Hooray! Hooray! I Can't Believe It!

[nu-to-no-glu]

First, I want to thank everyone on this site for giving me insight to help me get the help and info I have been searching for 28 years for. I finally found a dr that completely agrees with my suspisions of celiac and actually looked at my bloodwork to help gain insight (low B12, high thyroid, etc.) And knows enough about celiac to actually pull all the mysterious symptoms together! I left my appt feeling disbelief, as I usually leave drs appts in sadness, but this time I felt relief! I'm not crazy! I even found out I'm intolerant to yeast and tuna.

I'm going back next week to check for dairy, soy, etc intolerances, but I started my gluten free diet today (I could care less about an endoscopy at this point) and to get all vitamin levels checked and cannot wait to feel better. I just had to share my joy after searching for so long, you all are the only ones who could truly understand how awesome it feels to have a dr actually help you! I hope that everyone searching gets to feel this, as it's been 28 very looong unhealthy years!

[nasalady]

First, I want to thank everyone on this site for giving me insight to help me get the help and info I have been searching for 28 years for. I finally found a dr that completely agrees with my suspisions of celiac and actually looked at my bloodwork to help gain insight (low B12, high thyroid, etc.) And knows enough about celiac to actually pull all the mysterious symptoms together! I left my appt feeling disbelief, as I usually leave drs appts in sadness, but this time I felt relief! I'm not crazy! I even found out I'm intolerant to yeast and tuna.

I'm going back next week to check for dairy, soy, etc intolerances, but I started my gluten free diet today (I could care less about an endoscopy at this point) and to get all vitamin levels checked and cannot wait to feel better. I just had to share my joy after searching for so long, you all are the only ones who could truly understand how awesome it feels to have a dr actually help you! I hope that everyone searching gets to feel this, as it's been 28 very looong unhealthy years!

I understand your joy in finding a doc who understands and agrees with you.....congratulations!

Best wishes for a rapid recovery!

JoAnn

P.S. Here's a great link that explains the ins and outs of going gluten free:

Open Original Shared Link

[nu-to-no-glu]

Thanks for the link. I realize now the even harder work begins! I just went to whole foods and wow, what a long hard trip (even harder with an impatient 20 month old) They peovided me with a 6 page list of every gluten free product in the store, and it was still overwhelming! I think I went down each aisle 3 times!

[ravenwoodglass]

It is great to finally know and to be able to start the healing. It can be overwhelming at first visit to the store but it will get easier. If you stick with mainly whole unprocessed foods at first it can help you both heal faster and will be less stressful in the store. Since WF gave you a list you may want to sit and formulate your shopping list at home and once you know where everything is it will take less time.

[jkr]

I went to Whole Foods last night to pick up some gluten free items. I was in a hurry so I couldn't spend a lot of time. I didn't know that they have a gluten free list. The store is so big it can get overhwelming trying to find everything. I'll have to get that list next time I go.

[LDJofDenver]

There are also lots of mainstream groceries that are gluten free, in your "normal" grocery store (King Soopers/Kroger; Safeway, etc.). And many of those stores also have safe lists.

Plus, there are gluten-free grocery shopping guides out there to make your life WAY easier at the store:

Here are links to two different ones:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

There is another out that can also be downloaded to your PDA device, etc., by Clan Thompson.

I bought the Cecilas guide, it was about $25 and worth every dollar. Put an end to standing in the aisle and reading packages!

There are also restaurant guides out there, too.

[nu-to-no-glu]

Thanks for the links and support LD and Raven. I'm already noticing 3 days after starting the diet that dairy is hitting me hard. Did you all eliminate it completely, or just cut back? I won't be surprised if the blood test comes back positive for dairy next week. I decided not to but any gluten free bread, yet (plus, the yeast intolerance) so I am sticking with veggies, fruits, and some meat. But no cheese??? argh!

Jdk-my husband works for whole foods, so he tipped me in on the list. They will print it for you at the front customer service desk. It was very helpful.

[ravenwoodglass]

Thanks for the links and support LD and Raven. I'm already noticing 3 days after starting the diet that dairy is hitting me hard. Did you all eliminate it completely, or just cut back? I won't be surprised if the blood test comes back positive for dairy next week. I decided not to but any gluten free bread, yet (plus, the yeast intolerance) so I am sticking with veggies, fruits, and some meat. But no cheese??? argh!

Jdk-my husband works for whole foods, so he tipped me in on the list. They will print it for you at the front customer service desk. It was very helpful.

I eliminated it completely except for a tiny bit in my morning coffee and butter (I used Ghee at first which is lactose and casein free). After about 3 or so months I added back in cheddar cheese in small amounts and yogurt and a couple months later I added back mozzerela and tried a small amount of ice cream. Yogurt and hard cheeses like cheddar are pretty much lactose free so those can usually be tolerated before the soft cheeses, ice cream or drinking milk. Because I showed a reaction to casien in testing , a small one but still a reaction I don't do very much dairy other than on rare occasions but seem okay with small amounts. My reaction to soy is much worse, I am almost as sensitive to that as gluten so that puts out most dairy subs.

[The Fluffy Assassin]

Thanks for the links and support LD and Raven. I'm already noticing 3 days after starting the diet that dairy is hitting me hard. Did you all eliminate it completely, or just cut back? I won't be surprised if the blood test comes back positive for dairy next week. I decided not to but any gluten free bread, yet (plus, the yeast intolerance) so I am sticking with veggies, fruits, and some meat. But no cheese??? argh!

Jdk-my husband works for whole foods, so he tipped me in on the list. They will print it for you at the front customer service desk. It was very helpful.

I eliminated dairy completely. Going gluten-free was a cakewalk--OK, a breeze by comparison. If you can have soy (whee, I eliminated that, too), Vegan Gourmet's mozzarella substitute is really very good slipped into lasagna. Not anything like mozzarella but vaguely like a mix of lasagna and ricotta, as in what you would put in lasagna anyway.

But really, even with a husband working at Whole Foods, the substitutes will get really expensive really quickly. Best is to do what ravenwoodglass said: go simple. Meats, vegetables, fruits if you've resolved your fructose worries, rice and potatoes.

If you give up dairy, get a referral to a professional nutritionist or dietitian. I have no kids nor dependents and thus can blunder around making mistakes at every turn with the worst result being that I feel bad for a day or so and foolish for a minute or so. With a toddler, you don't really have that freedom. Getting all the vitamins and minerals you need is a trial, more than any of us (well more than I can) do for ourselves.

Also also, there's a gluten-free casein-free milk substitute powder called Vance's Dari-Free which seems to get uniformly positive reviews. Unfortunately, it isn't carried in many stores. You can order online but their site didn't work very well with Firefox. Maybe you'll have better luck.

Glad you got your diagnosis, and good luck with navigating the diet. Gluten-free is easy; dairy-free not so much.

[Ahorsesoul]

Thanks for the link. I realize now the even harder work begins! I just went to whole foods and wow, what a long hard trip (even harder with an impatient 20 month old) They peovided me with a 6 page list of every gluten free product in the store, and it was still overwhelming! I think I went down each aisle 3 times!

I shop at our local Fresh and Natural store. Mainly because the price label for all gluten free items has a red square on them. No guess work involved. I think this idea should be a law in all stores.

[nu-to-no-glu]

I eliminated dairy completely. Going gluten-free was a cakewalk--OK, a breeze by comparison. If you can have soy (whee, I eliminated that, too), Vegan Gourmet's mozzarella substitute is really very good slipped into lasagna. Not anything like mozzarella but vaguely like a mix of lasagna and ricotta, as in what you would put in lasagna anyway.

But really, even with a husband working at Whole Foods, the substitutes will get really expensive really quickly. Best is to do what ravenwoodglass said: go simple. Meats, vegetables, fruits if you've resolved your fructose worries, rice and potatoes.

If you give up dairy, get a referral to a professional nutritionist or dietitian. I have no kids nor dependents and thus can blunder around making mistakes at every turn with the worst result being that I feel bad for a day or so and foolish for a minute or so. With a toddler, you don't really have that freedom. Getting all the vitamins and minerals you need is a trial, more than any of us (well more than I can) do for ourselves.

Also also, there's a gluten-free casein-free milk substitute powder called Vance's Dari-Free which seems to get uniformly positive reviews. Unfortunately, it isn't carried in many stores. You can order online but their site didn't work very well with Firefox. Maybe you'll have better luck.

Glad you got your diagnosis, and good luck with navigating the diet. Gluten-free is easy; dairy-free not so much.

Yeah, I think the fructose thing was just a dr making an assumption without proper testing. I'm going to keep an eye on things. It's nice to strip down the diet and eat so simply. It really opens your eyes to what can and can't be tolerated. And it seems to have been very instant for me. I agree, dairy is gonna be a struggle. My props to all of you who have mastered it!!!!

[ang1e0251]

For dairy, I was already intolerant many years so I didn't change anything there. Fresh milk products no, aged products yes. If I would have felt bad, eating cheeses I would have stopped but I would have cried a lot!

[happygirl]

Some of this may help as you get started - Unsafe ingredients: https://www.celiac.com/articles/182/1/Unsaf...ents/Page1.html

Safe ingredients: https://www.celiac.com/articles/181/1/Safe-...ents/Page1.html

A list of companies that has a clear gluten policy. If you don't see "wheat, rye, barley, barley malt, oats" on the labels, its not there, or hidden in "flavors, starches, etc." Open Original Shared Link and Open Original Shared Link This makes shopping MUCH easier.

FDA foods are required to list wheat - it cannot be hidden.

Rule #1: Never eat anything without reading the label first.

Rule #2: Consistently check labels, even of your favorite products, as product formulations can change.

Rule #3: If you are unsure of an ingredient, or the company's policy on labeling, call the phone number on the back of the product or email the company.

Great info to get you started: Open Original Shared Link