pixiegirl

You're right Gluten Free doesn't always mean gluten free. And for those of us that are really sensitive we often have trouble with products that are made in a non dedicated facility.

I've noticed that certain prepared products do bother my system so now when I want to try something new I usually end up calling the company and finding out about cross contamination issues. Its an extra step but I want to stay healthy.

Susan

I've tried to search the forums to find out this info but when I type in yoplait I get pages and pages of hits and they contain the entire topic and for the life of me I can't even find the word Yoplait mentioned in some of them.

I bought the Yoplait Whips, they are lower calorie but I swear every time I eat them I get a belly ache. Its not the dairy as I have cream in my tea every morning without any problems.

Does anyone know if the whips are gluten-free?

Susan

I do think you can make yourself crazy in the quest to avoid gluten. I too am very sensitive to gluten and I also travel often and have to eat out in restaurants. And I'm pretty sure once in a while I do get some gluten in restaurants even though they do try and be really careful.

I've been gluten-free since 2004 and at the beginning of the year I had an endoscopy because I was still having some severe GI issues. They found out that on top of Celiac I have Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis (EG). However even with all the eating out I do and the occasional accidentail glutening I had no signs of Celiac in my gut anymore. So although I don't think its the right thing to do, an occasional trace amount isn't enough to visably damage my gut.

Susan

I wanted to thank you for this, my daughter has a life threatening peanut allergy and although I do get the notices from Faan I saw your post first!

Susan

I can't use Bob's RedMill, they told me that their products may contain nuts/peanuts and we are allergic to them. Arrowhead Mills says I don't have to worry about the nut issue with their products.

Susan

I travel often and if you drink lattes with milk they are usually fine virtually anywhere, but with soy you can't be sure. In my experience most of the flavorings are gluten-free but I don't take a chance I get a plain latte and I'm fine.

Susan

Huh? Gas, soreness? I'm always amazed at how we are all so differently effected by various procedures... its hard to tell someone what to expect when we all seem to be effected so differently by the same things.

When I had my colonoscopy I had an endoscopy at the same time. I was knocked totally out. After a couple hour recovery I went out to dinner! I was fine, no sorness, no gas, no nothing.

Oh well. Maybe I lucked out, I too had numerous biopsies taken.

Susan

I'm glad your going to stop drinking.. it would be the view of most involved with alcoholics that if you drink every day and often up to a bottle of wine.. yet are still functioning (hold a job, not falling over, no memory loss) that you are a functioning alcoholic. In my book anyone who drinks every single day has an issue with alcohol at the very least.

Best to you! Susan

I am a single mom too... I currently have a wonderful boyfriend but prior to him I dated all the time... I was on Match.com and really got out there.

I have NEVER had anyone not date me because I have Celiac, not once. Certainly there have been a few knuckleheads that didn't get it, but they were happy to date me!! So I wouldn't worry about that, it seems nowadays so many people have food allergies, or eat a certain way by choice that when I told my dates I need to be really careful about where I eat none really had a problem with it. I had some say, I wish we could just have pizza and beer together and I'd just answer, "me too". But again it was never really an issue.

Its hard to find decent guys out there, so look at even bad dates as an experience and move on... enjoy the process! I feel very lucky in that I don't need a man... I might want one around but my self esteem is fully intact, I'm self supporting, I have tons of friends, I don't have any need to be "completed" I already am complete, so I think when you have that attitude it makes the whole process of meeting new people more fun. I feel because I do like myself and my life that made me very attractive to men (well to everyone!)... I'm no great beauty and I'm older (over 45!) and I still had no problem finding dates... if your happy its shows and is attractive to be around (thats my feeling at any rate).

Susan

LOL you let someone else be the guinea pig for the cookie recipe!!

Susan

Well I'm so off of my Celiac Disease player... I only use digital music now... I broadcast to my car radio from my iPod... and I have a portable hard drive with over 20,000. songs on it! Crazy!

I listen to virtually anything, I too love oldies.. I really get into music from the 50's - 80's. but recent stuff includes Daniel Powter, Jamie Cullen, Teddy Geiger , Kelly Clarkston, Travis, Dixie Chicks (new celiac disease on pre order)...

Susan

It worked for me I got 497 that were gluten free!

Susan

I think most of us that eat out know there is a risk when we do so (in response to the poster who said we were fooling ourselves) but some of us don't have a choice if we eat out or not. I travel often and I do business over meals so I really don't have much of a choice when it comes to "if" I eat out. However I'm lucky in that I get to choose the restaurant almost all of the time. (I also travel with my boyfriend a lot for vacations)

I've been lucky too but a lot of prep goes into my "luck" with the type of place I choose to eat at, the phone calls ahead of time, and the emphsis I place on my "allergy" to the maitre d, waiter and chef when I'm there. I don't have any qualms about telling everyone how my food must be prepared and I make a point of telling them I WILL get ill, probably right in the restaurant, if they goof up. I have not been glutened in a restaurant in exactly one year (last time was May 2005 in northern Florida).

I had a endo. in January and there were NO signs of celiac at all so I guess I'm doing something right.

Susan

I've been with my boyfriend for 5 years... when we met I had the mystery illness.... I was doing ok when I met him but I continued to get worse and worse... we travel alot (he for business and I go along for the ride, I work from my computer and cell phone) and it got to the point where I really couldn't travel any more because I was so often sick.

Finally a year and a half ago we found out what was wrong with me and he was overjoyed to put a name to it. He has been nothing but 100% supportive of me. I'm back to traveling again and he always handles the eating out issues when we are together, he calls the restaurants ahead of time, most often goes down there prior to our reservation to talk to the maitre d and the chef.

I have often asked him if he feels it would be less "trouble" to be with someone without Celiac and he thinks I'm crazy, to him a dietary change amounts to zero. He does understand the disease and some of the health risks I may have from it being untreated for 13 years but he keeps telling me I'm worth it.

He's a wonderful man and I thank god every day for meeting him...... this is how a partner is supposed to be!

susan

Well I'll add another possibility... eosinophilic disease, depending on where the cells collect changes the symptoms. I have many in my colon and stomach (eosinophilic gastroenteritis) but if you get them in the esophagus then you have EE. I have some there and I have had all sorts of problems swallowing. There seems to be some slight tie in with Celiac, it seems like a lot of people who have this have celiac. Its all caused by allergies, either food or enviromental. I have both.

If you are every going to have a endoscopy ask them to do a biospy for it, its often misdiagnoses and they are finding it more and more often (sound familar?). Its usually fairly managable. I'm doing ok with it now due to meds.

Susan

Burlington Mall is a bit of a hike for me I'm in the mid-Cape area... especially at night and drinking blah blah. Do I have to decide now? Maybe sometime we could do south Shore Mall in Braintree ... I'm pretty sure there is a Legal there too.

susan

Personally a tour would not work for me, it could be different from day to day depending on who's working. It may give you a general idea of how much they clean up and handle cross contamination but I think it only does for that staff, that day.

I just don't like that at all, it seems like the day could come when we can't eat food from the grocery store (what do I have to raise my own chickens and a cow now?). I've seen stores with similar signs in the deli counter because of the seasonings that are on some of the deli meats, now I may not be able to eat fresh meats, fish, chicken... I bet this could apply to the cheese department because I know some cheese has gluten in it and they cut it right there in the cheese department (most likely with the same cutting board and knives). Where does it stop, I wonder.....

Susan

Actually we are going to start using a silicone gel type of implant again here in the US for cosmetic purposes. However most implants are filled with saline solution which should it leak you won't have a problem.

I am the plastic surgery queen.... I don't have breast implants, I happen to love my smallish breasts however I happen to know one of the world's top plastic surgeons and have had some minor work done myself (not to mention as I age I anticipate having more "minor" work done and research the topic often, my goal is to not look 25 but to look really good for my age, sadly I have tons of sun damage and genetics working against me, hence my minor work).

I also happen to have porex cheek implants (a huge secret that no one knows... lol). I was ot diagnosed with Celiac until after I had my implants put in however... I certainly had Celiac for years prior to that... I believe it started 14 years ago after childbirth, my implants are only 5 years old. I guess any sort of surgery can trigger further auto immune problems and I took that risk and still do, I was very unhappy with my looks for years and the small bit of work I've had done gave me tons of self confidence, I don't regret having any of it. I've always felt that if you do it for the right reasons (say.... not becuase a boyfriend says I wish you had huge breasts) but because you really want them then its a good thing.

I know at least 10 people with long term breast implants and not one has had a problem. However most people don't realize that breast implants are not forever, you WILL have to have them redone at some point, usually between 10 and 20 years out.

The most important thing is successful plastic surgery is your surgeon, have a few consults with a few different doctors and check their records with your state (to see if there are malpractice suits pending or settled in court, its public info). Find out if what you want done is their speciality, I would not go to a general plastic surgeon for them, go to a doctor that does mostly breasts, there are usually a few in every major city, experience is a good predictor of outcome in plastic surgery, make sure your surgeon is board certified and my personal preference is a doctor that specialized in plastic surgery, any doctor, that includes say an ob/gyn can hang out a shingle saying they are a plastic surgeon, any of them can... mine went to yale and harvard and specialized in reconstructive facial plastic surgery, he was not an ENT first (many so called plastic surgeons are ENT's) but the bulk of their training is about head ear, nose and neck stuff NOT surgery, allergies, diseases, etc. A sugeon does surgery thru their training, they get far more of that all important experience.

Ask how many breasts he has done. The first surgeon I went to had done just 6 cheek implants, my surgeon had done over 350. Huge difference. My very best friend had breast implants 5 years ago at about 43 years old and says her only regret is that she didn't have them done at 20.

Enjoy!

Susan

OH I can't wait to try it, it sounds so good, I love this forum I've gotten so many fabulous recipes here, thanks, will try it in the next few days.

Susan

Excellent, thanks for the help, I can't wait to go back to NYC, what a great town and so much more friendly then my own, Boston.... Also thanks for the info about the play, I'm a big Julia fan so I know I'm going to enjoy it either way. We have good seats too right in front, we got them the day they went on sale.

I'm thinking of going a day early by myself I want to see Jersey Boys too and spend an entire day at MoMA and I don't think my friend would do that (she does like art but not an entire days worth).

Susan

Oh well she is fairly high end but not snooty, back in the days when i could eat pizza we ate at some real dives but they had the best pizza! We don't need to go to a place to be seen... both of us will be happy with really good food. I wanted to try both Lumi and Asia de Cuba when I was there last week, so maybe we will try them in June along with another stop at the Risotteria and Blooms!

I can guarentee our shopping will be high end! Thanks for all the info!

Susan

My mom has Celiac I'm sure of it, she has the big D all the time but will not give up bread under any condition, she is 80 and in excellent health and can't understand why she should give it up. When the big D gets out of hand she stops with the gluten and the runs stop right away. sigh.

My brother is a maybe, he eats a lot of tums.... but although he is accomadating for my need to be gluten-free (to some extent) I really think he thinks I made it up. However his plate if pretty full right now, he was diagnosed with mouth and tongue cancer (does not smoke, never has and doesn't drink much alcohol, 2 big risk factors but.... he is been addicted to diet soda all his life (another risk factor)) about 2 years ago and its not got a great cure rate... however after numerous surgeries (none disfiguring thank god) he seems to be... well.... he's not had a reoccurance in 1.5 years now, so we are hoping that he's beat it.

I think he just can't deal with anything else right now so.... we'll see about the future. My dad had stomach problems all his life but he also had a super high stress job so I have no idea if he had any Celiac problems.

Susan

Jillian,

I'll be back in June to see 3 Days of Rain, even thought Julia isn't getting great reviews I'm excited to see it. Sambuca was on my list but I didn't make it there, what is the restaurant like atmosphere wise... I'm going to be there with my best friend and she's umm high end, so I need to scope out a few really good places...

I was worried about the oyster bar but my fish was done plain and simple and my veggies and red skin potatoes were steamed... I react easily and didn't have any problem there. I'm sorry we missed Blooms, I will certainly hit it in June!

Susan

I was there last week and didn't get to try enough of their food! I had pizza and breadsticks and I wanted the carrot cake but was just too full. I have low blood pressure and use a lot of salt so I agree with the salt thing, I actually had to ask for a salt shaker and my waiter watched me salt up my pizza like I was committing a crime!

But the food was great.

Susan

Ok we are back from NYC, wow we had a wonderful time! We ate at the Risotteria twice and hit a lot of the other restaurants that were suggested in various places on this board. Blooms the Deli is closed, bummer. We did eat at the Oyster bar and they were fine with gluten-free, our waiter totally understood it and had had many customers with the problem, he kept saying yes I understand, it can't touch gluten things, no sauce, clean the grill, and I didn't get glutened at all.

As far as what we did... well everything, this is just a small taste of our exploits: World trade center memorial, wall street (I'm a stockbroker), South street seaport, Statue of Liberty, Staten Island Ferry (its free and has great views of NYC and Liberty), shopping (from Bergdorf's to Century 21), Moma, Time Square at night, Wax museum, Broadway, Top of the Rock, NBC studio tour, Today show, carriage ride around Central Park, the Dakota and Strawberry Fields, Flatiron building, St. Patricks and St. Pauls, the Village, SoHo, Tribeca, the subway!

We never stopped but really had a blast!

Susan