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You are SO right!!

It's great to hear that the trip went well, and the general consensus I hear about gluten-free travel in Europe, including my own experiences, is that it is much easier done in comparison to traveling and eating gluten-free in the USA. 

Safely home from my recent trip to the UK. I had zero gut issues while traveling around this pretty country. Our tour leader was very good at making sure the 2 of us with gluten issues on our tour were well taken care of.  We often got our meals before the rest of the group and adaptations to the menu for us were well thought out and very tasty. I just wish restaurants here in the USA took as much pride in making food that everyone can enjoy. Many of the hotels and pubs we ate at had numerous options that were safe for us with wheat/gluten restrictions to eat.  

I am 73 years old and was diagnosed with Celiac disease, and started the gluten free diet 4 years ago.  This past spring,  I experienced sudden onset diarrhea, which was persistent for several weeks, before I had a colonoscopy.  I was told my colon looked normal, but the biopsy showed microscopic lymphocytic colitis.  I was asked at that time if I was still experiencing the diarrhea, and when I said yes, I was prescribed an 8 week course of Budesonide, which included the weaning off phase.  Budesonide is a steroid, but it is allegedly specific for the bowel, and has very few systemic side effects.  I must say, I experienced no side effects, except a couple little spots of persistent psoriasis went away.  I have one week of treatment left, and other than one loose stool very early in treatment, I have had no further bowel issues.  I was told that 80 percent of people go into an extensive, or even permanent, remission after taking Budesonide.  During the colonoscopy, two polyps were removed, and one was precancerous.  I know that colon cancer risks are higher in people with Celiac disease, so it was recommended that I have another coloscopy in five years.      Like your husband, I probably had untreated Celiac disease for years.  It makes one wonder if the chronic irritation and inflammation could lead to the development of microscopic lymphocytic colitis.  This disease is usually diagnosed in people over 50 years old, and occurs approximately in one out of every 1,000 people.        Incidentally, If your husband is prescribed Budesonide, it can be purchased significantly cheaper by using GoodRX.

Thanks for sharing this! Talk about frustrating! It is complicated enough to try to keep track of which products are safe, but the concept of the same product sold at 2 different stores--one that is certified gluten-free and one that isn't--that is exactly why having celiac disease is still so difficult, and it is so easy to make mistakes!