tiredofdoctors

Okay . . . well that does make a difference!! Until the 3-day issue, I was going with the good old southern potato salad! I eat "hippie food", too, but am, at heart, a southern cook, I think!

Don't know how you feel about additives, but I use a milk & egg protein powder added to my smoothies. It has added vitamins & minerals, so it would help with keeping your breast milk "pumped up" (oooh -- didn't mean it like it sounded) -- I meant with nutrients It may be worth it to bring your blender! I use plain yogurt (large carton), add 1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar, the protein powder ( I use 4+ tablespoons), flax seed and fruit. Any kind of bars you can pack -- I'm not really sure what all is out there -- I eat envirokids rice bars, but they're loaded with carbs. Canned Tuna? -- make your own tuna salad while you're there? DEFINITELY make yourself gluten-free brownies -- a whole HUGE panful so that you'll have them for the rides there and back AND 3 days of family reunion!!!! If you like summer sausage, my husband found some that is gluten-free and really good at the Liquor Barn. A brick of cheese with it, maybe?

Not to make you think that I'm "pawning you off", but Jenvan is a veritable wealth of information, as is Viola, Claire, Berneses, CanadianKaren -- if I've left anyone out, I apologize to you!!! I would pm them and ask them, as well. They're GOOD.

Good luck to you -- and I hope you have a great time . . . .Lynne

BTW: CanadianKaren is a mother of 4 -- one set of twins -- she is amazingly organized, and I haven't asked her a question that she hasn't been able to answer like "that" (imagine a snap

Proctor & Gamble will not confirm that Pantene is Gluten Free. That was their reply to me. I am so excited that Fructis is -- I have been looking for a gluten-free shampoo & products -- will call on the ones I plan to buy and will post. Thanks for posting this!!!!!!

If Tymber recomends Envirokids -- well, then, it has to be the best!!!!! He seems to be a child with impeccable taste!

I agree with Richard. It's hard not to ingest gluten when flour is flying all around you.

Ain't it the truth???? I had my "independent night" (the night that my husband drops me off at the local shopping center, and I just shop and browse around the stores for a couple of hours by myself) a few weeks ago. While I was there, it began snowing -- the most beautiful, huge snowflakes, coming down fast and in the wind. I was waiting in my chair (wheelchair) in the front "entrance part" of Wal-Mart, waiting for my husband to pick me up. People were coming out, and of course, saw the snow in the parking lights. One little boy came out and said "WOW!" in the most excited way -- you could tell that he was just elated. Then a lady who wasn't much older than me -- I'm 43, she was about 50 -- came out. She looked at the snow and said, "Oh Jesus." I said, "Isn't it the truth? God has let me live another day just to see this beautiful snowfall -- what a gift." She didn't know what to say. She avoided eye contact with me then, and opened her umbrella and left. It's all in how you look at it.

My crocuses are coming up!!!! It looks as though the squirrels didn't get ALL of them Guess some of them are immune to cayenne pepper

Also have something coming up -- think it's my daffodils -- if we start having freezing stuff again, do I need to cover the leaves of those? I have a fairly good "mulch" (not pretty because it's leaves & stuff to try to keep the squirrels out -- was going to remove it in the spring and add something nicer) -- but if the leaves are above it, will the freeze kill the whole thing off?

I am REALLY excited about this! I haven't planted bulbs before! I'm a bulb-plant mom, now

That is unbelievable that you asked that question! I have downloaded the trials of "gluten guard" and "clan thompson" -- and my husband and I were comparing them

We are thinking of the Clan Thompson one particularly because it has the "ingredient checker" -- I think it looked pretty good. Considering that most of the people here who have it, really like it, we'll probably go with that. Jen is also kind of my "celiac guru", so if she uses it, it has to be very good, and must not have many flaws. She is SOOOOO informed.

Thanks for bringing it up -- I was too afraid to!

Don't know exactly how much fiber it puts in things, but I add ground flax seed to almost everything. I think it's pretty much undetectable. Even in my smoothies!

Beverly, you are SOOOOOO right I did the same thing -- I wanted the "Old Lynne" back. The one who could walk, who could work, who could see better, who could eat those fabulous rolls in the restaurants, or could eat wherever she wanted -- but the "New Lynne" may be better. She's more optimistic than the Old Lynne ever was, I think. She sees the flowers, and thinks that weeds are flowers, too -- just mistaken as bad by some people. And understands now that sometimes those same people see other people as "weeds", when really, they're "flowers", as well. She sees that strong resilience is a gift that God gave her. She sees that, although she is inconvenienced, she is certainly not handicapped.

The last time I was in the neurologist's office, I was bawling. I begged him, "Please just make this go away. Give me back my old life." He dropped his head and said that he couldn't. It was at that point, that I knew that the "New Lynne" is here to stay -- and decided to inventory her.

So, here's to "Out with the Old, in with the New" -- changes are NEVER easy, and adjusting to a new lifestyle, particularly this one, isn't easy. It's had to feel like "odd man out" when it comes to gluten, because at some point, you feel it's EVERYWHERE and you need to live with a little bubble around you. But then again, you're taking a gigantic leap at valuing yourself -- making sure that you take care of yourself, letting you know that you're important. And that feels pretty good! And the bonus is, in the case of Celiacs, you're going to get better, and your body is going to heal. Hallelujah! My bonus is that none of my symptoms are going to get worse -- what a feeling of RELIEF! And, in an odd way, we're much "healthier" than most people now! Long rant . . . but resignation to this lifestyle, at some point, feels pretty good.

That made me cry!!! That was the sweetest thing. I thought my husband was good about gluten-free, but yours takes the gluten-free cake! How excited you must have been to get a basket like that! That is so cool . . . after feeling kind of "blues-y" today, you made my day. Thanks for sharing a GREAT story!

Hmmm. . . I'm kind of a mutt, too

Father's side: His Father: Definite German and English

His Mother: ????? Never disclosed

Mother's side: Her Father: GERMAN

Her Mother: German and Irish

Pale skin, blue eyes, but brown hair (well, actually more gray now, but . . . I'm a "decided" blonde . . . woke up one day and "decided" to be blonde! )

No, since Kroger was hit by the wheat mafia, I'm reduced to (what I'm also very tired of) Barbara's Puffin's Honey Rice cereal. It was delicious at first, but 4 1/2 months later . . . well, a little variety wouldn't hurt.

My husband has family in Baltimore, and it would be a good time to visit. Do you know anything about participants in wheelchairs? Sounds like it would be a fun experience . . .. Any help is appreciated . . . .Lynne

I don't have celiac, but have gluten ataxia. My anti-gliadin IGg was the only postitive bloodtest, and my biopsy was negative. I don't have stomach, "gut" difficulties, but brain and eye stuff. At any rate, being put on Nexium -- I read in two different places that Nexium contains gluten -- better call the pharmaceutical company to verify. If you're going to be gluten-free, you have to watch your meds, too, unfortunately. I've had 3 that have contained gluten. Good luck, and I'll keep you in my prayers, Lynne

YES!!!!!!!! I have been trying to find the support group for Louisville, KY -- I'm about to jump up and down -- except the little poodle on my lap is ALREADY mad at me for being on the computer

I had e-mailed two of the people listed a couple of times, but didn't receive a response, so just figured that the support group had fizzled out. This is really good to know. Will be looking up the website today . . . .

My "glutening" occurred at least once or twice per week. Since we thought that they were "safe" -- they were listed on their menu as safe -- my husband would bring them home as a treat. Given that gluten destroys my brain and retinas, I wonder how much of my double vision, and how many additional cerebellar cells are gone -- never to regenerate, because of McDonalds. I can honestly say, I cannot stand the leaders of that corporation. What a bunch of selfish . . . . . . . . .

4tomorrow: Please don't take that remark personally. We have all just gone through a lot with this whole french fry thing, and we've been frustrated, hacked off, and just plain scared. I've been on a LOT of threads with Vincent -- he is a very kind, considerate man. I feel very sure he did not mean any harm. Take care and isn't it about time they came clean????? Lynne

Boy, do I know that feeling! It was as if I didn't belong in my own Kroger! We're in the frequent flyer club of the health food section, and I'm going to have an appointment with a dietician on the 20th to get a better game plan going. My husband and I just keep our stuff VERY separate. He has two shelves in the pantry, I have two! That way, no cross contamination. We don't have any wheat flour, or any gluten-containg products that can "drift" in our house. Haven't been to Whole Foods or Wild Oats yet, because we're afraid of sticker shock!!!!! After the dietician visit, though, we've decided that we're venturing there. Good luck to you -- you start to get used to being the "odd-man out", and the feeling starts to just not bother you -- at least that's my experience. Good luck to you -- I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

I have a feeling that you're exactly right . . . . .

I'm with susan123 on this one. Frequent UTI's can often be a symptom of a more serious problem. Often, it is also onf of the first presenting symptoms of MS -- another autoimmune disease. Not wanting to scare you, but it is definitely something to get checked out.

Just to let you know . . . it's O.K. to whine about it. This lifestyle is a pain in the butt.

Thank goodness -- it's nice to know that truth is just as important as a lawsuit . . . . .

OUTSTANDING Thanks for sharing . . . . .

I was just told that Louisville has an excellent Celiac support group. Funny thing is, no one listed has returned my e-mails, there are no listings in any publications (even the free ones). Does anyone know about it on this forum??????

Your symptoms probably worsened during your last trimester due to the huge influx of hormones which occur. In reality, your body is physiologically about 50-70% prepared to deliver during your FIRST trimester -- from the standpoint of your birthing canal being able to expand. During the first trimester, you get a first huge influx of hormones -- some women even get early back pain due to this -- the ligaments all soften, and the mother starts with some mild (sometimes severe) sacroiliac dysfunction. During your third trimester, you get another huge influx -- to further soften the ligaments to allow the pelvic ring to expand -- it is then that, quite often, you get moms who are unable to walk, etc. because of the sacroiliac dysfunction. The key to keeping it in check is that, if you had problems during your first pregnancy, your second will be worse, third worse than that . . . . so you start out in a prenatal lumbar corset and continue to be "monitored" by a PT that specializes in women's health -- they also usually specialize in manual therapy, so they will be a "kinder, gentler" type of PT! Don't know if any of it is celiac related, but I do know that our hormones kick us in the butt! . . . . . Lynne