Does it get any easier?

[1398-Days]

I've been gluten free since August and I feel like it's never going to get better. Once I got over the euphoria of not feeling sick every day I got hit HARD by reality. I can't eat 90% of what I used to, plus I'm much more sensitive that I originally thought. So I need to be very, very careful about cross contamination, which isn't easy when you live with people who eat gluten and aren't all that concerned about CC. I'm sure I've been getting glutened by the cookware since I seem to feel sick every night after dinner (i don't really cook for breakfast or lunch.. usually just something quick). So I guess that's partly why I've been so down lately. I just feel so hopeless sometimes because I've given up so much and it seems like it will never get any easier. And just when it seems like it might, something happens to bring it all crashing down again. I've lost 25 pounds in the past few months just because I barely eat! I want to feel like a normal person again.. Please tell me this gets easier 

[LookingforAnswers15]

Hi, it does get easier. I used to love trying different cuisines and had a lot of things I loved that I cannot eat now. What helped me was not even concentrating on what I can't eat but figuring out new things I can eat. I honestly do not even think about my favorite dishes that i can no longer eat. I am also the only one who is gluten-free free in my family and to avoid cc, I have a few things that I only use, a couple of  pots and pens, utensils, cutting board and cleaning sponge to avoid cc. I prepare 99% of my food. I am not saying it is easy and i wish there were days i can just grab something on the go when i am too busy to cook and hungry at that moment but I always replace it with fruits until I fix something that I can eat. I would rather be hungry than get sick. I also had to get rid of some other things such as sugar, soy, dairy, corn, nightshades (white potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers). Since you say you are very sensitive, pay attention and see if you react to some other things. Even if you are unable to consume these now, you might be able to add them to your diet later on after your body heals. We all went through and are going through this so we understand. It is not easy but with time we learn how to cope with it. I think you are in a difficult period after going gluten-free but you will get out of it. I felt fine after going gluten-free and then a few months later realized I was not feeling well because of these other ingredients. I am almost 2 years gluten-free and I have never cheated and have avoided cc to my best abilities but my antibodies are still far from normal since they were super high when diagnosed. So, it takes time but I am hopeful because with every check up, they come down. Good luck. Do not lose hope!

[Pauliewog]

It is important that you have your own cookware: pans, cutting board, knives, etc. My husband eats gluten but he has his set and I have mine! I have to keep an eye on him because he gets careless sometimes but I have never been sick from CC in my house. Yes, you have to be careful.

It's really important to eat healthy food to heal. It's a pain, but that means cooking all your food. Forget about anything in a bag/box. I found that experimenting with sauces helped to jazz up food. My favorite simple one is just honey and yellow mustard mixed together. Goes great on fish, chicken, veggies. Once I stopped thinking about what/how I used to eat and just started thinking new it did get easier.

Also, when I first started out 4 years ago, someone recommended checking out the Paleo blogs (mark's daily apple among others). Paleo people eat gluten free mostly but are so gung ho and excited about food. I found it very uplifting. Tons of amazing recipes out there.

[Karen B.]

I've been eating gluten free since 2003 and it does get better.  I do remember when Hubby and I realized that I was getting sick every time I ate something cooked in a cast iron skillet and we had to burn it out and re-season it. It's incredible how sensitive it can be.  After all this time, I still get hit with the strong wish for the convenience of being able to pick up a bucket of chicken for supper when we're tired although I stand by what I told my doc about the GFD... "I can't say it's not better for me to have to think about everything that I eat.

 

I can't imagine living in a house with gluten.  My hubby made the decision to have a gluten-free house when I was diagnosed when he realized that him kissing me when he had been eating gluten could make me sick.  I didn't believe it until he proved it to me.  If you have to share a kitchen with gluten, you need people that respect territorial boundaries. If you don't have that, you're going to keep getting sick.

[Gemini]

7 hours ago, Karen B. said:

I've been eating gluten free since 2003 and it does get better.  I do remember when Hubby and I realized that I was getting sick every time I ate something cooked in a cast iron skillet and we had to burn it out and re-season it. It's incredible how sensitive it can be.  After all this time, I still get hit with the strong wish for the convenience of being able to pick up a bucket of chicken for supper when we're tired although I stand by what I told my doc about the GFD... "I can't say it's not better for me to have to think about everything that I eat.

 

 

Getting sick from sharing a cast iron skillet has nothing to do with being sensitive......that's a no-no for anyone diagnosed with Celiac. You do not clean a cast iron skillet the same way you clean a stainless steel pan so there very well could be contamination left on the surface.  The only cast iron that is safe for a mixed household would be enameled cast iron.

To the OP......of course it gets better!  Anything new that requires learning and time is challenging but you will become adept at it and it will become second nature to you.  I have been gluten-free since 2005 and I cannot remember eating any other way.  If you had to give up 90% of what you normally eat to do the gluten-free diet correctly, then maybe you weren't eating very healthy to begin with.  I will say that being forced to eat healthier makes a huge difference as you age and keeps many of the medical problems facing people today at bay. The worst I can say for this lifestyle is that, at times, it is not convenient but if that's the worst thing I can think of, I'm not doing too badly.  Hang in there and start exploring all the food you can eat.  It is a lot easier to be gluten-free today than it was even 10 years ago!

[deb-rn]

My husband went gluten free with me.  I would say we  CAN  eat 90% of what we used to eat, but then we have a garden and rarely went out to eat anyway.  Looking at the Paleo posts helped me too.  I have recipies that are as good or better than before!  Almost anything can be duplicated.  Google is your friend!  We just take our own salads when going to someone else's house.  We make them aware of our limitations and tell them we will bring our own food for safety.  Not eating donuts at work is a blessing, not a curse!  Keep some soup in the cupboard for quick food.  Individually wrapped fish in the freezer is a time saver too.  Nut butters and gluten-free crackers are good to keep handy as well.

By the way, after going Gluten Free... husband realized his severe IBS of 65 yrs all but disappeared!  He's now lactose and soy free as well.  It's all good.  Do your homework before going out to eat to find out which restaurants have what you can eat.  Travelling is the biggest hassel.  We usually travel by car and take much of our own food with us to visit relatives.  I offer to cook so I can control what is going in the food.

Keep at it, it gets easier!

Debbie