Anyone Around Albany Ny?

[katm12981]

Hi,

I'm not celiac, but my fiance was recently diagnosed (only a couple of weeks after our official wedding cake tasting, how cruel is that???). We live in the Albany area.

I've been doing the majority of my shopping at the Latham Farms Hannaford, the Latham Price Chopper and the Green Grocer in Clifton Park. We also made a trip to Brunswick to Sherry Lynn's Gluten Free Bakery and Cafe on a day off, which was very nice.

I was encouraged to see the Times Union has a gluten-free blog: Open Original Shared Link It details many of the restaurants and stores in the area that offer gluten-free selections, as well as gluten free recipes.

Up until three weeks ago we ate almost nothing but gluten - admittedly we probably had way too much fast food, pizza, ate out almost every week, and partook quite a bit of Bella Napoli. Since then, we've made the house relatively gluten free (everything except for my Lean Cuisines), bought/registered for new appliances like a new toaster, etc. This diet is a very big adjustment for both of us.

If anyone has any suggestions of other grocery stores or restaurants in the Albany area, I'd love to hear them, thanks in advance!

[*lee-lee*]

i currently live in the Saratoga/Glens Falls area but am moving to Binghamton at the end of the month. My blood tests just came back positive and i'm awaiting scheduling for the biopsy.

i have a couple of questions...

thecookingnerd:

do you have a particular doctor in Binghamton that you see? I'm looking for both a primary care doctor and a GI or someone who specializes in or at least has some knowledge of Celiac.

i stopped gluten for 8 days while waiting for my blood work to come back - i just got results last night and was told i have to start again for the biopsy. the doctor didn't specify how much i would have began to heal in 8 days and just said to start eating gluten again so i'm wondering if i have to wait a certain time before i have the biopsy so as not to skew the results? I am really pushing to get it done before the end of the month so it will be covered under my current insurance but i don't want to do it if the results may not be accurate.

I'm pretty excited to go to Wegmans and see all the gluten-free foods they have!

[kcb3279]

Hi. Yes I live in the Albany area.

[kcb3279]

Albany area here. Not diagnosed celiac as of right now, but I have a GI appt. on December 17 where maybe I can figure something out.

Do all you Albany people go to Albany GI for gastroenterologists?

I'm seeing Dr. Ben, I believe.

I noticed a small gluten free section in the natural foods section of price chopper in slingerlands. Not much, but i don't know how much would be in a good size section.

Dr Richard Eglow is in Troy, Ny and he is great!

[LkGrgGrrl]

Hi I live in the Albany, Area, if I can be of any help, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Hi, I'm new to the Albany area and still trying to find a GI Doc that is very knowledgeable about Celiac. Can you recommend any?

[LkGrgGrrl]

Check out support groups online for the area. I'm pretty sure there are 2 or 3. I've looked because my family is in the Lake George area, and that was the closest I could find anything. My sister has had to take my neice to Albany for some of the testing. Her doctors are really messing around. 2 Positive blood tests. and they keep saying that they doubt she has Celiac, and they've been delaying a biopsy. What does it take? Meanwhile she's deathly ill, pale and growing tinier by the day.

Anyway.....I know there are a number of people not so far from you. After my diagnosis, my family members keep "running into" Celiace everywhere, and until last Nov. had never heard of it. We're out there.....just not wearing any banners and flags!

The blood tests can be "inconclusive" because the test looks for antibodies and the antibody level is strictly related to gluten consumption for that date. If I go a week without eating gluten my antibodies drop like a hot rock. There is no bacteria or virus to check so an elevated antibody level can only point your doctor towards Celiac.

However, the only true test is the Endoscopy. It takes much longer for damage to the digestive system to repair itself. EGD will show a doctor if those antibodies have flattened the villi in the Digestive System - a sure sign of Celiac. Tell your sister to demand an EGD and threaten to find a new doctor. Its terrible that in this day and age, we have to be our own advocates and push the doctors in the right direction.

[sweetforyounow]

Anyone live in the Albany area? I have not met another celiac here and sometime I feel so alone.

Hi there! I'm not in Albany but fairly close. I'm in Syracuse and haven't met anyone with our problem either.

[gfny66]

i live in albany, ny and have been attempting to go gluten free for just over a week, though i've definitely made mistakes. i've had fatigue/depression/weight issues for about 10 years that began around the same time as a digestion issue which seemed to resolve itself. the past 4 years have been especially bad and a couple of times since late last year i've been physically ill with headache, sore throat, and body aches for no apparent reason other than maybe stress. the first time i was sick, i had bloodwork done. including testing for lyme disease, and the doctor said everything was normal. after the most recent illness, i went to a naturopathic doctor who had me do more bloodwork (still waiting on results) and suggested i try going off gluten for a month.

in some ways it isn't as difficult as i expected since there are a lot of products available that are labeled gluten free and some restaurants are knowledgeable and accommodating or even have gluten free menus. on the other hand, reading ingredient labels can also be overwhelming and some people have no idea what i'm talking about and don't seem to want to help.

i haven't felt like myself for a long time and am optimistic about something new that could help me feel better. i'm going to do the best i can this month and see if it makes a difference. what i'm trying to figure out is if it's just gluten sensitivity rather than celiac, do i still have to be as worried about contamination? i bought 'living gluten-free for dummies' to try to get a handle on all of this. i'd appreciate guidance from those who have been dealing with this and it would be great to hear from albany-area people with local advice.

[Eliza82]

Southern Vermont about an hour and a half from Albany....(Not me...at least I don't think so...my almost 1 year old)

Hi - i'm in Southern Vermont too! Near Bennington! Its hard to find restuarants around here that have options but Hannaford has a lot of good choices.

[Rizz]

Newburgh NY, luckily I have a Hannafords and a pretty good health food store (natures Pantry) with a nice sized gluten-free section.

[Jen13]

Rochester, NY not to far from Albany.. about 4 hours. My boyfriend is from Albany and we go up there alot. Dont hesitate to ask if you need anything!