Tom’s first blood test

Yesterday, our second child had his first spoonful of actual food. It was sweet potato and he apparently enjoyed it. This morning, we had another first. That wasn’t a cause for celebration and I don’t think I’ll write it in his baby book (or maybe I will). It was his first blood test, at two and a half! The most difficult part wasn’t to get the blood sample but it was to keep him still so that the nurse could get the needle in his arm and collect a blood sample. Four of us in the room and no one was redundant. I had Tom on my lap, holding him tight, a nurse was holding his arm, another one was trying to entertain him and one nurse collected the sample. He was a very brave little boy and almost didn’t cry… Almost!
We are having him tested to find out whether he has coeliac- which intolerance to gluten. Basically, if a person has coeliac and ingests gluten, their body is going to perceive it as a toxin and, as it is an auto-immune disease, is going to start attacking itself. Immediate symptoms range from mild tummy ache to vomiting and diarrhoea. Long-term effects are anaemia, weight loss, failure to thrive, chronic fatigue, weakened immune system etc. and it has been linked to diabetes, thyroid problems and certain types of cancer (http://www.coeliac.org.au/coeliac-disease/). A cure is yet to be found and most sufferers go undiagnosed
Obviously, I would rather he didn’t have it but if he does, at least we’ll know. If results come back negative, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t have it, the
most reliable test is a colonoscopy! I don’t think my toddler would enjoy getting a camera up his butt, even if it’s done under anaesthesia.
If you suspect you might be gluten intolerant and/or if you have a family history of colon cancer, it might be worth doing some investigation.