Hello From Krakow

[BabsV]

Hi. I'm newly diagnosed (3 weeks ago!) and an American living in Krakow, Poland (my husband's job brought us here.) I have my doubts about other Krakovians being active here but I can hope, right? 8-)

I've cleaned out my kitchen, given away loads of food, been reading as much as possible to educate myself and my family. I'm also lucky because going gluten-free here in Poland isn't hard -- they've actually got a good selection of gluten-free products available.

I'm having good days and bad days which I gather is normal so early in the process. I'm just relieved to have a diagnosis and to realize that with time and effort my pain should improve as should my fuzzy head.

I'm just really appreciative for this virtual community -- I've reached out to some people and they have all been awesome with responding with information and support.

Thanks.

[love2travel]

How intriguing! I have not yet been to Krakow but my husband and I own a house in Croatia and want to visit Poland soon (we are still in Canada at this point). Some of my ancestors came to Canada from Poland. Will you be in Poland long term? It is awesome that you have a selection of gluten-free products there. I always wonder about different countries and sometimes have been very pleasantly surprised.

Sounds as though you are doing well with the gluten-free lifestyle although you are only three weeks in. That is great! Many of us have learned far more information on this board than from our health care professionals (I have been blessed but many have not). Guess what? When I was first diagnosed six months ago my antibody numbers were WAY off the charts positive; a few weeks ago they were negative. It is remarkable what can be done in a short period of time! A great sign that I am beginning to heal.

Welcome here! I look forward to hearing more from you.

[GFinDC]

welcome Babs,

Not sure about other members from Poland, but there are people from lots of different countries and ethnicities on the board. We get along purty good too!

You are right getting started has it's ups and downs. There are many changes taking place in your body especially your digestive system after going gluten-free. your gut can start to heal, which can lead to better absorption of nutrients, antibodies can start going down, and your body doesn't need to use as many resources to create them. The villi of your small intestine may start producing more lactase enzyme also. The bacterial balance of your intestine will shift as gluten eating critters starve or adjust to your new diet. That may result in bloating and discomfort for a while.

And your grocery bill may go up quite a bit also, if you eat a lot of processed gluten-free foods. If you stick with whole, unprocessed foods

though your bill may go down and you will avoid lots of chemicals additives, preservatives, fillers, colorings etc.

well, lots to learn but lots of people here like to help. So dive on in and make yourself at home!

[gabby]

Hi,

I'm a Canadian who lives in Zagreb, Croatia. I feel for you on lots of levels. Just living in a new and different place as an expat is stressful enough sometimes, and now going gluten-free will add a new layer of stress......but it eventually does get easier (both the expat stuff and being gluten-free).

I don't know if you are fluent in Polish, so I'm sending along the url for the celiac society of poland...this is the english bit: www.celiakia.pl.

There's also a woman who writes about celiac in europe. you can look up her blog by googling: glutenfree globetrotter (it is in English).

That's all I can think of for now.

Hope that helps!

[BabsV]

How intriguing! I have not yet been to Krakow but my husband and I own a house in Croatia and want to visit Poland soon (we are still in Canada at this point). Some of my ancestors came to Canada from Poland. Will you be in Poland long term? It is awesome that you have a selection of gluten-free products there. I always wonder about different countries and sometimes have been very pleasantly surprised.

Sounds as though you are doing well with the gluten-free lifestyle although you are only three weeks in. That is great! Many of us have learned far more information on this board than from our health care professionals (I have been blessed but many have not). Guess what? When I was first diagnosed six months ago my antibody numbers were WAY off the charts positive; a few weeks ago they were negative. It is remarkable what can be done in a short period of time! A great sign that I am beginning to heal.

Welcome here! I look forward to hearing more from you.

Thanks for the warm welcome. Krakow is a lovely city...I highly recommend a visit if you have a chance. We're here for one more year and by that time I expect to be much better at the whole gluten-free lifestyle. I've actually found a restaurant here that advertises as the first "Gluten Free Restaurant" in Krakow. I might just have to try it out in a few months once I feel I've got the diet more under control!

[BabsV]

welcome Babs,

Not sure about other members from Poland, but there are people from lots of different countries and ethnicities on the board. We get along purty good too!

You are right getting started has it's ups and downs. There are many changes taking place in your body especially your digestive system after going gluten-free. your gut can start to heal, which can lead to better absorption of nutrients, antibodies can start going down, and your body doesn't need to use as many resources to create them. The villi of your small intestine may start producing more lactase enzyme also. The bacterial balance of your intestine will shift as gluten eating critters starve or adjust to your new diet. That may result in bloating and discomfort for a while.

And your grocery bill may go up quite a bit also, if you eat a lot of processed gluten-free foods. If you stick with whole, unprocessed foods

though your bill may go down and you will avoid lots of chemicals additives, preservatives, fillers, colorings etc.

well, lots to learn but lots of people here like to help. So dive on in and make yourself at home!

Thanks for your message. I am trying to not eat too many processed foods even if they say 'Gluten-Free" on the package. I'm starting with natural (and organic) foods and making all my own meals. So far, it seems to be working. I'm just lucky that I'm someplace where food is less processed overall compared to the United States.

[BabsV]

Hi,

I'm a Canadian who lives in Zagreb, Croatia. I feel for you on lots of levels. Just living in a new and different place as an expat is stressful enough sometimes, and now going gluten-free will add a new layer of stress......but it eventually does get easier (both the expat stuff and being gluten-free).

I don't know if you are fluent in Polish, so I'm sending along the url for the celiac society of poland...this is the english bit: www.celiakia.pl.

There's also a woman who writes about celiac in europe. you can look up her blog by googling: glutenfree globetrotter (it is in English).

That's all I can think of for now.

Hope that helps!

Wow! Thanks so much for that information. I'm not fluent in Polish but I've got a good Polish friend who has decided her mission is to help me through this adjustment to a gluten-free lifestyle. She helped clean out my kitchen, has been helping me read any food labels I wasn't sure about, is doing research. She's a gem! I know I'm lucky to have her and other friends who are willing to help as well as a supportive spouse as I try out new recipes. I don't think I'll get him to give up pizza at this point but he'll just have to go out to lunch with co-workers for it!

[love2travel]

Thanks for the warm welcome. Krakow is a lovely city...I highly recommend a visit if you have a chance. We're here for one more year and by that time I expect to be much better at the whole gluten-free lifestyle. I've actually found a restaurant here that advertises as the first "Gluten Free Restaurant" in Krakow. I might just have to try it out in a few months once I feel I've got the diet more under control!

From what I have heard/seen/read Krakow does indeed sound like an amazing place. Please let us know what your restaurant experience is like. The gluten-free restaurant is very impressive indeed! I am excited for you. I did not venture out to restaurants until I was very comfortable with it (and am still extremely picky where I go which is rare as I love to cook, anyway). It is a wise choice to wait until you are sure. There are just so many risks involved.

Good luck!

[AVR1962]

Enjoy Poland! I am an American living in Germany due to husband's employment. We've lived here 10 years and my German is still poor, the Germans speek English very well. I think I learned more Italian in the 2 years we lived there! Lots of great opportunities for travel in Europe to take advantage of while you are overseas. I have not found it easy to eat out and find gluten-free menus but that's okay. Enjoy!