zero

I eat the Westbrae organic pinto and red beans every day without any problems though I am not too sensitive. I used to eat the great northern beans but they would sometimes give me some bloating (probably not gluten related).

rob

Zero,

If you had no direct reactions to gluten, how and why did you get tested? I also am a-symptomatic, or at least I thought I was. I am learning that some of my stomach aches may have been gluten related. I got tested because of chronically elevated PTH, resulting in chronically low Vit D...the endocrinologist finally thought that malabsorption may be my problem...hence the celiac disease diagnosis. Thanx shelley

I was sent to a gastroenterologist for a colonoscopy. I mentioned that I sometimes had diarrhea after eating a salad which I figured was a developing allergy to some type of vegetable. He did a celiac blood test which came back positive which of course I thought was a mistake as I almost lived on bread but never had a problem with it. A biopsy confirmed I had celiac. But in hindsight, I did have symptoms associated with celiac such as weight loss, depression, not feeling well which were never severe enough to see a doctor about. Now I have no problems with salads but small amounts of gluten (large crouton size) will bother me. Some people suffer horribly before being diagnosed so I feel pretty lucky. It's a little bit of a wild ride getting used to this diet but it gets easier.

Sorry to hear your a member of the club . I would highly recommend the book "Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic" by Green and Jones.

I never had a direct reaction to eating gluten before my diagnosis but I glutened myself accidentally after being gluten free for a few weeks and was surprised to have a reaction. It was actually quite satisfying (the first time at least) as it confirmed to me that there wasn't a mistake in the diagnosis.

Your rant was pretty well written. I will suggest that you and your family are trying to maintain the same roles but the circumstances have changed which requires a different relationship. It may have been that "your mother cooks, you eat and all is good" worked before but it won't work now. A change in roles is always difficult. I don't know what the solution is as I haven't gotten in that situation yet. But I do know that I can't expect anyone to learn anything. I can't expect to be able to eat what is placed before me. And I will either have to go hungry or to satisfy myself and make other people feel comfortable make my own food or buy from a restaurant which is safe.

The more knowledge you have about the disease also helps. My response to my sister's, "you can cheat once in a while can't you", is that an eighth of a teaspoon of flour can cause damage to the intestine. Maybe she will remember, maybe not. It will also give you peace of mind should you ingest an ingredient which is not safe. Glutening happens (this should be a bumper sticker).

rob

Hopefully I am not breaking any terms of service for this site but in the Files section of the SillyYaks yahoo group is a gluten-free menu listing for 230 restaurants. You will need to be a member to access these files.

rob

Forgot to add my tip that for a celiac who doesn't like to cook, having a rice cooker with a timer has been a life saver. I load it up in the morning and it is ready when I get home.

Likewise, not really a helpful tip, but I have convinced myself (and it actually is for me) that everything that contains gluten is a poison. My husband and I joke, look at that plate of cyanide or (arsenic). It has reached the point for me that I do not crave all the goodies I used to love, I find them revolting.

I was in the check out of whole foods and the person behind me had a clear plastic bag of a dozen bagels. I was actually disgusted by the sight which amazed me as I loved bread before my diagnosis. I wonder how many gluten-free people have cravings now vs. those that are repulsed by the forbidden foods.

You had a rough couple of days there. I am still working out my rules for eating out but they are currently

1. always have low expectations
   
2. if I don't know what is in it, don't eat it but I generally trust the restaurant chefs if they say and it looks gluten free
   
3. if I am hungry, bring food
   

I don't know what to do about the really annoying helpful comments.

rob

Well, I sure wish there was for type one diabetes, but unfortunately, my pancreatic beta cells are destroyed for good. No elimination diet's gonna bring them back for me...... .. .

You might find this Science Friday podcast interesting as it suggests there is hope that there may be a treatment for type 1 diabetes someday.

Open Original Shared Link

rob

There's no brand I know of that doesn't have some gluten-free flavors.

I could not have said that better if I hadn't tried.

rob

Your vacation sounds like a great opportunity to practice the "I have a food allergy..." speech or however you prefer to approach it without being concerned about whether your going to get glutened. In my opinion, relax and enjoy the vacation. When you have been gluten free for a while, then you'll need to be more careful. Good luck with the diagnosis.

rob

Before my diagnosis, I did not have any gastro symptoms from eating breads or anything with gluten though I would have a strong reaction from eating raw vegetables. I figure the roughage was upsetting the already irritated intestines. In retrospect I could recognize some non gastro symptons. After being gluten free, I will now have a definite and sometimes strong reaction to eating a moderate amount of gluten (accidentally) but would probably not notice a small amount of gluten from cross contamination.

So my philosophy is to be pretty strict about making sure the foods which I eat on a regular basis are gluten free either based on ingredients, the label or the manufacturers web site. I avoid food which says it is manufactured on equipment which also processes foods containing wheat. I accept food which is gluten free but is manufactured in a facility which also processes wheat.

If it helps with your peace of mind I would say you need a blood test to verify that you are avoiding gluten in your diet. Eventually I will get a new blood test and can only hope it shows I am doing the right thing. Hope this helps,

rob

Also being new to all of this as of 2 months ago I would have to repeat the recommendation made by Gemini for the book by Peter Green and Rory Jones. In addition to helping me to distinguish all the misinformation which is floating around it helped to prepare me for the inevitable questions I got from my family and friends. It was nice to have facts to back up why I could not eat some items and what the consequences are. Good luck.

rob