Omg...i Might Be On To Something

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Susan, I'm going on the assumption that we all celiacs are very very very very sensitive to everything, including meds. Is it possible that a tiny dose of ritalin might work? Normally, I'm not a fan of meds, but that fact that you felt wonderful on it the first day makes me wonder if there is something there that might ultimately work for you.

Another option might be low doses of caffeine, such as green tea? Are you caffeinated already? Because I'm convinced that caffeine plays a huge role in bipolarity. The two times that I have tried coffee, I swear I was textboook bipolar--Superwoman for two full days, then a weeklong crash. The rest of my life, I have been on an EXTREMELY even keel.

Oh--cafffeine also gives me the runs.

Rachel, we need more of your scientificness here!

[DingoGirl]

oh thank you, dear girls. I am not so sensitive to meds.....come from a long line of high-functioning Southern alkies who took steady quantities of pain meds and other things mixed w/ alcohol that would have killed.....small farm animals. They just lived into old age with marvelously pickled livers. Sheesh, my liver is fine and you woulnd't believe the things I"ve done to it. Alison, caffeine has pretty much NO effect on me any more.....it USED to, years ago, but now I could drink a pot and......nothing.

The problems with my brain and thinking are vast and legion and lifelong......it is only recently that some doctors have looked at me and said, why has no one ever diagnosed this? and I am too, too tired to even fight any more and care, on some days.

Better stop writing as it will just get more maudlin and morose......I love you guys for your support. I am just so frustrated.....yes I write well and articulate superbly (have forgotten all of my fabulous words that used to just slip off the tongue, though), but cna't process or retain almost anything. It is ruining my life.

I will write more later....must walk the girls in this blurry haze and then try to accomplish SOMETHING good today.

xoxo

[CarlaB]

Hi everyone! I skimmed through all I missed. Laura, I sent you a PM with my email address.

Someone mentioned green tea and what we thought of it .... I've heard it's very good for you and I used to drink a lot of it. I don't now just because of the caffeine I'm supposed to be avoiding. Starbucks has a great iced green tea, and you can have them add sugar syrup if you like it sweetened. It has a nice minty flavor as it also has mint tea in it. If they make it too strong, ask them to dilute it.

[Guest melannen]

oh thank you, dear girls. I am not so sensitive to meds.....come from a long line of high-functioning Southern alkies who took steady quantities of pain meds and other things mixed w/ alcohol that would have killed.....small farm animals. They just lived into old age with marvelously pickled livers. Sheesh, my liver is fine and you woulnd't believe the things I"ve done to it. Alison, caffeine has pretty much NO effect on me any more.....it USED to, years ago, but now I could drink a pot and......nothing.

The problems with my brain and thinking are vast and legion and lifelong......it is only recently that some doctors have looked at me and said, why has no one ever diagnosed this? and I am too, too tired to even fight any more and care, on some days.

Better stop writing as it will just get more maudlin and morose......I love you guys for your support. I am just so frustrated.....yes I write well and articulate superbly (have forgotten all of my fabulous words that used to just slip off the tongue, though), but cna't process or retain almost anything. It is ruining my life.

I will write more later....must walk the girls in this blurry haze and then try to accomplish SOMETHING good today.

xoxo

Susan -

Just a suggestion, but what helps me is to write ALL DAY until I can't anymore. I write until I start going in circles and run out of fresh words. I carry a notebook with me and just write whatever comes into my head. DON'T edit! Write freely no matter how grammatically incorrect, rambling, incoherent, morbid, or absurd it sounds. Just. Write. And DON'T EVER erase ANYTHING!

Then it sometimes helps me to share it with someone I deeply trust...I usually email a buddy of mine or my cousin. I call it keeping "rambling notes". I do this a couple times a month and can fill pages and pages with my untidy/illegible scrawl

I think sharing my words helps me because then at least one person out there knows exactly what's going through my head...makes me feel less alone My most recent "non-reply" email to you was sort of a mini one of these.

I find this to be very liberating, cleansing, and clears my mind somewhat. It also help me to sort out problems because when I don't erase or edit anything I am able to better see my thought process and work through whatever.

Hang in there and good luck with the new job!

Everybody else, I'm following but don't really have anything to add...you're all in my thoughts and prayers. Love you guys!

ps. I love sudoku

[dlp252]

Hope you're comfortable enough to get some sleep tonight--after you spit, of course!

Spitting went well and got some nice rest, lol.

[jerseyangel]

Spitting went well and got some nice rest, lol.

Hi Donna I'm glad that you got some rest--you sounded a little uncomfortable last night.

[dlp252]

Donna, that is a a pretty steep pricetag for the teeth stuff. But, as my parents remind me, what good is any of our money, our possessions, our nice cars and houses, ANYTHING that we own if we are sick. (When they say it, it makes me cry!) Your PT sounds great---just reading about your app't made me want one and made me want a massage! I hope, hope, hope he is good and you find relief from it. I think you are right on track.

This is so true, exactly...I think most people don't get this either, but I think we all do to some extent here. I read your entire post...I'm so sorry you have to go back to eating the foods that make you so sick...wow, we'll support you, whatever you need!

I am going to experiment on myself, I have entered Lyme Alive territory and girls do things like that here.

Hi Donna I'm glad that you got some rest--you sounded a little uncomfortable last night.

Yes it was a bit uncomfortable to be sure.

Oh and I forgot to say that Dave's puppies are sooooo cute!

Hi to Ryan who popped in!

Bev - that clinic looks great...very similar (it seems) to the one I'm going to!

Susan - you most definitely can stay here!

[DingoGirl]

the quickest drive-by....I know my body is just so chemically out-of-whack....uppers and downers.....Ritalin - v. good on first day and the next three days it was HELL......detoxing from that.....

so I drank some green tea, WITH CAFFEINE, that's right, and got a little perkier. Took the girls on a big and brisk walk, lots of yard work, in fact I cut a GIANT conical hedge, about 20 feet tall, into a tree.....much hand-sawing of lower huge branches, took two hours, looks so much better and doesn't interfere w/ backing out of garage. Had to THEN saw branches by hand to make them small enough for green can, one of the Stepford neighbors (who I've determined is cripplingly shy) lent me his green can for the rest of the freakin tree.......

so......will now tackle the back yard.

thank you all for your thoughtfulness.....and for letting me be here. I wish someone could just look inside my brain and see the areas of great deficit and say.....take THIS for that problem and take THIS for that problem and......oh I am so sorry but I see areas affected by an irrevocably broken heart so here's what you do for that......

hugs and love. Back for more physical torture which is great fun and good for body and soul.

xoxo

[happygirl]

x

[evie]

the quickest drive-by....I know my body is just so chemically out-of-whack....uppers and downers.....Ritalin - v. good on first day and the next three days it was HELL......detoxing from that.....

so I drank some green tea, WITH CAFFEINE, that's right, and got a little perkier. Took the girls on a big and brisk walk, lots of yard work, in fact I cut a GIANT conical hedge, about 20 feet tall, into a tree.....much hand-sawing of lower huge branches, took two hours, looks so much better and doesn't interfere w/ backing out of garage. Had to THEN saw branches by hand to make them small enough for green can, one of the Stepford neighbors (who I've determined is cripplingly shy) lent me his green can for the rest of the freakin tree.......

so......will now tackle the back yard.

thank you all for your thoughtfulness.....and for letting me be here. I wish someone could just look inside my brain and see the areas of great deficit and say.....take THIS for that problem and take THIS for that problem and......oh I am so sorry but I see areas affected by an irrevocably broken heart so here's what you do for that......

hugs and love. Back for more physical torture which is great fun and good for body and soul.

quote

Susan; That green tea gave you lots of energy to be able to do all that heavy sawing & whacking on that tree!! WOW..Getting a workout like that will help push away the doldrums or whatever. Green tea also gives you good antoxidants to help with other problems. Anytime you want to vent just come here with all we other problem peoples, we all have some of one kind or other also feel free to PM me too. Sure are wishing a good first day at work on Monday, those always go much better than we expect ahead of the day.

Am sure you will do just fine. Will be thin king of you on Monday. evie

xoxo

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Irrevocably broken heart...hmmmm. If the breaking was done by a MAN, then it certainly does seem like it will never heal--but somehow, over time, it does. Not sure why, or how long it takes, but one day you wake up and realize that it's actually been healed for a while and you never noticed. And it doesn't take another man to make it go away, either--but good health and feeling good certainly help, so here's wishing you lots and lots of that

[DingoGirl]

Irrevocably broken heart...hmmmm. If the breaking was done by a MAN, then it certainly does seem like it will never heal--but somehow, over time, it does. Not sure why, or how long it takes, but one day you wake up and realize that it's actually been healed for a while and you never noticed. And it doesn't take another man to make it go away, either--but good health and feeling good certainly help, so here's wishing you lots and lots of that

Oh Allison......it is not an exaggeration to say that my heart was BORN broken. Not kidding. I have been urged to write a book, by so many people, to recount the epic struggles and why I'm still here and how I"ve survived. Plus, throw in some tragic dating stories which are beyond comical and.....well we might have something there.

Alas, I am much too tired to write the accursed saga.

I often wonder about birth trauma and its affect on us as fetuses and humans....and I wonder this because my mom and I both nearly died in my birth.....she had toxemia for last three months I was in utero, it was quite severe and her imbecile doctor didn't do anything about it, until we both nearly died and were rushed by ambulance for premature caesarian.....have always wondered what sitting around in those toxins did to my body/brain. Isn't the last trimester the one in which the brain develops the most? oh well.

off to bed. Love you guys. I turned off all phones/answ. machine all day, would speak to no one, only wrote occasionally to my cyber buddies. I LOVE when people can't even leave messages, I don't have to deal with them that way, except that there is more explaining to do when I finally talk to them.....

xoxo

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Susan, you're scaring me--I had toxemia the last couple of months of my first (full-term--lost my first in a miscarriage) pregnancy AND hyperemesis. My OBGYN, by contrast to your mom's, kept a very close watch on me, and decided to induce the minute the baby's lungs were functional, as things were getting much worse very quickly. Still, it was a long (26 1/2 hours) labor and long (3 1/2 hours) pushing, and I have always wondered what the effect was of all that stress coupled with the toxemia and the various chemicals they put me on to prevent seizures and vomiting!

And, yes, my son was born with 2 heart defects, and developed a third as the first two healed. He had open-heart surgery at age 2.

Anyway, you don't need to explain anythign about the unplugged phone--a simple "Whoops, the phone was unplugged," is all you need to say!

[dlp252]

Anyway, you don't need to explain anythign about the unplugged phone--a simple "Whoops, the phone was unplugged," is all you need to say!

Yep, I agree! In fact, I like that idea so much I may turn off my phone the next time I feel like that...messages left mean obligation, lol. Sometimes I just don't want to be obligated-not often, but sometimes it happens.

Good morning all! Wow, fairly quiet in here this weekend. I went to my mom's yesterday like I always do, and my cousin and her husband were there...they wanted to go out to eat...at Hometown buffet! Yikes, I didn't want to make everyone eat where I wanted to so I went along. (Talk about nice moms...my mom said she would go eat with me to our usual place, so I wouldn't be afraid of getting glutened! But I said no.) I tried to get what I thought was safe and what had the least likelyhood of having someone dip their gluteny spoons into, lol. Feel pretty good, but do have a touch more D than normal today and skin feels like I have the sunburn again, but no outward marks. I had ham, which didn't look like it had a coating on it, and it was carved, so it wasn't a processed thing, lol...had honeydew melon, a little bacon and a poached egg. Pretty sure it was the bacon...didn't look quite like real bacon, lol...it was very thin, almost paper thin...so my primary suspect is the bacon.

Today I am starting the modified elimination diet my doctor wants me to do...pretty strict, but only for 10 days. It's even a bit more strict than it would normally be cuz I'm also going to do the stool test this week and the instructions say no red meat...lamb fits into that category I think, so I can't eat that for this diet and normally would be able to.

[happygirl]

x

[Green12]

I am so behind and have so much to catch up on......

Just a quick drive by to say hello and let you all know I am thinking fo you

Susie Q, I am so sorry I wasn't here for you yesterday, but I am glad you found support here and feel safe sharing. We are all struglling with something, so please don't feel like you don't belong. I feel strongly that issues with the brain, moods, etc. are connected to these health issues we all have. I think it's all a part of it. I just hope you can find some help figuring it all out. I know it's not a solution by any means, but I agree with Jessicas suggestion- to write, or paint, anything creative- there is something therapuetic invovled and might make a dark day have a smidgen of brightness in it. Please hang in there.

Donna, I hope you don't have any more ill effects from your outing to Hometoen Buffet. Good luck with th elimination diet. I am right there with you trying to turn over a new leaf today and start on some variance of an elimination diet. Whoopy! (<--filled with sarcasm)

Laura, as soon as I finish this I will pm you with my e-mail addy. I definitely want to be updated on what is going on with you Thanks for sharing all that you did about yourself, you have accomplished a lot of great things, smartie pants . And your story about your relationship with Eric is so sweet

Fiddle Faddle, I don't know if there has been studies done on people who have spent a lot of time in chlorinated waters I just found it an interesting tidbit of information when I came across it that chlorine kills the beneficial bacteria in our intestinal tracts, and it did relate to me. My guess is that would make it easy for someone whos defenses are already down to be further overtaken by the BEASTIES (infections, viruses and bacteria, candida and other yeasts, molds, parasites, lyme, etc). But again, this was my own scientificness, just putting two and two together.....

And wow, what an experience you had with your first pregnancy How is your son doing today?

Hi evie, always so nice to see you

Patti, I hope you are feeling less anxious.

Carla, that was me asking about the gree tea.

I just so want to be yoga girl . I'm not asking to be able to eat McDonalds or other fast food, just good healthy food, doing my yoga, drinking green tea, eating hummus. But it seems too much to ask Hummus makes me sick as a dog, and green tea makes me feel like I am going to vommit and have d.

[AndreaB]

Morning all!

I agree, it has been a little quieter than normal. I spent my day on ebay looking for color coordinated stuff for pictures next weekend. We decided to take back what we had bought since we could do better online. Got Myself, Mitch and Micah taken care of. Still need to fight out the other two.

Donna,

No red meat. Whatever are you going to eat for 10 days? Hope this week goes quickly for you.

Julie,

Being sick gives a whole new perspective on life doesn't it?

Susan,

Can't imagine toxemia would have been very helpful. Not to mention the celiac and severe malabsorption you had. Hope you have a good day today. Sorry I wasn't on last night but glad Alison was here for you.

Alison,

Wow, you went through a lot with your son. How is he doing now?

Laura,

How are you today?

Evie,

How have you been? Good to see you.

[CarlaB]

Julie, I thought it was you, but had skimmed over so much, I wasn't sure. I drink Yogi Detox tea ... I drink it because it tastes so good!! It doesn't upset my tummy, but sometimes green tea does.

[DingoGirl]

Yep, I agree! In fact, I like that idea so much I may turn off my phone the next time I feel like that...messages left mean obligation, lol.

Yup, exactly Donna, messages mean ogligation.....and some days, we need as much freedom as we can get!

Laura - I will have to go back and read your whole story. Missed that one yesterday but I feel so awful for you having to go on this heinous eating routine. You'll be in my prayers.

Donna - oh nooooooooooo!!! Not the buffet! Pray this passes (no pun intended) quickly...

Allison - wow. So you were monitored closely with your toxemia...that is good, but still heart defects. My younger bro was born with severe heart defect but at that time kids had to weigh 35 pounds before any procedure could be done - he was front page news, the first open-heart surgery at Valley Children's in.....1972?

So yesterday ended up being wonderful for me. Lots and lots of heavy yard work, and I am blessedly sore today. walked the dogs, enjoyed the day. Hung the curtain rod and silk panels, YAY! It had been bothering me for weeks. Who needs a man, did it myself! And then, most fun of all, applied gold-leaf to a portion of a peace of furniture I'm painting....had never worked with it before, it is whisper thin and nearly crumbles when you look at it. It is going to be a marvelous piece and will look aged..... I am always so happy puttering in the garage w/ Lyle Lovett or Nick Drake or Eva CAssidy playing in the background, my precious dingos sitting nearby.

Evie - nice to see you and thank you for your comments

Hello to Julie, Andrea, Patti, Rach, Miamia, Rinne, and anybody else I can't think of currently.

de-toxing from ritalin - - feeling better.

Love to you guys....am goign to go back and re-read things later......want to hear about Laura and Eric.

[happygirl]

x

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Julie, I thought it was you, but had skimmed over so much, I wasn't sure. I drink Yogi Detox tea ... I drink it because it tastes so good!! It doesn't upset my tummy, but sometimes green tea does.

I drink the peach detox tea--it's really good! And I swear I feel better, too, though maybe that's just the power of suggestion?

There was something on this thread a while back about water, but I can't remember it. I've been using a Pur water filter, but one of my friends says that's not nearly enough and that I should buy distilled? Any thoughts? Or scientificness?

Susan, 35 pounds? Wow, my boy never would have made it. He was barely 20 pounds at age 2--but now he's 5'4" at age 11, and not too skinny, and he just got his 2nd degree balck belt in Tae Kwon Do yesterday (can you tell I'm bursting with pride?).

IToday was Reformation Sunday (when the theologian Martin Luther, in 1517, nailed the 95 Theses to the church door) and they have a huge musical program there on festival Sundays. Full choir, special arrangments, a four piece brass ensemble, and this is all topped off by a top-notch sound system. Even though I was sick, I wanted to go so I could hear the music---and it was well worth it. They say sometimes you can feel God's presence...well there is something about that church, with the music, that for me, makes me feel him and keeps me hopeful. It helps to "re-charge" my batteries.

Check out Mendelssohn's Reformation Symphony--it's absolutely gorgeous, uplifting music and perfect for today! Also anything by Bruckner, who pretty much wrote every note with God and Heaven in mind. But my all-time favorite is Mahler's 2nd symphony ("The Ressurection")--and there is a fabulous DVD available that the Pittsburgh Symphony made, playing it for the Pope in Rome at a special "Celebration of Faith" concert!

For some reason, I can't find a link for the DVD, but here is a link to another orchestra's audio recording, where you can listen to excerpts: Open Original Shared Link .com/Mahler-Symphony-Resu...r/dp/B000002RPF

[AndreaB]

Alison,

Patti uses Polar Springs (or something like that) and I use Aquafina (when I need a new bottle). We bought a under the sink filter system that also filters fluoride. The Pur and Brita do ok. Depends on what you want to get rid of. The under sink system is $200-300. I forget. I can post the website if you are interested.

Laura,

Glad you had a nice relaxing day. Sorry you had a reaction to something, hope you feel better soon. We stay home from church pretty much of the winter with the little one. Actually we don't usually go to worship service since it's always nap time. Someday.

[jerseyangel]

Patti uses Polar Springs (or something like that)

Thanks Andrea--it's Poland Spring! (But you were really close )

Without switching to spring water (from filtered), I would not have been able to continue healing. I found myself sensitive to coconut, which is in most water filters. It was definately in the one I have built into my fridge.

When I put it all together: I was doing well from the time I went gluten-free until about a month after we got the new fridge. That is about when I stopped buying the Poland Spring and started drinking the filtered water. I was still sick to my stomach every day, no matter what I ate or didn't eat. To confuse the matter, it was during this time that I had allergy testing and did an elimination diet for intolerances. When I cut out a food that caused symptoms, I'd feel better quickly, and then go back to the vague stomach aches.

Two things happened this summer that brought it all home to me--we went away for several days, and I drank bottled spring water, and felt better--and in trying to figure this thing out asked around here and Andrea told me that her water filter guy said they use coconut hulls. Bingo! I immediately switched back to spring water, and have been doing stedily better ever since.

Strange, but true

[happygirl]

x

[miamia]

I am so behind and have so much to catch up on......

Just a quick drive by to say hello and let you all know I am thinking fo you

Susie Q, I am so sorry I wasn't here for you yesterday, but I am glad you found support here and feel safe sharing. We are all struglling with something, so please don't feel like you don't belong. I feel strongly that issues with the brain, moods, etc. are connected to these health issues we all have. I think it's all a part of it. I just hope you can find some help figuring it all out. I know it's not a solution by any means, but I agree with Jessicas suggestion- to write, or paint, anything creative- there is something therapuetic invovled and might make a dark day have a smidgen of brightness in it. Please hang in there.

Donna, I hope you don't have any more ill effects from your outing to Hometoen Buffet. Good luck with th elimination diet. I am right there with you trying to turn over a new leaf today and start on some variance of an elimination diet. Whoopy! (<--filled with sarcasm)

Laura, as soon as I finish this I will pm you with my e-mail addy. I definitely want to be updated on what is going on with you Thanks for sharing all that you did about yourself, you have accomplished a lot of great things, smartie pants . And your story about your relationship with Eric is so sweet

Fiddle Faddle, I don't know if there has been studies done on people who have spent a lot of time in chlorinated waters I just found it an interesting tidbit of information when I came across it that chlorine kills the beneficial bacteria in our intestinal tracts, and it did relate to me. My guess is that would make it easy for someone whos defenses are already down to be further overtaken by the BEASTIES (infections, viruses and bacteria, candida and other yeasts, molds, parasites, lyme, etc). But again, this was my own scientificness, just putting two and two together.....

And wow, what an experience you had with your first pregnancy How is your son doing today?

Hi evie, always so nice to see you

Patti, I hope you are feeling less anxious.

Carla, that was me asking about the gree tea.

I just so want to be yoga girl . I'm not asking to be able to eat McDonalds or other fast food, just good healthy food, doing my yoga, drinking green tea, eating hummus. But it seems too much to ask Hummus makes me sick as a dog, and green tea makes me feel like I am going to vommit and have d.

Julie-

you sound like me- i don't crave or miss junk food I really never ate it. I miss things like SAlad!!I can't have anything raw my body just won't tolerate it- and chummus!!- I try it every few months sometimes it will sit ok the first time and than if I have it again I am in agony. I feel like such a nerd that the foods I miss are all healthy but its true.

miamia