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When It Comes To Cheese

Corkdarrr

By Corkdarrr
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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Corkdarrr Enthusiast
Corkdarrr
Posted

So after the most horrendous shift at work the other day, I went up the street to my favorite bar to sit in peace for a little while. The reason it became my favorite bar was because they have the most amazing cheese sticks on the menu...they make them totally by hand. YUM.

After becoming a cheese-oriented customer, I realized that I liked the place itself, too!

So I'm sitting up there they other night, still reeling from my most awful of nights. On top of being pissed off from work, I'm extremely frustrated with my health because it seems like my body is rejecting pretty much all foods now. I just tried adding back in soy and tomatoes (one at a time, of course) and I guess those both make me sick. I'm feeling severe exhaustion and fatigue...much too reminiscent of when my thyroid first crashed 13 years ago. My period's about to start so yikes. I'm starting to fall behind in school and it's right at the end of the semester, so there's a lot to fall behind with. And my boyfriend is closing on a house in less than a week, so I have until the end of the month to move us out of our place and get the new place ready. (He works retail and isn't really allowed any days off over the holiday season. So it's alllll me..)

So I'm sitting there, at the bar, trying to decide if I should order some cheese sticks. To just say SCREW IT! I want some deep fried, gluten encased cheese!! And I want it now! I was wrestling with my inner self.

And it reminded me of how you see recovering alcoholics in the movies where they go into a bar and order a double of bourbon and just stare it down for a few minutes. And then walk away, successful.

That's how I felt.

Except instead of bourbon it was cheese.

In the end, I decided that due to my sheer exhaustion and fatigue, I simply didn't have enough energy to be sick for the minimum three days I knew it would take me. Plus with the elimination diet and my system having gotten so much better (until the soy and tomatoes, that is), it probably would've hitten me even harder.

Still, I couldn't help but see the humor in my near-relapse. And how serious it was to me at the time! Hell, it's STILL serious to me! That's how much I love cheese. And that's how strongly I believe in its healing abilities.

Healing of the soul, that is. Not the body. Apparently it rips up my intestines...

It's been over a month without dairy and it certainly hasn't gotten any easier.

Courtney

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jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted

Courtney,

Congratulations on your strength over the cheese! :D

Seriously, I know how much of a struggle this has all been for you, and how difficult it was to just walk away from your favorite treat. This all takes time, and there are bound to be moments like the one you had--but it will get easier!

Hope work eases up a bit--feel better :)

Corkdarrr Enthusiast
Corkdarrr
Posted
  • Author

Thanks Patti.

Of course, my boyfriend just called to tell us our real estate agent was confused <_< and the repairs would NOT be done on the house by closing next Monday. Which has my mind a-whirl....

Sigh. :blink:

mandyann Newbie
mandyann
Posted

I can very much relate to what you are going through. I just found out yesterday through my enterolab results that I have to give up dairy. I have given up everything else and now my one favorite treat, coffee with 1/2 and 1/2 is on the list. So, I went out and bought some non dairy alternatives and we'll see how it goes but I've tried them before and they just don't take the place of the real thing. I'm trying to focus on what I can still eat and trying to find some new treats. My doctor told me yesterday, that even though it will be hard to live without gluten, dairy, sugar and so on, I will be healthier for it.

Those cheese sticks sounds wonderful by the way. Good luck and hang it there!

HawkFire Explorer
HawkFire
Posted

Perhaps you are indeed addicted to teh protein in the cheese, courtney. It has been proven with autistic children that there is a protein in dairy that they crave much to thier detriment. You would have to look into it.

CarlaB Enthusiast
CarlaB
Posted
I can very much relate to what you are going through. I just found out yesterday through my enterolab results that I have to give up dairy. I have given up everything else and now my one favorite treat, coffee with 1/2 and 1/2 is on the list. So, I went out and bought some non dairy alternatives and we'll see how it goes but I've tried them before and they just don't take the place of the real thing. I'm trying to focus on what I can still eat and trying to find some new treats. My doctor told me yesterday, that even though it will be hard to live without gluten, dairy, sugar and so on, I will be healthier for it.

Those cheese sticks sounds wonderful by the way. Good luck and hang it there!

Be careful, most non-dairy creamers have casein :angry: Silk creamer doesn't, but let your coffee cool off just a little before you use it otherwise it burns. I've also used Vance's Dari-Free ... for cream, I like it mixed with almond milk instead of water.

Courtney, good job!

Creative-Soul Newbie
Creative-Soul
Posted

I can certainly empathize... for years even though I KNEW I was allergic to dairy I would find many ways to sneak some cheese; that was my strongest weakness (even stronger than ice-cream was at one time)! But, like you, I found the strength within me to say no once, then twice...until it's now an ingrained thing that cheese is the enemy!! It took me long enough! Now I'm in greiving over my recent "loss" of eggs and potatoes... hope nothing else is next... :(

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Sweetfudge Community Regular
Sweetfudge
Posted

I feel your pain! My husband and I used to eat the mozzarella sticks at Red Robin's...oh, they were so good! I'm proud of you for resisting though! That rocks! I almost broke down and went to Wendys for nuggets and a couple JBC's the other day....it was so hard not to! Have you tried using lactaid? Or is yours an intolerance? I know I get sick if I eat a lot of dairy, but a bit doesn't bother me too much. I think mines just an IBS thing. But when I went off dairy for 2 months I nearly died...soy cheese doesn't cut it!

((HUG))

Hang in there! The semester's almost over (thank the Lord for that!), and your body will be much happier for not eating the bad foods! We need to come up with a good substitute recipe! Do you eat tofu? I remember making a recipe that tasted rather chicken nuggety when I was DF, and I could try and find it for you if you want :)

Have a beautiful day!!

Corkdarrr Enthusiast
Corkdarrr
Posted
  • Author
I feel your pain! My husband and I used to eat the mozzarella sticks at Red Robin's...oh, they were so good! I'm proud of you for resisting though! That rocks! I almost broke down and went to Wendys for nuggets and a couple JBC's the other day....it was so hard not to! Have you tried using lactaid? Or is yours an intolerance? I know I get sick if I eat a lot of dairy, but a bit doesn't bother me too much. I think mines just an IBS thing. But when I went off dairy for 2 months I nearly died...soy cheese doesn't cut it!

((HUG))

Hang in there! The semester's almost over (thank the Lord for that!), and your body will be much happier for not eating the bad foods! We need to come up with a good substitute recipe! Do you eat tofu? I remember making a recipe that tasted rather chicken nuggety when I was DF, and I could try and find it for you if you want :)

Have a beautiful day!!

Thanks, Sweetfudge...

Unfortunately Enterolab gave me a free casein test (jerks) which told me I was casein intolerant (jerks jerks JERKS!!). I'm still in denial. I always knew I had a problem with dairy, but it only seemed to bother me when I ate a LOT in one day. Apparently it's my body warring against itself, not just lactose.

I've since gone on an elimination diet in the past month and the first thing I reintroduced was soy, which gave me a lot of trouble. The second thing was tomatoes, which also caused me grief.

So I'm back to eating virtually nothing... :blink:

But perhaps some day I can tolerate some soy so as to eat substitutes such as you mentioned. :rolleyes:

Thanks for all the support, everyone! The battle against myself has a long way to go. I'm hungry for some deep fried gluten encased cheese as I type....

Mmm....illness.

Turtle Enthusiast
Turtle
Posted

Okay.....BREATHE!!!!!

Life can be such a crock sometimes can't it?? I'm sorry the past few days/weeks have been crappy. But you have to keep your chin up and remember that it could be worse....just take one day at a time and everything will fall into place....if you need my help w/ moving or whatever, e-mail me...or if it would make you feel better i'll take you for french fries at the new Red Robin to cheer you up!!! Last I heard they were safe..... :P

Hang in there and remember you are NOT alone.....we all have our bad days. Tomorrow is a new day!!!

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