“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.” — Neil Gaiman
Another year in the books. Another one ahead. Let’s review where we’ve been and where we’re going in the world of celiac disease. Topic by topic.
Udi’s
2021: They still suck.
2022 Prediction: Do I have to say it? They will always suck. Please support small businesses that care.
A pill for celiac disease
2021: No pill yet (and still am really on the fence about this one).
2022 Prediction: Nope…not this year either.
The Gluten Dude app
2021: Blood, sweat and tears. Official launch in July.
2022 Prediction: Will kick booty. Stay in the loop.
Celiac Disease Foundation
2021: Still block me on Twitter.
2022 Prediction: Instead of listening to valid criticism (i.e. Cheerios), they will continue to block me. You’d think a non-profit company that is paying their CEO an obscene amount would be more open-minded. Ah well…such is life.
COVID
2021: [crying].
2022 Prediction: [lots more crying…but fingers seriously crossed]
Gluten Free Jokes
2021: FINALLY…the jokes started to simmer down.
2022 Prediction: You’ll still get the occasional bonehead who thinks GF is a joke, but hopefully most of society has moved on from minimizing our autoimmune disease. Hey…a Dude can hope.
Society
2021: Turbulent
2022 Prediction: Unless we turn things around, we are in a world of hurt in so many areas. Greed and power have corrupted society.
Gluten Dude
2021: Celebrated the 10th anniversary of starting Gluten Dude.
2022 Prediction: I ain’t going anywhere.
GOT ANY PREDICTIONS YOU’D LIKE TO MAKE?
Has it really been 10 years?? Wow. Although it does feel like the last 2 have been a time warp of sorts for everything, so …
As for the recaps and predictions, I don’t disagree with any of yours. You forgot to add how many podcasts you’ve done and are predicting for 2022! 😉
xo
~gfjules
Yeah…so much more I could’ve added for sure. Believe it or not, this post took me 90 minutes to put together. Perhaps 10 years has taken its toll on me 😉
I nominate “Silly Yak Disease” as the only acceptable Celiac joke of 2021. The kids book came out in Dec 2020, so the impact was 2021. I saw a couple of riffs on it and wasn’t annoyed. It must be miserable for a kid to suddenly be afraid to eat a snack or a candy or anything. So finding a kind way to joke about it is so important.
Technically there is a pill for Celiac. And it really should be used more often. Because it’s a “children’s disease” the adult version of the treatment isn’t even thought of much. It’s steroids. You don’t put kids on steroids much because it attaches to sex hormone receptors and can trigger puberty. But that doesn’t mean adults should have no medrol dose packs ever. And it is specifically for autoimmune activity that’s damaging to the body. I feel like we’re sometimes avoiding the issue because realistically we’re going to get in contact with gluten. So I guess the solution would be, to stop people dismissing gluten contamination and take gluten free as seriously as it needs.
Maybe if the already existing pills were a standard part of care, then we could actually get the message out that people shouldn’t trigger a dose of medication for us by doing something dumb like slipping gluten in our food. It would be something real in the minds of people who need real Cause A = Effect B sorts of things.
Because the older I get the less I can just “drink more water and rest more” to get over a gluten event.
My prediction for 2022 is that it’s going to be a disappointment. Many of our hopes for Biden are already crushed. Not just due to Manchin. Caring about a medical issue like Celiac goes hand in hand with caring about the Environment and a leader in Environmental ethics has resigned. Reading between the lines, I think she felt she couldn’t make any headway.
And I think it’s going to be a Franken-year. Meta is not just about FB changing its name, it’s about embracing a social culture that centers on VR, crypto and NFTs. There’s going to be more of the Oh look what the billionaires are doing. I’m stuck between wanting to set up a mining rig and wanting to puke my guts out. Sticking with my flip phone and trying not to hurl is winning at the moment.
As for the good stuff:
The world will be like the sky, mostly dark, with brilliant stars in it. Tallinn, Estonia will blow away climate goals in the EU and have one of the most brilliant lifestyles in the world. India has more geniuses per square mile than anywhere else I think and they’re being choosy about exactly how they’re developing. Don’t rush a wizard, good magic takes time. Rwanda will show the world that, yeah, actually they are a cooperative, nice and hardworking people and not just being “forced” into their present positive situation. And one of their citizens will deliver a stinging rebuke via TedX to the world who criticized their development as “dictated.” At least I hope so.
And so, as Celiacs, we also live in a world that is mostly dark to us, but has brilliant stars, such as 100% GF restaurants and food delivery locations. Thank you for the map, Dude!
Nicely done Angelica. Happy New Year to you.
I know this is illogical but sometimes I feel so much shame for having to be celiac when I hear those jokes at our expense… because I feel like I’m a living walking butt of a joke. Like I’m the freak everyone gets to laugh at and point at. It feels very personal when I see comedians doing this. Like they’re saying “Haha you overdramatic baby get over it and enjoy some pasta or you deserve to be laughed at!” and somehow I kind of internalize those feelings.
Maybe one day this won’t happen. I know logically that I didn’t choose this. I got the bad roll of the genetic dice plus whatever environmental things may or may not have triggered it. I didn’t do anything to cause this and I sure as hell don’t want it.
Yet somehow I still feel ashamed when my condition is made fun of and invalidated.
Where I live in Texas gluten free is widely seen as something narcissistic people make up to get attention, not a real disease that can give you cancer. It’s hard not to internalize those feelings when this is what most people seem to believe around me.
I hear you Wendy. It’s one of the reasons I originally started this blog. To get the TRUTH out there.
I appreciate that. Thank you.
heres a prediction from 2022. most people need a life