating my ninth gluten free Thanksgiving in a few days. I have a lot to be thankful for:

I have no celiac-related medical bills. Sure, I complain about the high cost of gluten free food. But those costs are very minor compared to the medical expenses of most people livng with chronic diseases.

I will eat well this Thanksgiving and so will my guests. The guests at our holiday table this year will be aware that we are serving gluten free food but their taste buds will not suggest that they are eating "diet food". There will be ample options for those who do not need to live gluten free.

I am highly motivated NOT to cheat. I make mistakes, of course, but simply thinking about the  pain and embarassment of a gluten reaction conquers temptation. I'm glad that I have relatively severe case of celiac disease. It keeps me honest.

I know what's wrong. I was in denial for at least three years, but my diagnosis came about within two months after I sought help. The vast majority of celiacs are not so lucky. I am reasonably certain that my father suffered from celiac disease all his life but never sought medical attention.

My family is totally supportive. Even my four year old granddaughter (who knows a lot about food sensitivity since she lactose intolerant and allergic to peanuts) keeps tabs on me. I think that much of this has to do with the fact that they watched me "fall apart" in the months before my diagnosis. Here again, severe celiac disease seems to be better than a minor case that can be ignored.

Have a great Thanksgiving holiday. Life is good. )I originally wrote those thoughts in 2007 and updated them slightly for 2008).