Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

New Here...feeling Stuck

Laurenskii

By Laurenskii
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

Laurenskii Newbie
Laurenskii
Posted

I was diagnosed with celiacs last week. While I'm completely devastated about this life change I'm also happy to FINALLY have a reason to why I feel so terrible. And let me tell you, most of my medical problems in my life can be tied back to celiacs.

I wasn't given any real info by doctors just that I need to start following a very strict gluten/dairy free diet. I'm learning quickly that eating out is pretty much not an option and most of my favorite foods are no longer "allowed"

I guess I'm just looking for some encouragement or for people who understand. My significant other has decided not to go gluten-free with me so I'm paranoid about cross contamination. Help?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

Welcome.  It gets easier as you go along.  I live with gluten eaters but they are committed to keeping me safe. Here are a few places to get started.  You don't have to learn it all at once.  I have to go get the links so I will be adding for a few minutes here.

 

 

Newbie topic:

 

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/91878-newbie-info-101/

 

See what people are eating:

 

 

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/75238-the-whats-for-dinner-tonight-chat/page-469#entry893069

1desperateladysaved Proficient
1desperateladysaved
Posted

Bread use to be my favorite food, but now I can't wait to have a sweet potato, kidney beans, or almond granola.  You will be able to find news foods to really like. When you start feeling better, it will be worth the trial of learning.

 

Get well,

 

D

ItchyAbby Enthusiast
ItchyAbby
Posted

Welcome! You have arrived at the right place even though no one really wants to be part of this club at first. :D

 

I am fairly newly diagnosed - been about 4-5 months - and I remember the feeling you are talking about all too well. Suddenly the whole world of food seems closed off to you and it feels terribly unfair and scary at times. It's okay. Allow yourself to be pissed and mourn a bit - this is no small thing you are doing. It's a major life change. It's a completely new food reality. Really, it's okay. And I can tell you that it does get better. All I could think about for the first month was all the restaurants that I could no longer visit. Now I do not think about it much at all. Instead, I dream up fun recipes to try out. You are changing habits and that takes time and patience - some days you may feel inspired and other days you just want to cry in front of the open refrigerator. And then, at some point within a month or maybe two, you may start to realize that the way you are eating feels "normal" now. That's what happened for me.

 

You will find new favorite foods, I promise! There is SO much good food that is naturally gluten free. You may even find yourself trying strange vegetables or foreign cuisines that you had previously ignored. Try to stick to a mostly whole foods diet, instead of the many processed gluten free foods flooding the market now.

 

Regarding sharing a kitchen with a gluten eater: I do not have experience with this as my SO is gluten-free but there are plenty here that do successfully use a shared kitchen. There is a lot of info here about that as well: https://www.celiac.com/search?cx=partner-pub-2870123369516656%3Ae1y9um-mqfh&cof=FORID%3A11&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=shared+kitchen&sa=Search&siteurl=www.celiac.com%2F&ref=www.celiac.com%2Fgluten-free%2F&ss=4366j1279592j26

 

Make sure your significant other understands just how important it is that the gluten containing items are kept strictly segregated and that their teeth MUST be brushed thoroughly after eating anything with gluten before kissing you.

WinterSong Community Regular
WinterSong
Posted

What is wonderful about this board is that we all are in (relatively) the same boat. It's a wonderful, supportive community. I found a lot of comfort here when I was first diagnosed, and I still do. 

 

Browse around the boards for a bit. It may seem overwhelming at first, so just keep taking one step forward at a time. Focus on the positive aspect of finally having a diagnosis, and be proud that you are taking charge of your health! 

 

Welcome to the community! 

GF Lover Rising Star
GF Lover
Posted

I was diagnosed with celiacs last week. While I'm completely devastated about this life change I'm also happy to FINALLY have a reason to why I feel so terrible. And let me tell you, most of my medical problems in my life can be tied back to celiacs.

I wasn't given any real info by doctors just that I need to start following a very strict gluten/dairy free diet. I'm learning quickly that eating out is pretty much not an option and most of my favorite foods are no longer "allowed"

I guess I'm just looking for some encouragement or for people who understand. My significant other has decided not to go gluten-free with me so I'm paranoid about cross contamination. Help?

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

Like so many of us, it has also been a lifetime of problems getting to this point.  Trust me, it gets so much better from here. 

 

I have a shared kitchen and it is completely doable.  When talking to your hubs, use words like "protocol" and "regimen" to explain the needed procedures to keep you safe.  Take a few days to deep clean your kitchen cupboards, drawers, pantry and refrigerator.  Use the top selves for gluten free foods to avoids spills on to them.  Get separate condiments that have been double dipped as they are contaminated and label them gluten-free.  Avoid sponges and wash clothes and use paper towels.  The counter tops must be cleaned after anyone uses them.  Use a separate butter dish.  Buy a new toaster designated gluten free, new cutting board.  If you have Teflon cookware, get separate for gluten-free use.  Try to replace anything plastic with glass or stainless.  If it can scratch, it can hide gluten.  Check all you medication/supplements for gluten and any make-up, lotion, lip balm that may get in your mouth.  Tell hubs he has to brush before kissing on lips.  Remember, your hubs will pick up the attitude that you convey. 

 

This all gets really easy after some practice, don't worry.  The Forum is packed with real life practical advice.  Read the Food Threads for great meal ideas. 

 

Good luck with your transition. 

 

Colleen

Laurenskii Newbie
Laurenskii
Posted
  • Author

Thanks everyone! I have the day off and I think I'll get to that "deep clean" of cabinets and the fridge. I think I went a through my mourning stage when I was told I can't do dairy (before I was diagnosed with celiacs) now I'm ready to start feeling better!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


mbrookes Community Regular
mbrookes
Posted

Your SO will catch on, too, if he is a good guy. My husband is not gluten free. He keeps a loaf of bread and hamburger buns in a closed bread box. When we go out he eats all the gluten he wants. He has become more phobic about cross contamination than I am, because he has seen what it does to me. What I'm saying is, he doesn't have to be gluten free, just aware of the situation.

eers03 Explorer
eers03
Posted

Hi!  Welcome.  This forum is fantastic.  You are in the right place.  Congratulations on finally getting an answer to your medical questions.  I recommend the following resources:

 

1. Gluten-Free Grocery Shopping Guide 2012/2013 Edition Matison & Matison.  Its a small 500 page shoppers guide of all the foods/brands that you CAN have.  When in doubt, this book is a holy grail.

 

2. Shopwell app for iPhone-In a pinch or if pressed for time, this is a pretty reliable app that you can use to scan a barcode and it will tell you if gluten is in the item you scanned.  I have seen it give me false positives but no false negatives so its pretty good.

 

3. Myfitnesspal app-if you need to change your caloric intake goals to suit your new diet better, this app is a great tool for entering and tracking your daily nutrient intake and even create goals based on your height/weight.

 

4. Be patient. 

 

5. Most of the questions you have, someone in this forum probably has an answer to it.  Just ask.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. xxnonamexx
      - xxnonamexx replied to xxnonamexx's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      4

      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

      I read that as well but I saw the Certified Gluten free symbol that is the reason I ourchased it.
    2. cristiana
      - cristiana replied to sha1091a's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      2

      Issues before diagnosis

      I agree, it so often overlooked! I live in the UK and I have often wondered why doctors are so reluctant to at least exclude it - my thoughts are perhaps the particular tests are expensive for the NHS, so therefore saved for people with 'obvious' symptoms. I was diagnosed in 2013 and was told immediately that my parents, sibling and children should...
    3. chrisinpa
      - chrisinpa commented on Scott Adams's article in Skin Problems and Celiac Disease
      2

      Celiac Disease and Skin Disorders: Exploring a Genetic Connection

      Maybe they can attribute certain skin conditions to either being susceptible to getting Celiac......or the other way around....but I have to ask if certain people are prone to Celiac because of genetics and some people aren't. It's kind of the same thing as what came first.....the chicken or the egg.?
    4. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to xxnonamexx's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      4

      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

      @xxnonamexx, There's labeling on those Trubar gluten free high fiber protein bars that say: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts, milk, soy, fish, WHEAT, sesame, and other tree nuts." You may want to avoid products made in shared facilities. If you are trying to add more fiber to your diet to ease constipation, considering...
    5. trents
      - trents replied to sha1091a's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      2

      Issues before diagnosis

      Welcome to celiac.com @sha1091a! Your experience is a very common one. Celiac disease is one the most underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed medical conditions out there. The reasons are numerous. One key one is that its symptoms mimic so many other diseases. Another is ignorance on the part of the medical community with regard to the range of symptoms that celiac...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,695
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Aanhmcbride
    Newest Member
    Aanhmcbride
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • xxnonamexx
      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

      By xxnonamexx · Posted

      I read that as well but I saw the Certified Gluten free symbol that is the reason I ourchased it.
    • cristiana
      Issues before diagnosis

      By cristiana · Posted

      I agree, it so often overlooked! I live in the UK and I have often wondered why doctors are so reluctant to at least exclude it - my thoughts are perhaps the particular tests are expensive for the NHS, so therefore saved for people with 'obvious' symptoms.  I was diagnosed in 2013 and was told immediately that my parents, sibling and children should be checked.  My parents' GP to this day has not put forward my father for testing, and my mother was never tested in her lifetime, despite the fact that they both have some interesting symptoms/family history that reflect they might have coeliac disease (Dad - extreme bloating, and his Mum clearly had autoimmune issues, albeit undiagnosed as such; Mum - osteoporosis, anxiety).  I am now my father' legal guardian and suspecting my parents may have forgotten to ask their GP for a test (which is entirely possible!) I put it to his last GP that he ought to be tested.  He looked at Dad's blood results and purely because he was not anemic said he wasn't a coeliac.  Hopefully as the awareness of Coeliac Disease spreads among the general public, people will be able to advocate for themselves.  It is hard because in the UK the NHS is very stretched, but the fallout from not being diagnosed in a timely fashion will only cost the NHS more money. Interestingly, a complete aside, I met someone recently whose son was diagnosed (I think she said he was 8).  At a recent birthday party with 8 guests, 4 boys out of the 8 had received diagnosis of Coeliac Disease, which is an astounding statistic  As far as I know, though, they had all had obvious gastric symptoms leading to their NHS diagnosis.  In my own case I had  acute onset anxiety, hypnopompic hallucinations (vivid hallucinations upon waking),  odd liver function, anxiety, headaches, ulcers and low iron but it wasn't until the gastric symptoms hit me that a GP thought to do coeliac testing, and my numbers were through the roof.  As @trents says, by the grace of God I was diagnosed, and the diet has pretty much dealt with most of those symptoms.  I have much to be grateful for. Cristiana
    • knitty kitty
      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @xxnonamexx, There's labeling on those Trubar gluten free high fiber protein bars that say: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts, milk, soy, fish, WHEAT, sesame, and other tree nuts." You may want to avoid products made in shared facilities.   If you are trying to add more fiber to your diet to ease constipation, considering eating more leafy green vegetables and cruciferous vegetables.  Not only are these high in fiber, they also are good sources of magnesium.  Many newly diagnosed are low in magnesium and B vitamins and suffer with constipation.  Thiamine Vitamin B1 and magnesium work together.  Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine has been shown to improve intestinal health.  Thiamine and magnesium are important to gastrointestinal health and function.  
    • trents
      Issues before diagnosis

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to celiac.com @sha1091a! Your experience is a very common one. Celiac disease is one the most underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed medical conditions out there. The reasons are numerous. One key one is that its symptoms mimic so many other diseases. Another is ignorance on the part of the medical community with regard to the range of symptoms that celiac disease can produce. Clinicians often are only looking for classic GI symptoms and are unaware of the many other subsystems in the body that can be damaged before classic GI symptoms manifest, if ever they do. Many celiacs are of the "silent" variety and have few if any GI symptoms while all along, damage is being done to their bodies. In my case, the original symptoms were elevated liver enzymes which I endured for 13 years before I was diagnosed with celiac disease. By the grace of God my liver was not destroyed. It is common for the onset of the disease to happen 10 years before you ever get a diagnosis. Thankfully, that is slowly changing as there has developed more awareness on the part of both the medical community and the public in the past 20 years or so. Blessings!
    • knitty kitty
      Dizziness after eating green beans?

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @EndlessSummer, You said you had an allergy to trees.  People with Birch Allergy can react to green beans (in the legume family) and other vegetables, as well as some fruits.  Look into Oral Allergy Syndrome which can occur at a higher rate in Celiac Disease.   Switching to a low histamine diet for a while can give your body time to rid itself of the extra histamine the body makes with Celiac disease and histamine consumed in the diet.   Vitamin C and the eight B vitamins are needed to help the body clear histamine.   Have you been checked for nutritional deficiencies?
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.