I'm So Excited!

[thleensd]

Especially for those who have had a long recovery:

I've been strictly gluten-free for two years and five months. When I went gluten-free I went from mostly bed-ridden to sort of being able to function. For the next two years I got a little better, but still had debilitating fatigue. I had to stop working and have family members care for me. We all have been eating a very healthy diet (gluten-free house), and started to drink more fresh juice and veggie smoothies. Tried a few elimination diets and settled on corn-free as well. I stopped eating *most* processed foods, but still was cooking with Bob's Red Mill flours and a few other products like tinkyada pasta. I still wasn't improving. It was as it there was a ceiling on my getting better. I have been in physical therapy (since my body was pretty wrecked from the whole ordeal), but not able to make process since my fatigue was so persistent. I've looked into MANY of the healing diets so many here speak of, and....

...I found something that seems to be working for me! I have been completely grain-free (and pseudo-grain-free...ie buckwheat, etc) now for 44 days. I also go easy on beans and potatoes, though I still eat those at times. In this time my stamina has already increased dramatically. I've been able to cook, load and unload the car, concentrate to do errands and pay bills, play frisbee and even dance. Not all the time, but more often. I went on a hike yesterday long enough to get sunburned (duh! skin hasn't seen that much sun for a while). I still need to be careful with my activities since my muscles haven't caught up to my energy level and my back and hips are pretty messed up (read: painfully slips out of place) I will be increasing my physical therapy dramatically starting in about two weeks, and am hopeful that my muscles will actually build now! Fingers are crossed, wish me luck!

I just wanted to share my excitement and give some encouragement to those who are still trying to find their personal magic combination of what to eat and what to avoid. I've gotten a lot of inspiration and recipes from the raw diet people and the paleo (caveman) diet people.

=) =) =) =)

[Harpgirl]

That is so cool! I'm so glad that you have found something that works for you! I can only imagine how frustrated you have felt till now. Fortunately, I haven't had quite so severe a reaction to gluten that you and some of the other posters here have had. But it sure feels good to start going toward 100% doesn't it? Congrats and keep it up!

[GlutenFreeManna]

Congrats! You may already know this but i had to comment that Bob's Red Mill products give several others on this board trouble. We have concluded that it is because we are also sensitive to all oats (even certified gluten-free oats) and since BRM gluten-free products are made in the same facility as gluten-free oats we get sick from all Bob's Red Mill gluten-free products. Might just be somehtign for you to think about. You may just be super sensitive to cc. Keep up the good work of eating clean and healthy though! It's great to feel good again isn't it?

[thleensd]

Congrats! You may already know this but i had to comment that Bob's Red Mill products give several others on this board trouble. We have concluded that it is because we are also sensitive to all oats (even certified gluten-free oats) and since BRM gluten-free products are made in the same facility as gluten-free oats we get sick from all Bob's Red Mill gluten-free products. Might just be somehtign for you to think about. You may just be super sensitive to cc. Keep up the good work of eating clean and healthy though! It's great to feel good again isn't it?

Yeah... I saw my GI doc a couple weeks in and the possibility of it being oats was her comment too... though I'm not 100% sure she gets it. I wished she would've suggested it a year ago. =b

Whatever it is, this is working. I just don't know if I'll be able to start introducing things back in to see or if I'm going to be life-long grain free. I of course can live without them, I just wouldn't want to miss out on rice and buckwheat for the rest of my life if I don't have to!

I definitely think I'm one of the super-sensitives, though.

[Skylark]

Congrats! I'm so happy to hear you have found what works!