First Week gluten-free Will Be On Family Vacation-help!

[Shellyann]

Hi my name is Shelly and I need some help.

I am a college student who has been having awful stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, gas, weight loss (specifically muscle loss) joint pain ect.

Ive done the whole misdiagnoses thing for a few years, but recently I went to a new GI doc and he seems pretty confident that I have Celiac. I guess I had the blood test for it a couple years ago, but I have a IgA antibody deficiency which causes false negatives. I am having my endoscopy in a week and a half and a day afterwards I will be leaving to go to Lake Tahoe for 10 days for a family vacation. I have decided that no matter what the results I am going on a gluten-free diet after my endoscopy.

I have taken family vacations to Tahoe before and food wise it usually consists of eating out at my family's favorite hole in the wall pizza place and eating at the squaw valley ski slopes. Last time we also ate at an Irish Pub a lot. My grandma also usually cooks up store bought chicken noodle soup in a crock pot. I don't know how I'm going to find gluten-free options at any of these places. I don't know if I should even attempt to or if I should buy stuff from the grocery store, eat my own meals and then just go sit at the restaurants while my family eats there. To make matters more difficult I eat predominately a vegetarian diet except for fish. Lately I have been trying to make myself to start eating chicken, but I can usually only get myself to eat a couple bites. I pretty much live off of CARBS, veggies, fruits, beans, fish.

Does anyone have any suggestions for traveling gluten-free? What should I buy if I do get my own groceries while staying at the hotel (they have a fridge in the hotel rooms)?

[Ahorsesoul]

"I pretty much live off of CARBS, veggies, fruits, beans, fish. "

So now you will live off veggies, fruits, beans and fish. You can do this. It might be hard while on vacation for a newbie buy you sound determined!

Check out the restaurants ahead of time to see what you can order. Many places have websites so you could email them. Or once there make calls to find out if they have gluten free menus. You can check online to see if there are any good places in Tahoe that are recommended by other celiacs. Post a message under Restaurants on this site listing the area you will be in and others who have been there might have some suggestions.

[FMcGee]

I was in this exact boat a week after I started eating gluten-free. People on here told me not to sweat it too much that first week, just to do my best, and that's what I did. In the first week, that's all you can ask. I can assure you that after the vacation you'll really be able to get down to figuring this out, and you will! Don't stress out or ruin your vacation over this - do your best, cook your own food if you need to, definitely go to the grocery store - and trust that the body takes awhile to heal and you wouldn't feel immediate changes in the first week, most likely, no matter where you are.

Good luck and have a great time!

[SGWhiskers]

I'm so glad you are going gluten free. I'm also Jealous of the ski vacation. It has been years for me.

My though is to pack some dried/canned foods and have them shipped to the hotel ahead of time. I pack lunch nearly every time I go out to eat. No one has ever complained. I eat right along with everyone else. Stock up on gluten free produce at the grocery store to pack in a lunch box. Most ski slopes have lockers somewhere if I remember correctly. Laura bars will be a good investment for the ski slopes. Call the slopes and find out if they can accomodate a gluten-free diet at any of their dining facilities. Pack a mini crock pot and cook your own soup/gluten-free oatmeal in that (I saw one recently for 10 or 15 dollars.)

I also found that it took me several weeks of practice to get the cross contamination out of my diet when I was diagnosed. You may find it appropriate in this situation to go gluten light for the trip and not worry about CC until you get home.

Also, search this section or post about Tahoe to see if anyone has reliable locations to eat.

Have fun!

[Shellyann]

Thanks so much for your responses! It is all really helpful. I think it would probably be good for me to not worry too much about it. I just want to feel better so badly; Im so done with this. I really wish I could just start the diet now. I didn't think about the fact that I wont feel completely better during the trip either way because I won't heal instantly. I am excited to enjoy my trip either way. I love skiing and it has been way too long since I last went.

I love the mention of the Larabars. I buy them in bulk at costco, and so far they were the only snack I knew I was going to bring. So yummy and perfect for the slopes. I have a problem just eating one though cause they are kinda small- However, I do eat more than anyone I know so they are probably normal size to most people. I didn't even think about lockers, but that is a great idea.

Once again, thanks so much for all the encouragement and suggestions!!!

[Shellyann]

"I pretty much live off of CARBS, veggies, fruits, beans, fish. "

So now you will live off veggies, fruits, beans and fish. You can do this. It might be hard while on vacation for a newbie buy you sound determined!

Check out the restaurants ahead of time to see what you can order. Many places have websites so you could email them. Or once there make calls to find out if they have gluten free menus. You can check online to see if there are any good places in Tahoe that are recommended by other celiacs. Post a message under Restaurants on this site listing the area you will be in and others who have been there might have some suggestions.

Thanks! I'm new to the website and didn't know there was a restaurants part. I will definitley do that.

[travelingceliac]

CONGRATES TO GOING gluten-free....it can seem intimadating at first. Its easy to get crazy with it, but as you go along it does get easier. I travel 90% of my life, I have learned you can be in the middle of nowwhere and find food to eat - it make take a little creativity and work. From my knowledge of Lake Tahoo, lots of time spent there, the places are very accommodating - I usually order broiled chicken with no sauces, potato baked, veggies and those you can get almost anywhere if you need to order, but see if they will clean the grill before its cooked and why it is so important. I find doing most of my own cooking helps and I've collected receipes or changed regular recipes. So far have not had much for foods sent to me but first thing I do is check out the grocery store. Us it as a game, see how creative you can be. It is not fun as we know to suffer from food that is not good for us. My traveling job I've had 6 years and have learned to cook with microwave/small refrig and have eaten pretty good. Also keep on hand ideas of foods to have mailed to you -- pizza made with rice and eat at home, they have theirs, and you have your own special pizza. Life is to enjoy and by making it a game, know it will getter easier as you go.