My Husband Was Just Diagnosed

[SIP]

My husband was just diagnosed with Celiacs today via blood tests and endoscopic biopsy for confirmation. Although he suffers many of the uncomfortable symptoms of the disease, he does not want to give up certain foods and does not want to feel out of place at restaurants or when dining out. I am more than happy to go gluten-free with him and I would love to get rid of all of the wheat products in the house, but he is non-responsive to any of these ideas. Does anyone have any idea's on how I can ease him into eating gluten free? Is there any way to make this diagnosis less depressing? My husband has not lost weight, but has been underweight for most of his life without knowing why until now, if he goes gluten free will he put any weight on? What are some of the delicious gluten free products people have found? Thanks in advance for everyones help.

[T.H.]

My dietician has her clients start eating gluten free meals mixed in with their normal meals - you don't need to TELL him they're gluten free, heh - and then phase out the gluten dishes as you find more and more gluten free foods that you like.

More fruit and veggie snacks, meals that use rice and potatoes rather than bread and pasta, that sort of thing.

Most of the people I know who are underweight, gain a little weight going gluten-free. Most people I've met who are overweight, lose a little on gluten-free.

I'm afraid that his not wanting to give up foods and not wanting to feel out of place may be the one of the big issues, but...was his doctor very clear on exactly what may happen if he continues eating gluten?

The discomfort is not a big deal. What can happen because of the nutritional deficiencies is a HUGE problem. Cancer, other auto-immune diseases developing (diabetes, hypothyroidism, for ex), organ damage, bone and skin problems. The list just goes on and on.

My father was undiagnosed, and then his body kind of hit the wall, as it were, and everything just imploded. In the span of 5 years, he went from a seemingly healthy, athletic man to one who had both hips replaced, most of the discs in his spine herniated, and using a cane before the age of 50. The bottom of his lungs hardened and he has to be on asthma medication, and his heart developed problems so that make him more susceptible to clotting so that he now has to stay on coumadin for the rest of his life.

Really, the problems of NOT going gluten free will lead to a much shorter lifespan, and usually a more painful set of later years as well. Hopefully knowing that may help him decide that inconvenience is worth not feeling terrible.

Shauna

[confusedwife]

i too went thru the same thing with my husband. i had to just make meals that were gluten free. Then let him eat it and then say...well that was a dish you enjoyed and it was gluten free. just to prove to him that he still enjoy things he loved to eat. just we need to find gluten free ingrediants to make them. the life safer for me was Open Original Shared Link seeing im a working mom. I did not have time to make two seperate things for every meal.

[notme]

when i was first diagnosed, i didn't tell *anyone* for like 3 months because i was in such denial. it's a tough diagnosis to hear! i didn't even tell my husband. in that timespan i lost so much weight i looked like a skeleton. by the time i admitted i needed to eat gluten-free i was so sick and fatigued i was sleeping all the time. i guess what i'm saying is: give him a little time for it to sink in. it's alot easier to bring a horse to water if it's his idea to drink. the next hurdle was to feed the family - really, the only solution for me was to cook for everybody gluten-free. at first i faked them out: made dinner until it was almost done, then scooped out portions to put 'aside' for me (it was the same exact food as they were eating!) after a few weeks i broke the news to them: they had been eating gluten-free the whole time. the only thing i couldn't fake at first was pasta and bread. have since found tinkyada pasta and udi's bread - yummmm! good luck to you. my husband is the stubbornest man i know, but most men are stubborn. about their health expecially.

[smc]

I was mad when I received my diagnosis too. The thought of changing my whole lifestyle was overwhelming and I tried to cram all my favorite foods in -in the 2 weeks before i decided to officially go gluten free. I grew up in an italian family and thought the days of great pasta dinners were over. A few weeks in to my new gluten-free diet, however, I started to feel better than I had felt in a few years-no pain or bloating- It was great to eat a meal and not feel horrible afterwards. When your husband starts to feel better he will know that his life style change is nesessary and hopefully accept it a little better. There are great gluten-free substitutions out there and it takes time to find what suits your tastes. I have had delicious pizza, pastas , pies, etc. It is great that you have no problem going gluten free with him -he obviously has alot of support. I dont like to draw attention to myself at a restaurant either but I have gotten used to it and know I have to speak up for my health. Start at places that offer gluten-free menus and substitute gluten-free ingredients in his favorite meals and see if he notices. I did gain 6-7 pounds after starting the diet but I was underweight most of my life. I was only 105 lbs and 5' 2". I think he might gain a few pounds as he heals. It is really crappy that we all have to deal with this but at least we can control our disease with our diet. Some people are'nt so lucky. good luck !

[smc]

  On 5/3/2011 at 6:55 PM, SIP said:

My husband was just diagnosed with Celiacs today via blood tests and endoscopic biopsy for confirmation. Although he suffers many of the uncomfortable symptoms of the disease, he does not want to give up certain foods and does not want to feel out of place at restaurants or when dining out. I am more than happy to go gluten-free with him and I would love to get rid of all of the wheat products in the house, but he is non-responsive to any of these ideas. Does anyone have any idea's on how I can ease him into eating gluten free? Is there any way to make this diagnosis less depressing? My husband has not lost weight, but has been underweight for most of his life without knowing why until now, if he goes gluten free will he put any weight on? What are some of the delicious gluten free products people have found? Thanks in advance for everyones help.

Tinkyada makes a really good rice pasta and the corn pastas out there I think are even closer tasting to the real thing. There are some Glutino snacks that are really good- they make a chocolate wafer cookie that tastes like a kit kat candy bar. As someone mentioned Udi's makes the best bread -my kids can't tell the difference except the slices are smaller. They will be selling hamburger and hot dog rolls starting this month-that is something I have not found a good substitution for yet but if they are anything like their bread they sould be yummy! Can't wait.

[sb2178]

Rudi's bread is even better than Udi's. Van's frozen waffles are also a good sub if he's used to that sort of breakfast. Hot cereal: gluten-free oats, cream of buckwheat, cream of rice... Cold cereal: chex, Nature's Path varieties

Ancient Harvest pasta has gotten general approval from everyone I've fed it to.

Corn and beans are also easy to sub in. I do a lot of lentil/bean dishes for complex carbs.