Living with a Gluten-Free Husband

Not Sticking with the Gluten-Free Diet

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Well, It has been 11 months since my hubby's diagnosis and what a ride. At first the doctor scared him straight...that lasted all of 3 months, and since then he has been going down hill and especially in the last 3 months. I cook gluten-free and then he hits a few Oreo cookies. YIKES! what is a person to do? If any of you have or had the same issue please give me some tips on how you handle it. I know the disease is his and he should take care of it, but let's be real here. He is not going to cook for himself and if he does fix his own food it is cereal, gluten-free ham and sliced cheese with gluten-free crackers, canned fruit and rice and eggs. Not a very nutritious diet. Thanks for your suggestions.

YIKES A New Year Already!

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Wow, I cannot believe that it is time to move onto 2010. Where the heck did 2009 go? What a year. I personally am glad to see it go and good riddance to it. It was a year of 3 brain surgeries for me and a celiac diagnosis for my husband. Honestly, I think I won out in the deal. The holidays have been hard in that it is difficult to replace all the g-full food. And let's be honest, my husband did not try too hard. He has fallen off the proverbial wagon big time. But with the new year comes new resolutions to fail at...I mean to try. What will yours be? Mine, the same 10 pounds to loose from last year. Only I think a few friends have come to live with those 10. And as always to exercise. But my resolution for my hubby (he is not allowed to make his own LOL) is to be more g-free in the new year. Hope you all have a prosperous year and free of trauma!

Marching on Gluten-Free!

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Good Morning Everyone,
It has been sometime since I have checked in and for that I apologize. The gluten-free diet is going well but a little boring. I did discover a new product (well new to me). I was shopping at my local Redners a few weeks back. I was picking up the cookies my hubby likes. upon my arrival I noticed 2 men standing right in front of my (LOL) gluten free section of the aisle. I say mine because I never see anyone else standing there. I became very curious as to why they were there. As it turned out, Redners was increasing their line of gluten-free items and in doing so now carries Dr. Schar Products. I spoke at length to the sales rep. The company is European and he informed me that across the pond they are more concerned than the US in getting this stuff to taste good. I was very excited. The pasta was fantastic and my hubby loves the shortbread cookies. Check it out and let me know if you try any of the other products. Happy Eating!

A Gluten-Free Trip to Hershey Park

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Last weekend all 5 of us went to Hershey Park. What an experience to have with a celiac! We did search the official website for Hershey Park and was happy to see they offered a page listing all the ingredients of the food at the park. There was one place that had gluten free hamburger buns. Over all we did have a good time but worrying about what a person can eat and be at an amusement park is difficult. Mostly because the one of the best parts to being there is munching on the junk food. If we go again I will call and see if there is something we can do that would allow us to bring in his food since their offering was so little. Have a great day and happy eating.

Great Family and Friends to Support Your Gluten-Free Diet!

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Good Morning All! Well as good as it can be considering it is Monday. I have to tell you all how important a great support system is when it comes to celiac disease. As the only cook in my house for my husband I cannot tell you what a blessing it is to have friends and family who help you with this chore of love. We had a party to attend on Saturday and my friend went out of her way (it was her daughter's 13th b-day party) to make my husband the best pasta salad he has had in a while. We all ate it. Then on Sunday, my mom made meatloaf and because she did not have enough gluten free breadcrumbs she made some to use and was even very careful how she seasoned and toasted the bread crumbs. They used them to make my husband his own meatloaf. With working full time it is hard to keep the menu fresh during the week when you are cooking regular food. But we all know when a specific diet enters the picture it is even harder. So to have people around you that really care to help keep your loved ones safe is the best gift to get. Thanks to all my wonderful friends and family, you ROCK!

Going Out to Eat on a Gluten-Free Diet

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Good Morning all, Sorry I have not written in a few days. We have be busy like all of you. Friday night my husband and I went to our favorite place to eat (since the diagnosis). Pizzeria Uno. The most fascinating thing happen. We were sitting there eating our food talking about what else, G-free eating, when all of the sudden the couple sitting in the booth behind ours said "you all are eating gluten free?" As it turned out her husband was diagnosed with many food allergies including gluten. Poor thing. It sure made me appreciate my husbands single issue. Well, we did what any foursome would do..... we completely confused the waiters by moving to another table and sharing our stories. What amazing conversation we all had. And what better an opportunity to have than to spend an evening with people with the same issue.

So the next time you feel a little embarrassed about asking the waiter for special info regarding your diet, don't. You never know who will be listening and what a great opportunity that is.

Have a great day and keep on eating great food!

Going to See a Dietitian After My Celiac Disease Diagnosis

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000

As soon as the diagnosis of celiac disease came, the doctor told us he would refer us to a really good dietitian. We were very excited to get in front of her because we had so many questions. As with anything else, the more information you get the more you need so you can filter through it all. I found out that the insurance would not cover it. The plan only covered a dietitian for a diagnosis of diabetes. I could have waited until letters were sent and pre-authorization was in place but we were anxious to see what we needed to do. So off we went only to find out that not only did this person not specialize in celiac disease, she told me that I knew more that she did. She was a weight loss specialist. The bill came in the mail the other day for $500.00. I was shocked. So here is a bit of advise. If you doctor advises you to see a dietitian, check with your insurance company for coverage and make darn sure they specialize in the disease or you will be wasting your money.

Have a great day!

Living with a Gluten-Free Husband

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0000

First thing this morning I read a post on the Open Original Shared Link regarding a husband who has celiac disease, while his wife does not. It was like reading about myself. Sometimes we may feel that the person in our lives who has celiac disease is not interested in taking a hand in the treatment. Like the wife in the post, I too find it to be very frustrating at times. But then I stopped and asked myself a tough question. Why am I doing this? "This" being doing all the research, food shopping and preparation AND being the "holder" of the information. Is it because on some level I am the "woman" and it is my job? Yikes, this kind of person is not really me. It is actually more like "if I do not do it, who will?" Like Bruce Willis says in "Live hard, Die Free" it is because I am "that guy." But more than that, if I am honest with myself, it is the praise that is given by other people who tell my husband, "you are lucky to have someone who will do all that for you." Ah now that strikes a nerve. I complain about him not doing enough and then I go ahead and do it. So to all of us out there who have a husband, we need to stop enabling these men to not take a part in their treatment. Having said that, when I find out how to do that I will be blogging about it here.

Until then, happy enabling!