2025 Alexis Carter Beaver HS

How I Continue To Live

Growing up, I had a good life. My parents are still together, and my family rarely fights. We always had enough money to be comfortable. I’m the youngest of four kids. My oldest brother didn’t pay much attention to me. My sister had health problems and worked all the time. My other brother was the “golden child” who could do no wrong. He often blamed things on me and got away with everything. Many special events for me, like my birthday, were pushed aside for my siblings’ things. I grew up quickly and was often told I was mature for my age. I’m the kind of person who can enter a room, leave, and come back without anyone noticing. This happens a lot with my family. I can join conversations with friends and not be noticed. I got used to this treatment, and my body became numb to it. I fell into depression early in my childhood. It got worse in middle school when anxiety began to affect my already poor mental health. I had no one to turn to because my parents don’t believe in mental health issues. My depression worsened, and I would cry when alone, especially at night. Many times I thought about ending it all, but thankfully never did. At the start of my junior year in high school, I asked my parents about starting therapy. They agreed, and I began going weekly. I focused on finding the root of my mental health problems and trauma responses. My therapist helped me realize it was how I was raised. My body had trained itself to numb any strong emotions to protect me. I went to therapy for about a year until my therapist said I had improved as much as I could and that I would probably never reach 100% of my full emotions. During my junior year, I also started having physical health problems. Every time I ate, I would throw up and have stomach pain. I was tired all the time no matter how much I slept. Because of my habit of shutting down emotions, I ignored the problem. One day at track practice, I felt very dizzy and sick. I texted my mom, and when she asked how long this had been happening, I told her about a year. She quickly took me to the hospital. The doctors didn’t know what was wrong with me and said I needed more tests. I had blood drawn and took breath tests. They still couldn’t figure it out.
I kept doing sports and going to school even though I felt terrible every day. Eventually, I had to have a procedure where they took samples of my stomach and intestines. When I woke up, the doctor looked sad. I knew something was wrong. They told me they saw serious signs of Celiac Disease in my small intestine but needed lab results to confirm it. A week later, I was called to the hospital. They confirmed I had Celiac Disease and said my entire diet needed to change. I learned that Celiacs is an autoimmune disease affecting the small intestine. It’s triggered by gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, barley, and other foods. If I had kept eating wheat, I would have gotten sicker until my body couldn’t absorb nutrients due to damage in my intestines. I likely would have died within a few years. The night of my diagnosis, my parents were gone, and I was home alone in a house full of wheat products. I didn’t know what I could eat, and my mental health crashed. I was so tired of being sick and weak. Eventually, I found gluten-free food that I loved, and I’m much better now. I can still do sports and other activities I enjoy. I found help through therapy and developed better coping methods instead of numbing my feelings. This would include: working, sports, taking care of my pets, and many other healthy habits. I also joined the Beaver High Youth Coalition to help other kids with mental health issues and substance abuse. I am glad that I am still alive and that I acted on my mental health. I am now able to teach and help others that face similar problems that I did. I have also coached other people who recently got diagnosed with Celiacs and helped them cope with this change in there life.