18 replies to this topic

[GlutenFreeManna]

GFM, I was already just diagnosed with RA, and am supposed to start medication. Lupus is borderline. Myositis is possible. Hashimoto's was diagnosed 5 yrs ago. Did you already know that about me? How did you guess that right on the button?

Thank you all for your kind words and support. My hubby comes back in town tonight, so I'll spend the weekend having him read up on our discussions. I am still happy to hear further advice if anyone has anything to offer...

I didn't know that about you. Those other autoimmune diseases are common in people with Celiac, especially if it takes years to get diagnosed or they continue to eat gluten after diagnosis. I beleive it is all connected. If you continue to consume gluten, even in small amounts your antibodies will continue to flare. On the other hand, some on this board have seen relief from their other autoimmune diseases when they are strictly gluten free. You have so much to gain by staying strict and making your house gluten free. I hope your husband will really consider it, at least on a trial basis.

[padma]

Hi. I can sympathize with you about having to change. All of us have had to do lots of changes in order to be well. And, yes, there are times you just want to cry and feel totally hopeless. I still do sometimes even though I have been diagnosed for 10 years. Just a few weeks ago I went totally off all "gluten free" foods. I had a real melt down and pity party. It didn't last long. A few people helped me through it and I have been pain free since then, no d., good digestion again. Thanks to everyone who shared. I am adding one food at a time for 3 or 4 days and seeing what happens. I have found one brand that makes me ill.I've only tested 4 products so far, so haven't added much back yet. I am eating steamed brown organic rice instead. It is just fine.

I would venture a guess that if you have a family and you want everyone to be healthy and happy, you need to cook daily. People since the beginning of time have prepared food for themselves so I don't know why we think we have to have everything made for us. Anyway, it doesn't work for celiacs. Here is my formula for a meal: a portion of protein, a steamed vegetable, steamed organic brown rice. Maybe some fruit for dessert. That is it. Any family can live on this kind of a meal. I raised my kids eating this way and they grew up very healthy. They don''t have celiac, but now one of my granddaughters just was diagnosed.

For your husband, here is some helpful information: my aunt had celiac and my dad (on the other side of the family) had celiac. They didn't know until they were older. My aunt wouldn't stay on a totally gluten free diet and died of a tumor in her small intestine. By the time they found it she was 4th stage and only lived one month. My dad died of a ulcer in his small intestine. He bled to death. He, too, didn't stay on a gluten free diet. So any time I have thought I'd like to cheat I think of them and their suffering. This is no tiny disease. Fortunately I have an aversion to suffering, so I don't cheat.

One other thing that might help you as you change your diet: try to buy mostly organic. I know it is more expensive, but since you have little ones, it is worth all the sacrifices. www.EWG.org has an article on apple juice and kids and all the pesticides in it, how it affects the development of their brain. Did you know an apple can have up to 15 pesticides on it? I didn't know that. So I am quitting drinking apple juice when I go out. Since we have such sensitive digestive systems and we usually have to heal from not only celiac but IBS or something else, organic gives our gut a chemical free environment to heal. Pesticides have heavy metals, both of which suppress our immune system, the glutathione cycle to be exact. Dr. Amy Yasko has a site about that.

You have a lot of people cheering you on. You can do it and even learn to enjoy it. My home is gluten free and organic and everyone is healthy and happy.

[shayre]

Thank you so much you guys. My hubby was out of town on business, and then he was busy this weekend trying to prepare for meetings today and tomorrow. The kids also wouldn't let me have him for a minute, so I will patiently wait until later this week to hit him with all of this information. Maybe that will give us more time for more stories and advice.

I have begun to pay attention to all the ways that I might be cross-contaminated, and I also just started bringing to my husbands attention when I see him doing things that might contaminate me...like fixing my kids a sandwich and then grabbing silverware out of the drawer without washing hands. I have a feeling that it will be impossible to have a mixed household too. My 1 yr old, who has been throwing horrible fits all morning, decided to give me a big open-mouth kiss on MY mouth. He just ate a sandwich. I wet-wiped his face and washed his hands, but the open-mouth kiss...ya know. I couldn't say no:) He had such a smile and look of love on his face...not to mention that he's just beginning to show affection in that way...NO WAY that I could turn him down. He was so happy with the acceptance of his slobbery kiss, that he wanted to do it 3 more times:)

[RebeccaLynn]

There is an old saying I am sure you are familiar with, "There are none so blind as those who will not see." You were hoping that you could do it all without incoveniencing anyone too much, which is an admirable thought, but unfortunately not possible with celiac. It is extremely inconvenient at times, especially at first, but it gets easier and easier as you go along.

Thank you SO much for this post - this is ME also. I am dealing with a mixed household, and my husband is reluctant to go gluten-free. I have tried to not inconvenience anyone else (my lifelong habit), and I just cant do it anymore. Gluten Free living IS a pain in the butt, however, my health is worth the little inconvenience it will cause to my family, and I hope they will forgive me. This is giving me the courage to tell my already very supportive husband that we need to have a gluten-free house, as it has been months and I am still not well. Time for some serious changes around here, thankfully my kids & I are lactose-intolerant & so we have already gotten milk out of the kitchen. Now its just time to donate all of the gluten foods as well. Thank you everyone for helping and giving such great advice!