Proud

Today this prego is proud.   I finally took the time to do some gluten free baking.  I have definitely found a gluten free flour mix that is working for me instead of causing me to feel like throwing bake ware against the wall (I've never done that-but the product in the bake ware has flown).

Today I made gluten free banana chocolate chip muffins. I  have been craving muffins for a few weeks-craving in that crazy-pregnant- I gotta-have-it-and-it-better-taste-just-right-type of way (If you've ever been pregnant and gluten free you are probably nodding your head right now).  It didn't matter what flavor muffin-but it was the consistency of a regular ol' muffin that I wanted.  I didn't want a super heavy, dense muffin (which is what a lot of gluten free. I just wanted the same consistency that I am familiar with.

I think I could next time substitute walnuts for the chocolate chips.  The recipe calls for all things I had in the house except the vanilla yogurt. 
Check out the link...if you have anyone gluten free in your life----these are a treat. 
(I used Better Batter for my gf flour mix which has worked in every recipe we've tried it in!)

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=259705

This is just a close up of one muffin....doesn't it look delicious?

I made a pan of regular size muffins and a pan of minis.  They are so popable (aka, walk by-pop in the mouth. Walk by again-pop again. 

Tomorrow

Tomorrow marks my 1 year anniversary.
I know people celebrate this and count the days, weeks, months, years that they live this way.
I can clearly remember getting the voicemail and the e-mail at the same time from my GI doctor telling me that my biopsy and genetic test came back positive.  I was training a dietetic intern at work and found out the news a year ago last week.  I think (hope) I acted professionally.

I still have my ups and downs, that's for sure and I will not deny that I still throw myself a pity party.

I have so so so many people in my life who have been so supportive.  Multiple listening ears and a lot of people who validate how hard this is for me. So many loved ones (family friends coworkers) who have gone the extra mile for me-yes ME!  I don't feel I deserve it and sometimes I even feel ridiculous that people would make that extra effort so I can eat with them.  One of my closest reminds me that when she goes that extra mile for my gluten free diet "I only do it once in a while, not every day".  I hope it is worth it to them to see me eating, indulging and enjoying.  I hope everyone knows how grateful I am.  I appreciate every single effort.

I have only been truly "glutened" once.  I was told a pizza was gluten free, and later that night was called to tell me the pizza was not gluten free, but instead low carb. No wonder it tasted so good.  I found out that it affects me 1.5 days later.

Things that have changed:
No beer-I have become much more of a wine drinker
Andy and I do not eat out as often and when we travel our meals and snacking are much different.
I'm happy if a restaurant has 1 gluten free option, where as in the past I loved looking at a menu
I am not eating any fried foods
I have less gi distress
We now have separate cupboards, slots in the toaster and many different labeled items in the fridge.
When we cook, we dirty a lot more pans. 
Andy bakes for me and has been successful

Things that have not changed:
I am not less tired
My hair did not get thicker
I am still frustrated that Andy and I cannot spur of the moment stop to eat or share food
I am sad that Eli keeps asking why I am eating something different.  He is starting to hear and understand that there are many things that mom can't eat because she has a funny stomach.
I still crave gluten-full foods
I haven't made a good effort to bake gluten free
I still have the best husband in the world. Listens to me complain randomly (probably about 1 x/month) about what I miss, what I crave and why it's hard. He also attempts to bake gluten free and is successful. He is better than me at watching cross contamination. He (mostly) never eats foods in front of me that he knows I would be sad about.  He pushes me forward with motivational blurbs when I need it.  He doesn't complain when I make something gluten free and he always (always!) says "that's not that bad".

The foods that I miss are all foods I shouldn't eat that much of:
white cupcakes with frosting, kit-kat bars, white long john donut, soft/hot pretzel, ramen noodles or basic miss grass soup, french fries

Foods that I'm eating more of now:
rice, quinoa, humus, peanut butter, chex cereal, sweet potatoes, snickers

My favorites:
Pasta: Tinkyada
Bread: Udi's, Rudi's, Schar, Molly's bakery bread-french style
French fries: Stack'd Restuarant (also a great burger)
Chips and Salsa: Jose's
Macaroni and Cheese: Annie's frozen gf
Chinese: PF chang's or Japanese hibachi (if I bring my own soy sauce)
Out to eat: Quick: Chipotle
Treats: Molly's "twinkie" and Molly's Mexican Wedding Cookies
Alternative to white long john: white frosting on Trader Joe's frozen waffles (how healthy!)
Baking Mix: Better Batter

I still love my pickles, cucumbers, fruits/veggies, popcorn and buttered noodles.  Because I've found a good type of noodle-I can survive.  I still don't have my head wrapped around this idea that this is forever.  I have contemplated having a "cheat day" but Andy and I decided this would be a possibility in the future and not something that I would/should do when I'm pregnant or breast feeding.  I am hopeful that being gluten free has allowed this baby to grow nice and strong so we can take him/her home right from the hospital.  I also hope that I don't/didn't pass the gene on to him/her or Eli.  It is what it is. I live with it every day-in different ways than you, he, she or someone else might. 

But 1 year.
Go me.

Ruby Tuesday's

Me:
All you can eat salad bar/buffet- I took 2 trips-full plate of salad.  Great selection.
Loaded baked potato-attempted to share with Eli-he wasn't super interested
Water

Andy:
Ruby Minis: 2 small mini cheeseburger with fries
Added on salad bar-he also took 2 trips to salad bar
Water

Eli:
He ate one of Andy's minis and fries
He had some veggies from my salad
Milk

The bill was <$20. We both walked away FULL!  Like Rolly Polly full.
They had more gluten free choices on the menu, but I just felt like the salad. 
=
SUCCESS

Denial

I still don't really think I have "it".

It's going to take a long while before I reach the acceptance phase.

Twinkie

Today I went to a gluten free bakery called "Molly's Bakery".  It is tiny and sort of out in the middle of no where. It's attached to a small gluten free grocery store.
I bought a few fun treats.
But the highlight (I can say that now but haven't tried everything yet) was the "twinkie". 
It is to be known that I have not had a twinkie for probably 15 years (at least).  This is  not something I crave. BUT!  Earlier in the week I got a recommendation to try the "twinkie" which basically looks like a skinny, long donut that has a white cream filling.
I only bought one (they usually sell them in boxes of  4) because they are a fresh bakery item.  These are not something that I could buy a box of and then slowly devour over 3 weeks. 
I told her I was going to eat it on the way home in the car, if I could get away without my son seeing it.
She laughed and told me not to take a bite until we were 1 mile out.  She said so many buyers pull out, and right back into the parking lot to buy more because they can't resist after that first bite.
So again...not a huge twinkie fan...but this freshly baked, twinkie-like, yummy treat was perfect.  A true treat for pregnant ol' me.  Great consistency. Awesome flavor.  I'm sorta glad the bakery is far away so I can't indulge.  But man!! What a success.  Thanks "molly"!!!!

Rant

It drives me nuts....

I just want to make a simple recipe. We went to the pumpkin farm today and bought a bag of nice, yummy apples. My plan was to make an apple crisp to have with icecream tonight (for sweetest day?).  I can just imagine the smell it will create in our house.  And the warmth of eating it with some yummy vanilla icecream.

But looking up a gluten free recipe for apple crisp just bugged me so much.  Just because I have Celiac Disease doesn't mean that when I make a gluten free recipe I also have to be dairy, soy and egg free. No-I just would like it gluten free please. No I don't want it gluten free. I need it to be gluten free. Big difference. I really WANT a regular piece.  But I don't need it to be a healthier version, or other allergy free versions. I want real butter with real brown sugar etc for my 1 time a year piece of apple crisp.

I must have looked at 15 recipes (at least) and all of them either had some other sort of dairy/diet accommodation or it contained 3-4 ingredients that are expensive and I don't stock (yet) because I don't know how to use them.  Sure, I can spend a few random hours shopping for these ingredients and then making the recipe, but if it doesn't taste good to me, if it doesn't taste like apple crisp, if it's "ok" but NOT apple crisp in my heart, mind, soul-then I don't want to waste those hours. I will just get frustrated.  Those who know me, know I don't have hours to spend just playing around in the kitchen.  I WILL throw it across the room if it doesn't turn out.  (I did control myself when I tried making biscuits -from a mix none the less- and they didn't rise. They were literally cookies/hockey pucks).

I'm a dietitian. yes I like to be healthy. But when I"m going to have my 1 apple crisp for the year-yes I can control myself to 1 occasion-I want it to be good.  I don't want it to be an "ok" version. When I say it's an "ok version" that means it's edible.  It's a different dessert. It's NOT apple crisp. 

So...I need xanthem gum, arrowroot, brown rice flower, almond flour, gluten free oats, or a gluten free cake mix (5$ a box!).

Yes, I can make something like this.  but I know deep down it won't do it justice. Not to me anyways.  I want the REAL thing. 

(I wrote this in such a fury you would have laughed at how many spelling errors there were!)

10 hour day

At the beginning of the week I took 20 minutes and planned out our evening meals for the week.  I took the list to the grocery store and made sure I had all the ingredients I needed for each night.  This would prevent me from using an excuse to not follow my weekly "menu".  Monday and Tuesday went as planned.  Wednesday I worked a 10 hour day which meant I was out of the house by 6 am and didn't return until 5 pm.  I had been on my feet for the majority of the day.  I texted at least 2 people and said "screw that stir fry. I'm not going to stand there and cut everything up". What poor planning.  Note to self-don't plan a tedious meal on my 10 hour days.  But I came home and there was Andy  Superman peeling, washing, cutting, chopping veggies AND keeping E happy.   I did the rest. And I'm proud of it. Eli and Andy both scarf the stir fry, no matter what I put in it.  We always make enough for leftovers for the next day. 

The best part-it is very easy to make it gluten free.  As long as you have gluten free soy sauce and you don't use any glutened ingredients to thicken the sauce-you're home free.  Recently our secret ingredient is just a touch of peanut butter.  Who wants some?

Snap and pop

Remember my post a few months ago about gluten free Rice Krispies?  I tried them tonight.  Andy bought me a box and I smiled huge.  I've never been a huge Rice Krispie fan, but anything that adds variety with familiarity makes me happy. 

Do you think Rice Krispies are a sweet cereal?  I never thought so.  They were almost boring to me. I like a cereal with granola, nut clusters or crunch.  But like I said-I was excited and had expectations that this cereal would taste identical to the original (something I'm always seeking). 

Unfortunately it didn't happen.  They are definitely tolerable, doable, eatable.  But now I realize why Rice Krispies taste sweet....the malt in them that are taken out of the gluten free version is probably what is used to "flavor" Rice Krispies.  So although they were 80% similar in texture (and yes they snapped and popped etc) they tasted almost identical to Rice Chex cereal.  I'm sure you can't imagine the difference.  And if you are anything like Andy, if you tried it, you still probably wouldn't notice the difference.  But the longer I am "sober" of gluten, the more I crave that old taste.  I'm hoping years from now, I will forget what those flavors and textures were like in my mouth. 

Don't worry. I'll still eat the whole box.  But I might add banana or nuts to it. 

The Sick One

Last night I met a couple of awesome ladies out for dinner. We ate at an Italian restaurant that has a great deal-purchase an entree and bring another one home for the next day.  We were all excited and made out on the deal!  The best part of this ITALIAN restaurant is that it's not painful for me-b/c they have gluten free options.  And they make you feel confident because they have the chef come out and talk to you and he/she knows what they are talking about.  I had the fettuccine alfredo and ate the WHOLE bowl.  I brought home the baked ziti.  They offer a rice fettuccine noodle and a corn based rotini noodle that they used in place of the ziti.  I was in my glory. it was a true treat.  
I ate 1/2 of the ziti for lunch today and beamed. It tasted so "normal".  But eating at any restaurant comes the risk of getting sick from cross contamination.  It sort of looms there. I felt good all last night and this morning.  After lunch (I had the day off) I took a little nap and as soon as I woke up, I knew I was going to be sick.  Disappointing.  I want to blame the restaurant but I really don't want to either.  I've been really good to not take many chances because that is frowned upon in a major way during pregnancy.

Either way....I have lately been feeling yucky about getting sick every once in a while.  Sometimes it's after eating something that could be questionable.  Sometimes I think I should have read the label a little more closely or looked up an ingredient instead of just assuming. Sometimes I can't figure it out at all. It's not happening daily or anything, but enough that it's frustrating.  Andy's pretty good about it but doesn't know what to say.  What bothers me the most is that when you throw in this diagnosis, the Swine flu I had a few months ago, and now pregnancy, I just feel like I'm sick all the time.  Andy is always asking me how I'm feeling.  I sometimes have a complaint. He is never sick. He never gets an upset stomach. He never feels fatigued, has headaches (unless he had a lot to drink the night before)or has to question what he ate with confusion.  I just never wanted to be the "Sick wife".  I don't want him to feel like he has to put up with me. I want everything under control.  I don't want him to regret or feel like he has to take care of me.  I want to be a strong, independent woman who is confident about a lot of things.  Getting sick makes me feel the opposite.

It's just a different aspect of having a disease I guess. At least it's not fatal right? I wonder if other Celiac's feel this way.

Is this gluten free?

I read this the other day and thought it was hilarious.
Anyone who has a food allergy or a family member who has one understands the importance of reading the ingredient label.
Here are the simple step by step directions for how to do this, followed by how your heart/mind reacts when reading, followed by the final directions.  It made me giggle as this has happened to me-the last (or last few) ingredients are always a disappointment.   Usually it is something as simple as malt flavor right near the end...

Pick up box
Turn wrist
read ingredients
yes yes yes yes yes yes! yes! no
Put back on shelf

The List

Lately I have been doing a lot of joking about Celiac Disease and the Gluten Free Diet.  Anybody that has a complaint-I usually tell them that going gluten free will save their life.  It's a little bit sarcastic. Ok a lot sarcastic.  I say it because going gluten free didn't really change anything in my life. 

But I remember when I first was told I might have it.  Being a dietitian I was totally flustered.  I knew what I was in for, but I wasn't ready for it.  I spent every night in bed with my lap top researching what my test results meant, how an EGD is performed and looking at statistics.  I came across a website that DARED to list all the symptoms and other diseases associated with Celiac Disease.  It's not funny.  Not at all.

But since I'm still not accepting that I really have it-I use humor to cover it up...sorta.  (I think most people can see right through me). Many books will list the classic 10 symptoms and then go on to describe how people can have 1 symptom, no symptoms or 32 symptoms.  Yes 32.  That means there are more than 32 symptoms or diseases associated with celiac disease.
Try 300.
Look for it...just try. Look for YOUR symptom.  I'm laughing now.  If you complain about any of these symptoms-you should just go gluten free.  (I'm seriously joking).
But this is a real list from a website (not a book because that would be a boring book.).  I'm not going to let myself start worrying about everything on this list, like if I will have a down syndrome baby or if I will develop some weird cancer or difficulty concentrating....
Of note: I do see a lot of symptoms that I had/have.  Balding, overly self critical, psoriasis, increased appetite, chronic fatigue, having a baby with IUGR....  but no matter how hard I looked there just was no connection to being flat chested and having celiac disease. DARN  (i'm being sarcastic again).


Here is the list of over 300 Signs, Symptoms, Associated Disorders and Complications directly or indirectly resulting from celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.
We were the first to present this information in our comprehensive celiac disease reference, “Recognizing Celiac Disease.” This list is now being used by celiac disease centers, national celiac organizations and health organizations worldwide.

Blood System Symptoms

Abnormal levels of blood components and quality of blood cells and plasma, detected by blood studies ordered by a doctor.

• Anemia, Folic acid
• Anemia, Iron
• Anemia, Vitamin B12
• Anti-Endomysium Antibodies (EMA)
• Anti-Gliadin Antibodies (AGA)
• Anti-Tissue Transglutaminase Antibodies (tTG)
• Associated Autoimmune Antibodies
• Bone Alkaline Phosphatase Enzyme, Elevated
• Calcium, Low
• Cholesterol, Low (below 156)
• Coagulation Factors, Low
• Copper, Low
• Hemochromatosis
• Glucose, Low or elevated
• Homocysteine, Elevated
• Hyperprolactinemia (elevated prolactin hormone)
• Hypoprothrombinemia
• Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
• Liver Enzymes, Elevated
• Macroamylasemia
• Macrocytosis
• Macrolipasemia
• Magnesium, Low
• Neutropenia
• Phosphorus, Low
• Plasma Proteins, Low
• Potassium, Low
• Prolonged Prothrombin Time
• Transient Erythroblastopenia
• Zinc, Low

Body Composition Symptoms

Disorders of the body as a whole.

• Anorexia (Poor appetite)
• Appetite, Increased
• Cachexia (Wasting of the body)
• Loss of Vitality
• Obesity
• Weight Gain, Unexplained
• Weight Loss, Unexplained

Cardiovascular System Symptoms

Disorders of the heart and blood vessels.

• Angina Pectoris
• Aortic Vasculitis
• Atherosclerosis
• Cardiomegaly
• Coronary Artery Disease
• Easy Bruising (Ecchymosis)
• Hypertension
• Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy
• Nosebleeds, Unexplained

Digestive System Symptoms

The following symptoms in this section may be present alone or in any combination in celiac disease.  They result from inflammation, damage,and interference with normal function caused by gluten exposure in the digestive tract itself and/or nutritional deficiencies.  As you see, problems can develop not only in the small intestine where inflammation can be intense, but also in other areas such as mucosal tissues of the mouth, esophagus, stomach and colon.

• Abdominal Distention (Bloating)
• Abdominal Pain
• Adenocarcinoma of the Small Intestine
• Aphthous Ulcers (Canker sores in mouth)
• Autoimmune Cholangitis
• Beta Casein Enteropathy (Cow’s dairy intolerance similar to celiac disease)
• Bleeding, Unexplained
• Cancer of the Esophagus
• Cancer of the Pharynx
• Candida Infections
• Carbohydrate Malabsorption
• Cheilosis (Red lips, cracking/ oozing at corners of mouth)
• Colitis, Collagenous
• Colitis, Lymphocytic
• Colitis, Ulcerative
• Colonic Volvulus (Loop of intestine twists causing strangulation of intestine)
• Constipation 
• Constipation Alternating with Diarrhea 
• Crohn’s Disease
• Defective Tooth Enamel (Yellow, white spots, missing enamel)
• Delayed Gastric Emptying (Early fullness after eating) 
• Diarrhea, acute (Also called celiac crisis)
• Diarrhea, chronic
• Duodenal Erosions in the Second Part of Duodenum (Small ulcers)
• Dysphagia (Difficulty swallowing)
• Edema of Small Intestinal Lining
• Esophageal Small Cell Cancer 
• Esophageal Motor Abnormalities (Poor muscle activity/coordination)
• Gas
• Gastric Ulcer (Stomach ulcers)
• Gastric Ulcerations
• Gastritis, Collagenous
• Gastritis, Lymphocytic
• Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
• Gastro-Intestinal Occult Bleeding (Blood in stool that is not visible to naked eye)
• Gluten Sensitive Enteritis
• Gums bleeding/ swollen (Purplish in adults/ red in children)
• Heartburn
• H. Pylori Bacter (Infection of the stomach)
• Impaired Gall Bladder Motility
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Jejunitis, chronic
• Lactose Intolerance (Gas, bloating, loose stools from milk)
• Laryngospasm
• Leaky Gut Syndrome
• Lymphoma
• Malabsorption of Nutrients 
• Maltose Intolerance (Gas, bloating, loose stools from maltose, a simple carbohydrate)
• Nausea
• Oral Mucosal Lesions (Mouth lesions)
• Plummer-Vinson Syndrome
• Post-cricoid Cancer 
• Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (Bile backs up in liver)
• Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (Scarring of bile ducts in liver)
• Small Bowel Intussusception (One loop of intestine slips into another)
• Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth
• Steatorrhea (Pale, smelly, floating stool hard to flush or sticks to toilet)
• Sucrose Intolerance (Gas, bloating, mucous in stool from sugar)
• Tongue (Beefy, red, smooth, burning)
• Tongue (Fiery red, smooth, swollen, sore)
• Tongue (Magenta, swollen)
• Tongue (Pale, smooth, burning)
• Vomiting

Glandular System Symptoms 

Disorders of the glands.

• Addison’s Disease (Adrenal gland failure)
• Autoimmune Hepatitis
• Autoimmune Thyroiditis (Hypothyroidism)
• Diabetes Mellitus Type I
• Diabetic Instability
• Gastro-Intestinal Complications of Type 1 Diabetes
• Grave’s Disease (Hyperthyroidism)
• Hepatic Granulomatous Disease
• Idiopathic Hypoparathyroidism
• Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
• Pancreatic Insufficiency
• Parathyroid Carcinoma
• Primary Hyperparathyroidism
• Secondary Hypoparathyroidism

Immune System Symptoms 

Disorders of antibody production.

• Allergic Rhinitis
• Antiphospholipid Syndrome
• Asthma
• Autoimmune Disorders in Celiac Disease
• Autoimmune Disorders in Dermatitis Herpetiformis
• Autoimmune Polyglandular Syndromes
• Common Variable Immunodeficiency
• Food Allergies, IgE and non-IgE Immune Responses
• IgA Deficiency
• Sarcoidosis
• Sjögrens Syndrome
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
• Urticaria, chronic (Hives)

Integumentary System Symptoms 

Disorders of skin, hair, and nails.

• Alopecia Areata (Patches of hair loss)
• Alopecia, Diffuse (Balding)
• Cutaneous Vasculitis
• Cutis Laxa
• Dermatitis Herpetiformis
• Dermatomyositis
• Eczema
• Edema (Swelling)
• Eythema Elevatum Diutinum
• Erythema Nodosum
• Follicular Hyperkeratosis (Dry rough skin/ plugged hair follicles on body)
• Ichthyosis, Acquired
• Itchy Skin Rash
• Hangnail
• Koilonychia (Thin nails that flatten, ends progressively turning up instead of down)
• Melanoma
• Nails, Dry and brittle that chip, peel, crack or break easily
• Nails with Horizontal and Vertical Ridges/Fragile
• Nail with Rounded and Curved Down Ends, Dark, Dry
• Nails with White Spots
• Nails with Splinter Hemorrhages  
• Pityriasis Rubra Pilaris
• Prurigo Nodularis (Hyde’s Prurigo)
• Psoriasis
• Scleroderma
• Seborrhea
• Thin hair
• Vitiligo

 

Lymphatic System Symptoms 

Disorders of the lymphocytes (white blood cells), lymph nodes and spleen.

• B-cell non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Cryptic Intestinal T-cell Lymphoma (Refractory Sprue)
• Enteropathy Associated T-cell Lymphoma (EATL)
• Extraintestinal Lymphomas
• Intraepithelial Lymphocytosis in Small Bowel Samples
• Lymphadenopathy
• Mesenteric Lymph Node Cavitation
• Hyposplenism (Atrophy of spleen)

Muscular System Symptoms 

Disorders of muscle structure and function.

• Hypokalemic Rhabdomyolysis (Acute, severe potassium deficiency)
• Muscle Pain and Tenderness
• Muscle Spasm and Cramps
• Muscle Wasting
• Muscle Weakness
• Osteomalacic Myopathy
• Polymyositis
• Tetany 

Nervous System Symptoms 

Disorders of nerves, brain and spinal cord structure and function.

• Anxiety
• Apathy
• Ataxia, Gait Disturbance
• Ataxia, Gluten
• Ataxia, Progressive Myoclonic
• Brain Atrophy
• Cerebral Perfusion Abnormalities (Poor blood flow)
• Chonic Fatigue Syndrome
• Chorea
• Cortical Calcifying Angiomatosis
• Dementia
• Depression
• Epilepsy
• Fatigue/ Lassitude
• Headache
• Inability to Concentrate
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Migraine
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Nervous System Disorders
• Peripheral Neuropathy
• Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy
• Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders
• Tremors
• Vasculitis of the Central Nervous System

Pulmonary System Symptoms 

Disorders of lung tissue and broncheal tree structure and function.

• Bronchiectasis
• Bronchial Pneumonia
• Idiopathic Pulmonary Hemosiderosis
• Increased Pulmonary Permeability
• Increased Susceptibility to Tuberculosis
• Lung Cavities or Abcess
• Non-Response to Tuberculosis Treatment
• Pneumococcal Septicemia 

Sensory System Symptoms 

Disorders of sense organ structure and function.

• Bitot’s Spots (Foamy patches on whites of eye)
• Blepharitis
• Bloodshot Eyes
• Blurred Vision
• Cataracts
• Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca
• Keratomalacia
• Nightblindness
• Ocular Myopathy
• Smell, Loss of
• Taste, Loss of
• Uveitis, Bilateral
• Xerophthalmia

Skeletal System Symptoms 

Disorders of bone, joints and teeth.

• Bone Fracture
• Bone Pain
• Enteropathic Arthritis
• Osteitis Fibrosa
• Osteomalacia
• Osteonecrosis
• Osteoporosis
• Psoriatic Arthritis
• Recurrent Monoarthritis

Urinary System Symptoms 

Disorders of kidneys and urinaty tract structure and function.

• Hypocalciuria
• IgA Nephropathy
• Kidney Stones
• Urinary Tract Infection

Reproductive System Symptoms in Females 

Disorders of organ structure and function.

• Amenorrhea (Absence of menstrual period)
• Early Menopause
• Infertility
• Late Menarche (Late start of menstrual periods)
• Premenstrual Syndrome
• Dysmenorrhea (Painful menstrual periods)
• Dyspareunia (Painful intercourse)
• Vaginitis

Reproductive System Symptoms in Males 

Disorders of organ structure and function.

• Hypogonadism
• Impotence
• Infertility
• Sperm Abnormalities

Reproduction: Pregnancy, Labor & Delivery and Puerperium Symptoms

Disorders of childbearing.

• Severe Iron Deficiency Anemia in Pregnancy
• Short Duration of Breast Feeding
• Miscarriage
• Complications During Pregnancy, Labor and Delivery
• Complications After Childbirth

Zygote Development Symptoms

Disorders of chromosomes.

• Down Syndrome
• Turner’s Syndrome

Fetus Development Symptoms

Disorders of that occur before birth of the child.

• Congenital Anomalies
• Intrauterine Growth Retardation
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Spina Bifida

Child Development Symptoms

Disorders of children that occur after birth.

• Autism and Learning Disorders
• Attention Deficit  Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)
• Cancer Predisposition in Children
• Chronic Bullous Dermatosis
• Delayed Puberty in Boys
• Delayed Puberty in Girls
• Dermatitis Herpetiformis
• Developmental Delay
• Failure to Thrive and Growth Retardation
• Fecal Occult Blood (Blood found in stool that is not visible to the naked eye)
• Glycogenic Acanthosis
• Hypotonia
• Juvenile Autoimmune Thyroid Disease
• Juvenile Diabetes Type 1
• Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
• Abnormal Blood Studies
• Latent Anemia in Enzymopathies of Small Intestine (Lack of enzymes produced by villi)
• Penicilllin V Impaired Absorption
• Refractory Anemia (Unresponsive to iron therapy)
• Osteopenia
• Rickets
• Short Staure
• Stroke in Childhood

Here are some other ways to look at various symptoms :

 Behavioral Symptoms

• Aloofness
• Hyperactivity
• Irritability (Common in children with celiac disease)
• Impatience
• Lack of Desire to Get Things Done
• Lack of Feeling
• Restlessness
• Timid Behavior
• Violent Behavior

Neurological Issues

• Anxiety
• Apathy
• Bipolar disorder
• Depression
• Difficulty Making Friendships
• Easy Frustration and Anger
• Nervousness
• Panic Attacks
• Sense of Worthlessness
• Overly Self-critical
• Hysteria
• Hypochondria

Cognitive (Thinking) Symptoms

• Confused/ Faulty Thinking
• Confabulation
• Delusions
• Dementia
• Disorientation
• Faulty Learning
• Hallucination
• Inattentiveness
• Loss of Memory
• Loss of Immediate Memory
• Poor Memory
• Reduced Learning
• Slow Thinking
• Scattered Thinking

Fantastic

Dear Mom,

It was a great weekend. Thanks for hosting and being SO helpful with my (and everyone's!) food allergies, preferences and intolerances.  I hope that somewhere within all the efforts you put towards the meals we ate-you also enjoyed some of the food. (??)  You don't know what it means to all of us to come celebrate a holiday with all the family we love and enjoy, meanwhile being able to eat and not worry, starve or feel guilty.  So thank you.

Tonight I just didn't feel like cooking.  I am/was tired.  Andy and I talked about it and decided that even though you had sent us home with ample leftovers, we just wanted a big plate of Mexican food. Yum.  But we forgot that it was Easter (maybe because Andy worked today).  So everything was closed.  Frustrating.

So we went back to the leftovers.

HOLY FANTASTIC-O!

The main reason for this letter is to let you know that the gluten free sub bun/roll you sent me home with was SO delish.  I made it into garlic bread.  Then I put 2 small pieces of the pork roast on it, with a pickle and some lettuce.  The consistency was perfect.  There was no weird after (or during) taste.  It would make a perfect hamburger or chicken sandwich bun.  Where oh where did you get those?  Is it a hassle to order it online and have it delivered? Do share. 

But overall-Thank you! 
Love,
The Youngest

Overwelmed

There are SO so SO so SO so So many gluten free blogs.
I thought I was looking at 3 that were favorites.  and THEN! I went and googled specific ingredients to make a few new recipes and oh my goodness. A whole bunch of new blogs came my way.

I wish I could have a career in reading (yes just reading, not writing) gluten free blogs.  Then I'd have time to bookmark my favorites. Comment on interesting things. Develop relationship with other gluten free bloggers and maybe try out some of the recipes.

Some day...in la la land that could come true. For now...I'm just trying to figure out which few blogs I can keep up with.

Rice Krispies

Finally!  Rice Krispies may be gluten free in the future.  In my mind, it's ridiculous that they aren't right now.  I'm super duper excited about this.  It's not a favorite cereal of mine, but it's another option that doesn't cost $5.50 a box.  And it's an easy one to add fruit too. Oh yeah and the added bonus of rice krispie bars!!!!

Check this out.
 

Could it be???

I have a few people in my life who continue to hope for me.  These folks really want me to see some positive results from this difficult, no impossible, gluten free diet.   Ok-it's NOT that impossible.
So far I've had "this or that" come up.  Which means, I've been having a hard time assessing if there have been any physical or mental changes in me. 

But I'm ready and confident to make my statment.

I've noticed one change. And it's a good change! Is it worth the diet?  I'm working through that mentally. 

I have more energy.  Not a ton more. Not a lot more. But more.  And that IS worth it, but I was hoping for whiter teeth, thicker hair, a little bigger chest, less sweating, decreased worrying, oh and a 5 lb wt loss.  That being said, I'll take the change in energy level as a positive thing (for now....still hoping for those other things!).  I'm noticing it mostly in the afternoon which is usually when I felt heavy and weighed down.  Now I feel like I won't collapse after lunch like I used to if I had the chance. I still dread getting up in the morning and could sleep an extra hour or two. But once I'm out the door, I feel lighter on my feet. 

There's your update folks.  The first real positive change since I started this diet. 

another fun box...

I used the gift certificate my friend gave me for The Gluten Free Mall.  It was SO much fun to peruse through the website and order some fun items.  I posted the list before. 
They got my message (I ordered online) and delivered appropriately since I am not home when boxes get delivered. This made me happy because often times these little things get missed or companies don't "go through" with this type of thing.

Here is what I got.  I'm not going to tell you how much the gift certificate was for but it was OVER the top. Thanks friend!!!  When I looked back at the picture I thought it was silly that it looked like so little for the huge gift that it really is. I am extremely  appreciative that I have such nice friends and family who have helped me with all of this when the gluten free foods are so expensive.  You don't know how much joy it brought me to come home to that box and how fun it will be to open each new item.

Waiting for delivery...

Dear Colleen,

Thank you for the:

• Snyders GF Pretzels x 2
• Dr. Schar vanilla sandwich cookies
• Pastato Panda Potato GF mac n cheese
• Dr. Schar Spaghetti
• Pastariso Lasanga
• Grainless Baker GF Stuffing
• Dr. Schar GF Crispbread (Fancy crackers)
• Glutenfreeda Variety Pack of GF Oatmeal
• Dr. Schar Chocolate Dipped GF Cookies
• Wellaby's Classic Cheese GF Crackers

These are all brand new products to me and I am  very excited to try them.  Normally I would order more food/meal type things but they wanted to ship bread frozen which had a lot of stipulations.  So I was tempted to splurge and try out some different brands of cookies and crackers.  I'm excited to try the Snyder's pretzels since they are a popular brand.
You are such a good friend.
I hope when I see you next I can share a gf cookie or 2 with you!
Love,
Me

All that gluten free stuff...

Hi,
How are you? I am fine.
Love,   Raina

That is how I used to start out every snail-mail letter I wrote growing up!  I think it's funny that I was always "fine".  But just wanting to let you know that tonight I am just fine too.  I haven't updated on gluten free stuff so here goes.

Over the weekend I went out to dinner with my parents.  Plans changed at the last minute and on the way to the restaurant I announced "I'm doing exactly what the books tell you not to".  I went out without researching the restaurant because that is the part that changed.  I didn't call ahead or check online to see if they had anything gluten free. I also went out without eating (only a banana).  BUT! It went well. The waiter came out to tell me that what I had ordered did in fact contain gluten so we switched my order and wa-la! No sick tummy the next day.

My friend sent me a box of gluten free goodies yesterday.  All the way fro MO.  What a friend. What a surprise after a 10 hour work day.  It had a cookie mix, cake mix, soup, a pancake/baking mix etc etc etc.  So special. Thanks Lynne!!!

2 weekends ago I travelled to Minnesota.  My sister and mom really did a good job helping me fit right in at all the meals.  The hardest part was watching them eat the dinner roll.  But other then that-I was made to feel such a priority with my gf-ness. Thanks guys!  On the way home we stopped at Subway and I had a salad. It was yummy.

Today I got sick 15 minutes after eating my lunch.  At work we had an in-service and lunch was provided and it was gluten free.  They said it was gluten free.  This  has not really happened to me-within 15 minutes I was sick. Strange.

Success with the Tinkyada pasta.  But it takes a long time to cook.  Last night after my pot of pasta was boiling and Andy/Elis was just getting started...I noticed that the spaghetti sauce said "wheat" on the label. Annoying.  If I had a garden year round and it wasn't already verging on 5:30 and Eli needing to be snoozing by 6:30 I would love to have had the energy (after a 10 hour work day) to make my own sauce. RIGHT?  Oh well. So I took out another pan and had 2 sauces cookin' too.  Then I had to switch out a pan so I could steam the cauliflower.  It turned out great. But then I had to do the dishes because our dishwasher is broken.  Spaghetti being one of my favorite meals was giggling at me while I cursed all the dirty dishes I had to wash.

Andy, Eli and I went to a new gf store this weekend. It was small but cute.  I accidentally picked the wrong frozen pizza crust to try but I already baked one and it tasted delish! Lucked out.  While in the store, a mom was helping her (maybe) 12 year old son pick out his gluten free goodies. I wanted to stare and watch like I was at the zoo.  She asked "Do you want bagels? What shape pasta do you want? Have you had these before?" and he would quietly reach into the freezer for chicken fingers or something.  Wow. Just so interesting to me. 

hmmm....what else? I think that's about all for right now. Thanks for listening.

Tried the....

-gluten free rice krispy bars. ick.  they are also dairy free. maybe that is why they are ick?  They are tolerable as a food-edible item. but they are NOT rice krispy bars. HA!

-gluten free microwave popcorn.  it was also dairy free. i usually make air popped popcorn, but these cute little individual bags were given to me as a gift.  whatever they use for butter flavoring that is non-dairy didn't do the trick. starting to feel sorry for my brother who is dairy free, however i bet he doesn't eat things that are artificially dairy-flavored!

-gluten free soy sauce.  success!

I had a patient today who was asking about  gluten free diet.  she doesn't have celiac disease but someone in her family suggested she follow it for no reason.  it was my first time feeling confident talking about celiac disease with a patient. in the past, when i had a patient on a gluten free diet i was always never sure what i was really saying.
I attempted to buy this black bean sauce for stir fry that was advertised at Whole Foods as gluten free. Or so I thought. darn it when I got home all excited to use it tonight, i checked the label and it had wheat. boo. it was probably a 6-10 dollar jar of sauce.

on another note...i was sick twice today.  wonder what it was....i could spend hours tracking and thinking and wondering. maybe it wasn't related to gluten at all?
i'm hosting book club tomorrow at my house. andy is downstairs making the cookies. real cookies for my guests. i asked him not to bake them until i was upstairs so i wouldn't have to smell them. what a man!

4-everrrrrrrrrrr

Forever

F
O
R
E
V
E
R


Forever   Forever  Forever

Forever
Forever


Forever

So....no matter how I look at it...it seems like a long time.
Right?