Feeling Paranoid

[nonnarae]

Quick recap--- 4/5 years ago my doctor had me stop eating gluten. I felt great 3 months later. This is when we did my gluten tests. all came back high normal, but normal. So my doc said that I had a sensitivity. I took this to mean that I could just eat less gluten or stop when I felt bad etc...   Well I have been having some very major symptoms lately;

 

                                              Feeling like I worked out (muscle pain etc..) when I did nothing

                                              Major abdominal pains

                                              Heartburn/re flux   24/7 that nothing helped

 

These were the three most worrisome.  I am seeing a new GP but she has access to all my records. In about 5 minutes she listened to me, looked through my records , saw my weight gain, and said " stop eating gluten or you will die." She basically said that because I was tested without eating gluten for so long, My numbers indicated strongly for Celiacs. I could redo them of listen to my body. I do not need more testing, I believe! 

 

 

I have gone gluten-free completely for 5 days. This does not mean I went carb, or bread free. I love to bake. We just bought all new pans and bowls etc.. and I bought many flours, downloaded so many recipes I have a binder and off I went.

 

I have lost 4 lbs. I hope that trend continues since I am 5'4" and 180 lbs.  Enough back story.

 

 

I am seriously PARANOID about the CC. How far do we have to go? The family will be gluten-free at home completely (part of the baking spree is hubby and son are BREAD<ROLL eaters) 

 

At work I see crumbs from the  day shifters on the desk, keyboards etc... I have stuffed myself in a back room closet to avoid.  I wont put my food on the break room table, in the fridge etc.... for fear the crumbs will contaminate my food. I drag a rolling mini cooler with my food and drink into work ( to the chuckles of many).

 

I went to a friends house and there were so many crumbs on the counters etc... I literally had to leave from the panic ( I wasn't even eating)

 

Am I going crazy? Is this level of fear normal? will It subside?  

 

One last question---- How safe can my gluten-free flour be sitting on the shelf right next to the Bad flour?

 

MY Kitchen table is wood topped, Do I have to get rid of it from past contamination? 

[ravenwoodglass]

I would not store any gluten free items next to wheat flour. It would be a really good idea to rid the house of wheat flour altogether. If family has to have gluten baked goods get them premade as flour can float in the air for up to 2 days and contaminate you. 

As far as the table goes just wash it very well and make it a practice never to put your food directly on it. Use a plate or a towel.

It is normal to be paranoid and it sounds like you are taking good precautions at work. Can't those slobs clean up after themselves! Geez!!! It isn't just a contamination problem for you it also could bring in insect life. It is also really not good for the equipment to have crumbs and stuff getting into it. Surprised your IT tech hasn't complained.  If you have to use those keyboards etc make sure you wash your hands afterwards and maybe even see if you can find a tiny hand vac to run over the keyboard.  That said I work in a crumb filled environment and have to clean up after folks (maid at a motel) I make sure I wash my hands frequently and if I grab some fruit off the breakfast bar I rinse and wipe it down before I eat it. So far that has worked for me.

I would have been a bit nervous at the freinds house also but I think as long as you are not eating there and can find a clean place to sit you should be okay. Just don't go there when they are baking and wash before you eat anything when you leave.

I hope you heal quickly and keep in mind that a bit of anxiety and even depression is normal when we first go gluten free.  

[nonnarae]

Thank you ravenwood. &nbsp;There is no flour at my house, but the grocery, stores, the gluten flour right next to the wheat flour on the shelf. I keep asking myself " Am I bringing "flour" dust into the house and putting it in the cupboard!

&nbsp;

I thought I could bake for the family with wheat flour for all of 5 minutes. Then I looked stuff up and turned to hubby and said "Please go give all that flour away."&nbsp;

&nbsp;

So, I do not have to be super panicked about crumbs on my clothes etc... &nbsp;If kissing my husband after gluten eating is CC, is door knobs?

&nbsp;

Oh yeah,, If my previous coffee creamer was not gluten free, do I have to get rid of my coffee cups too? Keurig?

[mamaw]

I use  coffee K-Cups.  I believe  it  is the flavored  ones  coffee & teas  that  one  must be  careful of as  some  flavored ones  contain gluten.....Same  with  flavored tea  bags....

Kissing:  my mate  always  brushes  his  teeth  before kissing  me, he  has  very little  gluten  in  his  gut or mouth.... I think if  one is  sensitive  it  may present a  problem  but  most  can get  away  with a light  kiss.... we  just like to play it  safe  &  brush teeth....

another  thought: remember  pet  food /bird food  can contain gluten. Our furry friends  are gluten-free....

I agree  with Raven  about the  work place  .......

hugs

[nonnarae]

Can I use liners for my crock pots? I am assuming that they  hold gluten too. Also is it possible to get my kitchen aide clean enough to use again? Will I have to replace the stainless steal bowl and attachments? This is getting really hard.

[kareng]

I think the crocks should clean fine.  You could even cook them full of water after you have washed them just to be sure.  Then wash again.

 

 The basic idea is that if something is smooth and easy to clean- it should be fine.  Colanders are hard to get the gluten out of the little holes.  Something really porous like a wooden rolling pin might be hard to get clean.  If you can get into the little cracks on the mixer, it should be fine.  I found that some white vinegar and water got in the little spaces and floated goop out.  The bowls should be fine.  Just wash well.

[mamaw]

Kitchen aide  stand  mixer  should  be  fine. The  little hand  held  ones  set  closer  to  ingredients  &  collect  flour  debris  around  the  beaters so  that  is one  reason  I  got a  new one...Just  take  a  look  & see   if  you can  see debris  around  the beaters....  

[nonnarae]

Dear Friends,

 

 

     Please stop saying that changing my diet will be easy. It is not. Please stop saying "at least its not....... that is really hard to deal with." Seriously? The constant stabbing pains that double me over in my stomach are not hard to deal with? How about the Migraines? the massive muscle cramps? The fact that everything you bring into my house is dangerous to me? Maybe you should all think before you speak and realize that my "little allergy" is an auto immune disease, hereditary and extremely painful and down right dangerous. If you do not understand celiac disease, ask me, read an article or 50. Become informed before you tell me that my life is going to be easy and this is not that bad and way better than getting other things. Otherwise my friend you will not stay!

 

 

Thank you all I just needed to vent that somewhere that would not actually start a crap storm of drama in my life. 

[mfarrell]

Dear Friends,

 

 

     Please stop saying that changing my diet will be easy. It is not. Please stop saying "at least its not....... that is really hard to deal with." Seriously? The constant stabbing pains that double me over in my stomach are not hard to deal with? How about the Migraines? the massive muscle cramps? The fact that everything you bring into my house is dangerous to me? Maybe you should all think before you speak and realize that my "little allergy" is an auto immune disease, hereditary and extremely painful and down right dangerous. If you do not understand celiac disease, ask me, read an article or 50. Become informed before you tell me that my life is going to be easy and this is not that bad and way better than getting other things. Otherwise my friend you will not stay!

 

 

Thank you all I just needed to vent that somewhere that would not actually start a crap storm of drama in my life. 

One of my closest friends made a comment just today that really bothered me.  It was kind of taking my Celiac diagnosis very lightly, little allergy......  Well, I didn't say anything and I agree with your post... this is not easy at all and I really thought I was doing great until I realized from reading in here that when one of my co-workers puts their bagged sandwich on top of my lunch, it could contaminate mine......

[kareng]

 I realized from reading in here that when one of my co-workers puts their bagged sandwich on top of my lunch, it could contaminate mine......

 

Maybe... but if its in a sealed bag and your lunch is in a sealed bag or container - I don't see how gluten will fall from one into the other without some powerful magic!  

 

Open Original Shared Link

[nonnarae]

One of my closest friends made a comment just today that really bothered me.  It was kind of taking my Celiac diagnosis very lightly, little allergy......  Well, I didn't say anything and I agree with your post... this is not easy at all and I really thought I was doing great until I realized from reading in here that when one of my co-workers puts their bagged sandwich on top of my lunch, it could contaminate mine......

oh no. I now made you paranoid too.. I am sorry. I think kareng is is correct with this statement

 

 

Maybe... but if its in a sealed bag and your lunch is in a sealed bag or container - I don't see how gluten will fall from one into the other without some powerful magic!  

 

Open Original Shared Link

,however; I still wipe down the bag and wash my hands before opening it. Yep I am that ridiculous still.

 

 

 

Now, I am about to embark on my first road trip. uggghhh this is really getting to me. I booked rooms with kitchenettes because I eating out was horrific and stressful. I am finally going to Yellowstone  to hike and hike and going to cascade corner to yep hike and hike and staying in a cabin on the river to fish !!!! I just want no chance of ruining this by feeling sick. I FINALLY FEEL WELL!

 

Should I buy a cheap set of pans and such to take for cooking? I am assuming I don't want to eat out of dishes and pans left there? 

 

How do you all handle traveling? I just plan on packing a well crap ton of snacks for the drive and then just eating meats, veggies and fruits. 

 

I am sad that I cant stop and try all the out of the way diners though ;(

[kareng]

oh no. I now made you paranoid too.. I am sorry. I think kareng is is correct with this statement

,however; I still wipe down the bag and wash my hands before opening it. Yep I am that ridiculous still.

Now, I am about to embark on my first road trip. uggghhh this is really getting to me. I booked rooms with kitchenettes because I eating out was horrific and stressful. I am finally going to Yellowstone to hike and hike and going to cascade corner to yep hike and hike and staying in a cabin on the river to fish !!!! I just want no chance of ruining this by feeling sick. I FINALLY FEEL WELL!

Should I buy a cheap set of pans and such to take for cooking? I am assuming I don't want to eat out of dishes and pans left there?

How do you all handle traveling? I just plan on packing a well crap ton of snacks for the drive and then just eating meats, veggies and fruits.

I am sad that I cant stop and try all the out of the way diners though ;(

i bought a set of backpack pans from Cabelas. I bought the biggest set I could get. Probably $40-140 depending on what you get. Backpacking pots and pans fit inside each other and are fairly light weight. I can get a pan big enough for 2 people's pasta, a small fry pan, a lid with a built in colander ( you really don't want to use someone colander), smaller pot - and they fit in a suitcase. You can get collapse able colander. Cutting mats are nice - flat, fit in the bottom of a suitcase. You can use them to cut or to cover a dubious picnic table. If you want, I can post links tomorrow ( if I am not making myself clear, cause that never happens..... )

Edit - foil! You can cover thier grody baking sheet to make Ore Ida fries in the oven. Use double layers of heavy duty foil.

I have posted about my travel cooking kit somewhere. On my iPad now. Maybe I can find it in the morning on my PC.

[nonnarae]

Kareng.... those sound perfect. I am going to the Packer/Bronco game in the fall and on a couples getaway in a few more weeks too. Those will be very useful. I would love to know what you got, but I am also going to start searching amazon!

 

 

OH and you said FRIES! Yes hubby is now excited too!

[nonnarae]

Well 

 

i bought a set of backpack pans from Cabelas. I bought the biggest set I could get. Probably $40-140 depending on what you get. Backpacking pots and pans fit inside each other and are fairly light weight. I can get a pan big enough for 2 people's pasta, a small fry pan, a lid with a built in colander ( you really don't want to use someone colander), smaller pot - and they fit in a suitcase. You can get collapse able colander. Cutting mats are nice - flat, fit in the bottom of a suitcase. You can use them to cut or to cover a dubious picnic table. If you want, I can post links tomorrow ( if I am not making myself clear, cause that never happens..... )

Edit - foil! You can cover thier grody baking sheet to make Ore Ida fries in the oven. Use double layers of heavy duty foil.

I have posted about my travel cooking kit somewhere. On my iPad now. Maybe I can find it in the morning on my PC.

I used this idea and bought travel pans and dishes! I loved it. The first 3 days of my vacation were great using these. The last 3 were awful. Not because of the pans, but because I didn't stand up for what I knew I needed and ate a lot of things I was certain were going to cross contaminate me. They did. By the last day I was in massive stomach pain and had a migraine that left me throwing up the rest of the way home. 

 

I really really have to learn to say, "I am really only comfortable eating what I make."  There now hmmmmm how to say it to the in-laws.

[kareng]

Well 

 

I used this idea and bought travel pans and dishes! I loved it. The first 3 days of my vacation were great using these. The last 3 were awful. Not because of the pans, but because I didn't stand up for what I knew I needed and ate a lot of things I was certain were going to cross contaminate me. They did. By the last day I was in massive stomach pain and had a migraine that left me throwing up the rest of the way home. 

 

I really really have to learn to say, "I am really only comfortable eating what I make."  There now hmmmmm how to say it to the in-laws.

Good. Glad they worked for you .

[squirmingitch]

Well 

 

I used this idea and bought travel pans and dishes! I loved it. The first 3 days of my vacation were great using these. The last 3 were awful. Not because of the pans, but because I didn't stand up for what I knew I needed and ate a lot of things I was certain were going to cross contaminate me. They did. By the last day I was in massive stomach pain and had a migraine that left me throwing up the rest of the way home. 

 

I really really have to learn to say, "I am really only comfortable eating what I make."  There now hmmmmm how to say it to the in-laws.

Well, you just learned a lesson you will not soon forget. Nothing like horrid stomach pain, migraine, & urping all the way home to give you a stiff backbone. I don't think you will have much problem saying no from now on. ((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))) I hope you are feeling much better now.