Small Breakdown

[popoki321]

I am newly diagnosed and I had a bit of a breakdown last night.

For the past week I have been walking around saying how this isn't a big deal and it'll be easy to eat right, especially since it will make me feel better.

I've had a general all around positive attitude.

Last Night- Dinner.

My fiancee called and asked if it would be ok if he brought home the dreaded, full of gluten pizza for himself for dinner. We were both getting home from work late and he didn't want me to have to cook. Honestly, I have no problem with him eating things that I can't have any more and I appreciated that he called to make sure it wouldn't upset me, and normally it would not have botherd me at all.

I had bought a few gluten free frozen entrees from the supermarket and thought since I didn't feel like cooking this would be a good night to have one. It was some kind of Indian dish that I really like.

We sat down to dinner, him with the pizza, me with the Indian frozen entree and some wine.

I am just about to take a forkfull, when I notice all these little seeds mixed in to the food. I believe they were caraway seeds. They were not listed on the ingrediants.

The problem being: I have Diverticulits. I can't nuts, seeds, corn, celery and a variety of other food because I can get a severe infection. I wound up in the hospital for a week in October and I was in the worst pain of my life. I NEVER want to experience that again, so I am vigilant in watching what I eat.

So now I just start crying. Here I am thinking I have this great Gluten free entree that smelled great but I can't eat it beacuse of this other disease. My poor finacee was feeling guilty for eating the pizza anyway, he felt even worse after that.

I just felt very defeated at that moment. It's hard enough to check for gluten, but I also have to check for any other little nut or seed. This also really limits what I can eat.

I wound up having a bowl of gluten free rice cereal ,which was very good, but didn't exactly go great with the wine! If it wasn't so late and I wasn't so tired I might have whipped something up. but at that point, I was done.

I guess I'm just feeling sorry for myself and I really needed to vent to people who understand.

I refuse to let these diseases get the better of me and I will keep my chin and keep my positive attitude. I think that's half the battle.

[Guest nini]

Lori, I've had nights like that... my husband sitting there eating his pizza, I've heated up something then realize something is dreadfully wrong... I've already fed the kid early cos she was hungry and I just sit there and cry because there is nothing to eat (that I feel like cooking anyway...)

last night was a better night though, I wasn't feeling like cooking, but we were ALL in the mood for Chinese takeout, and since I haven't found a Chinese restaurant near me that can cook me something safely (I just can't communicate with them), I forced myself to cook... sliced up chicken breast and stir fried it, made a pot of basmati rice, stir fried frozen broccoli into the chicken and poured sweet and sour sauce over it all... it wasn't EXACTLY what I had in mind, but it worked... and I"m glad I made the effort.

[plantime]

Those kinds of meals are very frustrating. Many times, I find that if I just get up and start cooking for myself, I really get into it and enjoy myself. It is just that it is so hard to get up and start cooking!

[tarnalberry]

those sorts of nights are tough. the best way I know to deal with them is to avoid them by being more careful when purchasing food. I know, I know, easier said than done, and it makes shopping trips take longer. but then I can be disappointed over and over when reading labels, but otherwise free, rather than when I'm stressed and hungry and don't have other options. it doesn't always work, but it's worked better than the alternative so far. ;-)

I'm sorry it happened, though. :-(

[kathy1]

Lori

my husband is just like you, celiac disease and Diviticulosis. My 1st time in the health food store to buy gluten-free foods, I nearly had a break down. my husband was with me and we were looking at crackers. I had found some gluten-free that I thought he would like but then he told me they contained seeds!!!

I firmly told him I could only handle 1 ailment at a time! Of course I didnt follow thru with that, but I truelly felt that way at first. Especially when you are dealing with more than 1 dietary restriction, it is very nerve wracking.

I still find it frustrating, but it does get better with time. This forum helps and I cont to do research everyday....

[Timber4est]

Next time he wants to bring home pizza, send him to purchase all the makings for pizza and use this little ditty.

Pizza Crust

2 tsp dry active yeast

1 egg

2 Tbsp oil

1/2 tsp vinegar

1 cup warm water

1. Place dry mix in heavy duty mixer bowl. Stir in yeast.

2. Add egg, vinegar, oil and water to dry ingredients and mix for 3 minutes on high speed using an electric mixer.

3. Using a rubber spatula, spread dough evenly on a well greased cookie sheet or 14" round pizza pan. Let rise on top of a warm oven (20 minutes for rapid rise yeast 30 minutes for regular yeast).

4. Bake crust at 425 F for 10 minutes. Top with pizza sauce, 2 cups grated mozzeralla cheese and your choice of pizza toppings.

5. Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes or until cheese bubbles.

[popoki321]

Thanks everyone

I am feeling better, both physically and mentally.

I am almost a week gluten free. It gets a little easier everyday.

It wasn't so much the pizza that got to me but the fact that I now have 2 diseases that force me to change my diet and watch everything that I eat.

What also made me angry was that I read the label of the frozen entree and it didn't list any seeds or nuts. Yet, lo and behold, those little seeds were there.

It is difficult to eat anything these days but I did wind up finding a good gluten free pizza dough. I think it was called Gillians.

I also made 2 kinds of tamales over the weekend. One stuffed with chicken and black beans and one stuffed with shrimp. I froze a bunch of them to have on a night when we get home from work late.

I'm learning!

Thanks for all the support. I'm sure this won't be my last breakdown!

[maryn]

Where did you find packaged, frozen, gluten free entrees? Sorry, I have been cooking for my son for 4.5 years and not ever found this. Today is my first day to this website, and in an hour, I have read so much information. I think I am addicted!

[debmidge]

Lori - I can relate to your experience. my celiac husband has multiple food restrictions (Celiac, no seeds, no fruits, no vegetables, no spices, low roughage but not low enough to make him constipated like cheese would, no acidy foods, no soy, tries to avoid milk & egg yolk, and should avoid yeast but can't.) That being said, you live with it everyday and learn by trial and error what to do, learn what to prepare in advance and have in freezer or in fridge and eventually comes 2nd nature. My husband went 27 years or so misdiagnosed and severely ill all those years - too sick to even work. In 2003 he got even worse and he got his correct diagnosis. He was so ill he belonged in hospital - I remember in 2003 after diagnosis crying myself to sleep in worry if the celiac diagnosis was correct, what if it wasn't and he doesn't get better and dies. Well after about 1 month 100% gluten free he finally started feeling better, then every couple of months after that he improved. Now it's about 2.5 years gluten free and he's much better, but not well enough to work due to the damage from 27 years misdiagnosed - the neurological damage, the ulcer and other conditions combined with his "strange" diet keeps him home most of the time.

Timber - read your receipe for the pizza crust but what do you use for the "flour"? Thanks.

Debbie