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[Mr Happy]

Hello Guy

[1desperateladysaved]

Reading your post makes me feel happy! I hope it will continue at this level, but if not, that this good time will inspire you to hope for more. I don't blame you a bit for not wanting to ever eat gluten again.

Diana

[bartfull]

Mr. Happy, I'm so happy for you! Isn't it great that with an adjustment in our diets we can cure most of what has ailed us for so long?

I suggest you go to the thread, "Newbie 101" to learn more about cross-contamination and what to expect down the line. I imagine you will have some setbacks as you learn about being gluten-free (we all do), but I also know that you will most likely discover an improvement in symptoms you didn't even know were symptoms.

Oh yeah, and get some nettle tea. (There is a thread on it here.)

Welcome to the forum. And before I forget, you should have your kids tested. This lovely disease runs in families. (If they had suggested testing for me when my Mom was diagnosed, I could have avoided so much trouble!)

Hope the improvements keep coming!

[DavinaRN]

Very happy for you, currently eating gluten for test on 19th, then I'm done. It only took four days off for me to confirm what I suspected. I had already decided I didn't need diagnosis when my endocrinologist answered my plea to add the blood work to my other tests. My PCP said you need a GI consult (like I have tons of money for tests). Btw your vision improvement is your body is now absorbing vit A :-)

[JNBunnie1]

Yay!!!!

[Celiac Mindwarp]

I love a happy ending (or maybe beginning).

Delighted for you.

[ravenwoodglass]

Welcome to the board. Great to hear you have had such a great response to the diet. Do follow up with your doctor on the chance that with the resolution of so many issues they may go ahead and give you a 'diagnosis' without putting you through the hell of a gluten challenge. If you have only been gluten free for a couple of weeks you might even still have a positive blood test. The reason why I encourage this is because celiac is strongly genetic and you will want to keep an eye on your children to make sure the disease isn't triggered in them at some point.

[shadowicewolf]

Believe it or not, the gas is normal rofl your supposed to go about that much every day.

The rest, however, is something that would probably have a gluten cause.

So you won't test mmm? It can be genetic, ya know. Just a tidbit of info.

[GottaSki]

Welcome Mr. Happy!

I'd second the suggestion of getting blood tests done ASAP. Your primary doc can order a full celiac panel.

I am not suggesting that you resume eating gluten...only that the tests still may be positive and the information in those tests may become useful to you in the future.

If you haven't had them I'd urge you to add nutrient blood tests to the list. Celiac Disease prevents absorption of many nutrients so you may need some supplementation while healing. Especially all Bs and D. Others that my celiac doc monitors are K, Iron, Ferritin, Copper and Zinc.

Congratulations on putting the puzzle together - it is frustrating that doctors were not looking for celiac in cases like yours (& mine), but I am very happy that you figured it out.

Read the "Newbie 101" section and ask any questions that may pop up.

Happy healing to you

[Gemini]

This post made me laugh out loud! I felt the same way when I got my blood work back....could have danced for joy! I wasn't crazy, like so many doctors suggested.

Good for you, Mr. Happy....things only get better from now on!

[nvsmom]

Congratulations on your awesome recovery! I'm very happy for you. And thanks for sharing your story; it was wonderful to read such an upbeat and positive story. Thank you!

[NightOwl]

Great story Mr. Happy, thanks for sharing it! And congratulations on your many improvements in such a short time, it's very likely that the rest will follow as time goes by.

I feel exactly like you, no way I want to put my body through more suffering (now that I finally "got it") just to get tested. I don't know if all my problems will resolve in time since I'm older AND for years played the "game" of "resting" from gluten, or mainly wheat, and then even when I did try going gluten-free I was not always careful about cross-contamination and sometimes did cheat in small amounts thinking what I had was more of a wheat "allergy", and all that probably caused a lot of unseen damage over time. When my gut began to react and my liver function got worse,because my father was a diagnosed celiac I figured I probably inherited the genes from him but I still was in denial for a good while, it took my having some very scary episodes this year to realize this is nothing to play with.

[Pegleg84]

Congratulations Mr Happy! I've never seen anyone so elated to find out they can't eat gluten. I know I felt much better after a week on the diet, but this is amazing! So wonderful.

That said, you should get testing done asap (bloodwork and endoscopy/biopsy). If you don't go back on Gluten for it the results won't be reliable (but don't put yourself through that. I certainly wouldn't), but it's quite possible that you haven't healed enough yet that antibodies and damage will still show up on tests. If nothing else, get blood tests done for nutrients and such so you'll know whether you have any deficiencies, and can see if they get better in a few months. That'll be a sign that your body is absorbing nutrience again and healing.

And get your kids tested. Pronto. Also, suggest your parents and siblings get tested too, just in case.

Now comes the life-long process of gluten avoidance. It's a sneaky bugger. But good luck! So glad you're doing better all ready.

Peg

[Mr Happy]

Thank-you so much for the replies, it means a lot to have support

[Mr Happy]

Hi guys,

Just a quick question...

I don't know if it is related but everyone of my knuckles have become red/sore and two are cracking (not bad)and bleeding a little.

Anyone have any thoughts???

Thanks

Mr Happy

[nvsmom]

Hi guys,

Just a quick question...

I don't know if it is related but everyone of my knuckles have become red/sore and two are cracking (not bad)and bleeding a little.

Anyone have any thoughts???

Thanks

Mr Happy

That happens to me in the autumn. I'm in a really dry climate though; semi arid. Plus I have Hashimoto's hypothyroidism so that makes my skin much drier than most people's I always have cracked fingers, feet or knuckles. My husband told me I could never be a foot or hand model... Oh darn! LOL

If it continues, you could have your thyroid tested. I'm really not sure if dry skin is a celiac symptom. Hmmm.

Good luck.

[Pegleg84]

I get that too, somewhat, and figure it's more of a dry air/hard water problem than a Celiac thing. If it doesn't go away with moisturizing, etc, get it checked as it could be Dermatitis Herpetiformis (sp?), which is a skin problem associated with Celiac.

Oh, and even from my trip there earlier this year, the UK seemed pretty good in the gluten-free dept. I even got some nice bread at the supermarket! Fresh! Every B&B I stayed at was super accomodating, and found lots of gluten-free options at restaurants and such. So, it's a good place to be. I'm going back this Nov and will be self catering for a few days, so kind of excited to load up with stuff.

You might want to go easy on the breads and other processed stuff for a while though. Give yourself time to heal first. Our damaged guts can have trouble processing grains and processed stuff for a while. Good idea to cut out milk for a while too, as I think you said you're doing.

hope you can get in for tests quickly.

Cheers

Peg

[IrishHeart]

Okay, I have to say it.

The name "Mr. Happy" gave me pause yesterday when I saw you listed under New Members. But I see it is not necessarily

a name for someone who appears in adult films, but rather a man who has indeed, become happier off gluten.

Here's a "whoohoo" !! and good for you!

Healing speaks volumes.

[JNBunnie1]

Okay, I have to say it.

The name "Mr. Happy" gave me pause yesterday when I saw you listed under New Members. But I see it is not necessarily

a name for someone who appears in adult films, but rather a man who has indeed, become happier off gluten.

Here's a "whoohoo" !! and good for you!

Healing speaks volumes.

HAHAHAHAHA!!!! you dirty girl you...

Mr Happy, you probably just have dry skin. Maybe your system is using up all your fluids to heal, who knows. Try to eat more salt, drink more water, and try Neutrogena Norwegian formula hand cream. Only thing that didn't hurt my skin when it was cracking and bleeding from working a housekeeping job.

[Mr Happy]

My secrets out,the adult films were a long time ago...

Just a quick update, just had a battle with my doctor but they finally have given the go ahead for the celiac and mineral test at the hospital... Have also got the forms for my children to have them to.

Always the same at my doctors, they make you feel your making it up... I wasn't backing down though.

Do I still feel good? Yes I do and feel better everyday... Eating loads and have now nearly shed a stone in weight...

All the best everyone...

Keep it up

Mr Happy