more days that change your life

So just last week my baby boarded the school bus for the very first time, joining Ms. Wyllie's primary class at Shatford Elementary. Big Kid School. No more preschool. She was very brave. People kept telling me I'd cry when this momentous day came, and I was sure I wouldn't. I am a crier, but generally this is the sort of thing I take in stride, or so I thought. Then I found myself in tears holding on to Michael on our walk home from the bus stop, but not so much because my baby is growing up, but because I remembered how horrible my first day of school was. Luckily, history did not repeat itself, and she was just fine, and 8 school days later, she's still doing great, my young scholar.

The same day Naomi started school, so did Michael, having left his management position at a call centre (where he wasn't happy at all) to join the oil and gas sector. Soon he will be heading West to the Alberta oilrigs, and after 11 years together, we will once again be in a long distance relationship, like the year we started dating. So that would mark the first day of the rest of his life, joining the millions of generation X members who will go through an average of three or more career changes in their lifetimes.

And another day came along this past week that has changed my life forever. I have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Apparently 1 in 2000 people are unable to digest a protein found in gluten, causing the intestine walls to become inflamed, and making it difficult for the body to absorb nutrients. An autoimmune disorder, Celiac disease can cause anemia, B12 deficiency, and osteopenia (a precursor to osteoporosis), all of which I have. The only treatment is a completely gluten-free diet. I am experiencing the seven stages of grief for baked goods, the first stage being denial.

But I will not take this lying down. It's not terminal, just one more pain in the ass. So I have started an online petition asking President's Choice, a major Canadian food brand, to begin labelling its applicable products as gluten-free, a practice which a representative told me they have considered in the past, but opted not to bother with. You can add your name to the petition by visiting: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/pcglutenfree/