Summer Ranting.....

[gabby]

Sometimes my limited diet makes me a little bit crazy. And sometimes it makes me really crazy. I'm usually okay with this life of eating like a tree squirrel. But sometimes it gets to me, and today was one of those days. A perfect summer day. Lots of folks coming back to the city after their holidays. Everyone out in their white pants and yellow shirts to show off golden tans. And everyone eating ice cream cones, slices of pizza, french fries with ketchup, drinking frothy cappuccinos, eating tall pieces of chocolate torte, or lazily stirring a cocktail. They all look so free, and easy-going.

Nobody is having a conniption fit because someone touched their ice-cream with the scoop that touched the cone (and thus got gluten all over everything). Nobody is sitting there licking strawberry sauce off their fingers and wondering if the strawberries were grown locally and organically as promised or if they were actually trucked in from unknown parts, sprayed with all sorts of anti-fungals and antibacterials and rodentcides and pesticides to make them look fresh and thus making a trip to the ER a real possibility sometime in the night. No one gets alarmed when the guy making the espresso is also eating a sandwich. No one slurps froth from their powdered-mix-made cappuccino while nervously reading the teeny-weeny-font of the ingredient list from the packaging to scan for additives, colorings, and preservatives that will require some sort of antihistamine concoction to prevent hives within 15 minutes.

Summertime and I think Christmastime are the times when my food restrictions cause me a wee bit of grief. Convenient food is such a huge part of these times of the year, that it really can make a person who is unable to eat those foods really feel like they are not a part of it all. Like I'm on the outside looking in.

I know this feeling is silly because there are so many other problems out there so much bigger than this. But I'm just being honest. I know global warming and economic crises and wars and injustices and all sorts of bad stuff is going on. But today, I got to feeling sorry for myself because I couldn't have a regular ice-cream cone from the regular ice-cream place with all the regular people.

I feel somewhat better just getting that off my chest. I'm usually a really cool-headed person, and chipper and bright and grateful for everything I have. But an ice-cream cone got the better of me today

[GlutenFreeManna]

I understand! I have these thoughts sometimes when I go to parties or pretty much any place with lots of food. Or if I watch tv, fortunately I don't watch too much tv--it seems like every food commercial is promoting either "whole grains", high fiber food or pizza. I just console myself by going home and getting a treat I CAN eat like gluten free, soy free, and dairy free chocolate chip cookie dough coconut milk ice cream (haven't found gluten-free cones yet, but I'm sure they exist).

[mommyto3]

I feel that way often. Especially as I pack to go to the cottage with all of my family and I have to tote along every food imaginable for myself and my son. I have to bring my own toaster and somehow rig something to cover it up so nobody will mistakenly put their wheat bread inside .

We're visiting friends for lunch while on vacation and I had to politely email the hostess to tell her that I'll be bringing food for myself and my son because trying to cook gluten free for us is too difficult.

I've been surfing to try and find restaurants in Montreal where I can get gluten free food while we're there (part of our trip). Reading diners' comments, checking locations, planning how to hit the gluten-free food places while also the regular stuff.

Sometimes I'd just like to pick up a sub or hit a McDonald's drive through for a Big Mac Meal like everyone else . But that was my past life......

I hear ya!

[kareng]

I totally understand! Hub and I used to go to a wine cafe. So fun. You get 2 oz of 3 different wines to try. They have a great yummy snack menu and we would sit on the patio. Can bring the dog, too. Can't do them anymore until they figure out the gluten-free thing. Got some stupid answers from them so I don't feel safe. I see people sitting on patio restuarants and it makes me sad. Sad for Hub, too.

[kwylee]

Nobody is having a conniption fit because someone touched their ice-cream with the scoop that touched the cone (and thus got gluten all over everything). Nobody is sitting there licking strawberry sauce off their fingers and wondering if the strawberries were grown locally and organically as promised or if they were actually trucked in from unknown parts, sprayed with all sorts of anti-fungals and antibacterials and rodentcides and pesticides to make them look fresh and thus making a trip to the ER a real possibility sometime in the night. No one gets alarmed when the guy making the espresso is also eating a sandwich. No one slurps froth from their powdered-mix-made cappuccino while nervously reading the teeny-weeny-font of the ingredient list from the packaging to scan for additives, colorings, and preservatives that will require some sort of antihistamine concoction to prevent hives within 15 minutes.

You've made me think how lucky I am. I used to take note of everyone else walking around, so jealous that they apparently weren't feeling dizzy or apprehensive like me. I used to sit with others and be envious that nobody seemed to be going through life experiencing the brain fog that I was. I used to ingest preservatives and food dyes and processed junk that was giving me headaches, pickling my brain matter and shortening my life. I used to lay awake at night worrying that I had some undetectable brain tumor. Imagine my relief when I found out that gluten was the culprit.

But I have to tell you, I'll never stop getting alarmed when the guy making the espresso is also eating a sandwich. ha!

[gabby]

Am feeling much better today. Filled up on a half a pound of fresh picked nectarines. Life looks good again.

Whew!

[discodiver]

I'm in the same boat. Last week I absolutely lost it with my wife...who has been great by the way. I've just recently been diagonsed with Celiac and am now 47 years old. THe past 3 years of my life has been a nightmare at best...wondering what in the world is wrong with me. Anxiety, dibiltating depression, anger, sever pain all over my body, insomnia...the typical gluten reations.

Anyway...my pain is so bad that in order to function properly I rely on prescription pain meds and have been on them for the past 3 years. Like I said...Im 47 and walk like I'm 97...it's really sad. Since going gluten free I've been able to reduce my pain meds a little but here is the tricky part. I work in an industry where I have to take random drug screens and if I turn up positive I lose my job. Do you have any idea what it is like knowing the pills that you rely on to get you through the day are also the ones that can cost you to lose your job and the way you provide for your family? Not to mention the fact that I'm affraid to eat anything.

This finally came to a flash point last week. I was mad at the world, mad at God, mad at me, mad at life. What did I do to deserve this affliction? I'm not a small guy and am not affraid of anything but this disease has brought me to my knees. As I think back on the past 30 years of my life I can see all the warning signs that I had this problem but medicine had no idea of what was going on. I can't begin to tell you how much money I've spent on doctors, hospitals, emergency rooms, surgeries and presciptions. My next door neighbor is a surgeon and he thinks I'm crazy and has NEVER heard of Celiacs disease.

Anyway..like you said..its difficult to watch people eat pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, pretzels while we sit back and eat twigs and berrys. I'm very happy to have found this site...missery does love company. I hope to get to know some of you over the next few days.

[srall]

I know I know. Last night was a girls' night. Pasta, bread and butter, wine, dips, (ladies, please don't dip those chips in my hummus), truffles, chocolates...and there I am with my glass of water and bean soup which I had to spend the afternoon making from scratch! I do feel so much better but it's tough. We couldn't go to a restaurant because of me and another friend who has the same sort of reaction I have to gluten and dairy, except hers his soy. It is tough.

[Skylark]

I feel somewhat better just getting that off my chest. I'm usually a really cool-headed person, and chipper and bright and grateful for everything I have. But an ice-cream cone got the better of me today

Even the most grateful of us have our occasional descents into self pity. Glad you got it off your chest and are feeling better this morning. Self pity is is the worst feeling!

[lisa25]

I understand! I have these thoughts sometimes when I go to parties or pretty much any place with lots of food. Or if I watch tv, fortunately I don't watch too much tv--it seems like every food commercial is promoting either "whole grains", high fiber food or pizza. I just console myself by going home and getting a treat I CAN eat like gluten free, soy free, and dairy free chocolate chip cookie dough coconut milk ice cream (haven't found gluten-free cones yet, but I'm sure they exist).

We get gluten free ice cream cones. The brand is "Let's Do...Gluten Free Ice Cream Cones". We get them at the regular grocery store in their health market. I googled them and it popped up, so maybe do that to see what they are.

[Kelly&Mom]

Oh for a big hunk of sourdough bread...... there are those days...... I think mostly I feel terrible for my daughter though because I'm an adult, I've gotten to enjoy all the now forbidden foods at some point in my life before my diagnosis, while she's only 14 and having to deal with going to school or slumber parties where there is nothing she can eat..... She's so good and compliant it makes me wanna cry but my heart breaks for her sometimes She has always been kind of shy so asking questions about ingredients and food prep. requests make her squirm........

So annoying too when you ask for a minor change in food prep and get told "No...." Asked them to heat up the corn tortillas for my tacos on foil so they wouldn't get CC'd and they said "No." Sigh....

Anyways, I hear ya. So hard to have to be so vigilant all the time, my husband tries to be really good but you can see that he is a little impatient or just doesn't get it that it can't be ANY gluten at all......

Hang in there, glad you're feeling better!!

So proud of my girl, BTW. She's 14 and wants to open a gluten-free bakery. She has been baking up a storm to make up for what she can't get "out there." Just plopped down a plate with gluten-free banana cream pie in front of me! Last week it was grasshopper brownies and oatmeal-butterscotch cookies, prior to that tiramisu and chocolate cheesecake! I'll have to look up a recipe for waffle cones!!

[gabby]

Kelly & Mom....your daughter is going to be a hit! I've been to bakeries run by parents of children with celiac (and they are really nice people), but there's nothing like food prepared by a person who has celiac disease. Now that's something I'd trust.

Thanks again for the support. May everyone have a lovely gluten-free and melt-down-free day!

Now, on to enjoying the rest of this summer....

[sandsurfgirl]

Feel better knowing that a bunch of them have celiac and don't know it. I happily ate all those things for 40 years and walked along the beach with my ice cream cone in hand smiling and ignoring the rumbling in my gut.

They estimate 1 in 100 and I've heard estimates of 30 to 40% of the population. So many of them are paying the price for eating that stuff and don't know how to solve the health issues they deal with every single day.

Hope this helps. Just another way to look at it. But I understand. I got really frustrated over crusty italian bread yesterday.

[Rizz]

God I miss pizza, good NY style pizza. I have tried 4 local places who have tried admirably at making me a pie but nothing has ever come close. Pizza and a monster hero is all I want..LOL OK I feel better

[ravenwoodglass]

God I miss pizza, good NY style pizza. I have tried 4 local places who have tried admirably at making me a pie but nothing has ever come close. Pizza and a monster hero is all I want..LOL OK I feel better

If you can find Gluten Free Pantry mixes in your area try their French Bread mix using the recipe on the back to make it as a pizza crust. The mix will be very sticky so I usually chill it for a little bit to make it easier to spread. I like a deep dish pizza so I spread it thick but you could also spread it a bit thinner to make a thinner crust. Since I live solo I use half the mix and then freeze the other half to thaw and use later.

[Rizz]

thanks raven I'll give that a try

[Doodles]

Sometimes my limited diet makes me a little bit crazy. And sometimes it makes me really crazy. I'm usually okay with this life of eating like a tree squirrel. But sometimes it gets to me, and today was one of those days. A perfect summer day. Lots of folks coming back to the city after their holidays. Everyone out in their white pants and yellow shirts to show off golden tans. And everyone eating ice cream cones, slices of pizza, french fries with ketchup, drinking frothy cappuccinos, eating tall pieces of chocolate torte, or lazily stirring a cocktail. They all look so free, and easy-going.

Nobody is having a conniption fit because someone touched their ice-cream with the scoop that touched the cone (and thus got gluten all over everything). Nobody is sitting there licking strawberry sauce off their fingers and wondering if the strawberries were grown locally and organically as promised or if they were actually trucked in from unknown parts, sprayed with all sorts of anti-fungals and antibacterials and rodentcides and pesticides to make them look fresh and thus making a trip to the ER a real possibility sometime in the night. No one gets alarmed when the guy making the espresso is also eating a sandwich. No one slurps froth from their powdered-mix-made cappuccino while nervously reading the teeny-weeny-font of the ingredient list from the packaging to scan for additives, colorings, and preservatives that will require some sort of antihistamine concoction to prevent hives within 15 minutes.

Summertime and I think Christmastime are the times when my food restrictions cause me a wee bit of grief. Convenient food is such a huge part of these times of the year, that it really can make a person who is unable to eat those foods really feel like they are not a part of it all. Like I'm on the outside looking in.

I know this feeling is silly because there are so many other problems out there so much bigger than this. But I'm just being honest. I know global warming and economic crises and wars and injustices and all sorts of bad stuff is going on. But today, I got to feeling sorry for myself because I couldn't have a regular ice-cream cone from the regular ice-cream place with all the regular people.

I feel somewhat better just getting that off my chest. I'm usually a really cool-headed person, and chipper and bright and grateful for everything I have. But an ice-cream cone got the better of me today

I was having one of those days yesterday and feeling sorry for myself as well about not being able to have a friggin slice of bread. Being diagnosed 2 months ago I still have a lot to learn and food to try. I am not too fond of the "gluten free" breads yet and I am sure there is good bread out there just haven't found yet. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I am glad I am not the only one who feels sorry for herself and gets annoyed that others can have the foods I've gotten so accustomed to for the past 42 years. I know it will get easier over time and thank god for this forum.

[diane64]

I have been gluten-free for about 2 months too. I just wanted to recommend Udi's bread. It is very good- tastes like real bread!

I am learning more every day. It is challenging at times, but worth it!

I was having one of those days yesterday and feeling sorry for myself as well about not being able to have a friggin slice of bread. Being diagnosed 2 months ago I still have a lot to learn and food to try. I am not too fond of the "gluten free" breads yet and I am sure there is good bread out there just haven't found yet. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I am glad I am not the only one who feels sorry for herself and gets annoyed that others can have the foods I've gotten so accustomed to for the past 42 years. I know it will get easier over time and thank god for this forum.