LauraTX

The meal with the tangerine candy is my favorite one.  I've eaten many of them without a problem.  Hmm....I never thought to read the small package label....

Obviously the GFCO (circle with gluten-free on it) certification means it is below 10 PPM and only allows things like the codex wheat starch that are processed and shown to have no gluten in them (Open Original Shared Link) So.. they are probably like the McDonalds fries.  Technically gluten free and okay for most of us gluten-free'ers, but on a technicality.  I think the first time I bought a gopicnic with the tangerine things in it, I ate one, and then out of boredom I had been reading the ingredients and saw the codex wheat starch.  It just annoys me that there are tons of other starches available yet they choose to put that into their product.  Technically, it is gluten free to average standards, and technically someone who is super sensitive enough should already know what the standards are of the GFCO and whether or not they react to those levels.  So, it is my opinion the product is safe to eat for the general celiac. However, I do think it is a tad crappy to do that when you make and market the product as gluten free.

Lately, I have found the gopicnic meals to be kind of limiting so I make my own little snack packs for when I have to sit for hours at medical treatments and trips.  I do still buy them, and always keep a couple in the pantry in case something happens where I will be in a place with unknown food sources, I can throw them in the car and go.  I like the turkey stick one the best, and also the pepperoni one.  I think the black bean dip tastes terrible, so lucky for me I am not missing anything not buying that.  I hate tuna so I don't buy that one, and will only buy the hummus one (with the subpar tasting shelf stable hummus) if I am on a trip or something and will need variety.

You are correct that her IgG ttg is hugely high.  I think it is a good idea to push for further investigation of that, definitely an endoscopy if she is currently consuming gluten.

I feel like there are plenty of other starches they could have used for the tangerine chocolates, and I purchase something else instead of buying it.

Mmmmm cheeeeeeese!

I, too, have joy of this nature when things are going smoothly.  LOL.  You are not alone in the happy poop boat!

Those symptoms could range from anxiety, to thyroid issues, to heart issues (improbable)... really any time you feel something totally different and unexpected, if its been a bit, it is probably a good idea to go to the doctor.  If you have something like a thyroid issue, better to treat it early.

You can also check stores like TJ Maxx, Ross, and Marshalls.  I got a small OXO salad spinner at TJ Maxx for I think $10, I bought a small one because it takes up less space, but if I have a lot of greens to do I have to do multiple runs.  It is very nice to have.  The bottom doubles as a bowl and you can use the insert as a strainer.  When you are looking at which one to buy, I would look at how it can be washed, how you are able to store it, etc, and just get whatever suits you best.

I haven't yet replaced my cookware. (I'm still pretty new to all this).  I wonder if that might be part of the problem. Using an acidic tomato sauce would be likely to loosen anything clinging to the pans or the wooden spoons.

If you replace anything first, go buy a pack of cheap spoons to replace those porous wooden spoons.  There can definitely be things hiding in there.

Hi Wendy and Welcome to the forum!  I moved your post to a new topic of its own so people could answer you and the other person separately to avoid confusion.

The specimen C is labeled as being from your colon, which is not where the brunt of Celiac damage is, so I am not sure about those findings.  Hopefully one of our more well-read members will chime in once the morning hits.  Specimen A is where the main Celiac findings would be, but as you said, if you were not actively consuming gluten they may be a false negative and does not definitively rule out celiac disease.  It does look like they took more than one duodenal biopsy, but either way it won't matter if you were not consuming gluten.

If you are getting inconclusive results with the low FODMAP diet, you may consider speaking to your GI doctor about doing a proper gluten eating challenge and re-testing in a proper manner.

I don't know how exactly the space would compare, but maybe a folding stepstool or a cheap TV tray table would be more compact and fit under seats.  Either way, sorry your thread got kind of hijacked!   *hugs*

Stay strong and put the cookie down!

And pick the gluten-free cookie up!    

Also, you can make cheddar garlic biscuits with gluten-free bisquick, there is a recipe on their website.  They really should be called crack biscuits.

I have an oxo salad spinner and then if I am going to be storing the greens for a while in the fridge, I lay them out on a towel, patting them on top, and let them dry about an hour.

I had a similar circumstance to yours.  I was sent to the GI doctor for what was a problem with my gallbladder, and at my upper endoscopy I had marsh 1 damage, and on follow up bloodwork I was just high enough on the antibodies to be positive.  I also have the DQ8 gene.  No known family history, no outward symptoms other than barely under the low limit for iron.  My GI told me I am very lucky that we basically caught the celiac disease by accident early into disease progression.    I still don't have solid GI symptoms when exposed to gluten, however I know the importance of staying completely gluten-free.  Some people without outward symptoms develop exposure symptoms later on, each person is different.  I am very grateful my disease was caught early in its progression, as there are some members here who were sick for most of their lives and got answers much much later after a lot of damage was done to their bodies.  

I understand the ability of hormonal mood swings to eat away at your willpower.  You may consider meeting with a therapist to talk about what is causing you to cave... if it is just lack of willpower, or is it self-destructive in nature?   If your PMS symptoms are very bad overall, and since they are interfering with your life, there are medications including different birth control that may help in reducing those symptoms that are caused by out of balance hormones.

It may be a good idea to have a plan in place to redirect your cravings.  Some things that could help you direct your cravings to more suitable gluten-free options would be keeping baking ingredients at hand, cookie dough in the freezer (don't even have to cook it, lol) or baked goods in the freezer.  Those little tubs of Udis Chocolate Chip cookies are irresistible to me especially when I am having cravings.  Although I try to limit my intake of the bad stuff, I try to always have a frozen gluten-free mac n cheese, frozen gluten-free pizza, and some kind of sweet on hand for when I do crave them.  If you were craving a normal cookie last time, gluten-free cookies are exactly the same texture and such as the gluteny counterparts.  If you want to make some of your own we can help you out with recipes and such.  Pamela's mixes has little individual microwaveable brownie mix pouches and they are the bomb.  You can get them in multi packs at the big "A" online store.

Overall, trying to suppress cravings can sometimes set you up for failure.  Of course you don't want to completely give in and eat the whole pantry, but I find that feeding them a little helps my food cravings stay in check.

I heard this was coming out a while back... I wonder what the price point and scope of availability is going to be.  I currently pay about a dollar per pouch for Bakery on Main oatmeal (6 count packets box) and I really like it.  

HAHAHA!  That is exactly what vision I had in my head!   

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I get dermographia, sometimes really bad like I can't rub against anything, etc.  Not related to gluten, though.  I find a bath with a cup of baking soda added helps with the itchy skin.  I also like the cortisone liquid roller things... I get this one : Open Original Shared Link  of course you can't use it all over your body, but on mild days it helps to soothe small patches.

lol

No, I know what the words "systematically" and "in great quantities" means   what I am not sure of is how gluten could possibly be

administered "in great quantities" via the skin into open lesions. seems strange...Someone is going to roll around in wheat flour?

 

How is that possible since the gluten molecule is too large to pass through skin?

I have tried to figure this out...... Say you have open lesions galore...in what FORM

would gluten be administered to create a gut response? It just does not make sense and I have always been perplexed by this statement from Dr. Fasano.

 

Again, maybe we should write to Dr. F and ask him to clarify. Seriously, because there is NO evidence that gluten can pass through the skin

and somehow end up in  the bloodstream.

Yep, what would you have to do, torture someone with a cutting device and then roll them in flour?  Okay, I need to stop this wild imagination!  LOL

I was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis at the age of 17.  It has not improved with diagnosis and treatment of my lupus or celiac disease.  Maybe in another year or two, I am still hopeful!

Systemically would be into your body.  For example, lets say you have a skin condition like psoriasis or another condition that can give you open sores all over the body.  Those open sores are now a gateway through your skin that is not normally there.  At that point you really shouldn't put anything on those sore that wasn't designed to be put on them, because topical products are not meant to be introduced to your internal body system.  

Thanks for the clarification.  It is a good reminder to always follow the most up to date info directly from the company.

Sooooo, did you ship me some?!!   :D :D  

The only thing I ate at the bbq was a rice salad made by another celiac. I went assuming there would be nothing, that's why I brought my own hummus and went out of my way to get some safe bread. Its very difficult some days. I know I can't trust dips, but I usually show up early saying I will help set up, but then If I bring my own veggies or crackers I can be the first to get into the dip before it gets touched by gluten. I am recently diagnosed and still learning, no reason to be harsh and make me feel unwelcome. If I wanted to be criticized, I would try to eat dinner with my ignorant, hyper critical family.

Jules, we aren't anything like an ignorant family, we are the opposite.   There are seasoned gluten-free veterans here who are seeing you get sick when you get accidental gluten consumption, and we are trying to bless you with our knowledge so you don't become ill.  There are countless threads here where people have asked "What do I do at this event?", so use the search function to read through some of those, they can be incredibly helpful.  People may sound harsh, but the reality of a Celiac consuming gluten is a harsh one.  Surely it is a good trade-off to hear concisely worded statement and not be ill from something you would have consumed had you not read it.

Also, even though a meal host claims to be privy to cooking for Celiacs, still be wary of what they prepare.  Unless they actually have a spouse or child they cook for every day that becomes ill upon consuming gluten, they may have great intentions, but still slip up.  It is great that you stopped by a gluten-free bakery and filled up on yummies before hand, and brought something you could carry.  After a while things will become easier and you will become more comfortable with just enjoying the company at food based gatherings.

Sonic definitely fries everything in a shared fryer with breaded items, and they have a lot of tantalizing breaded and fried items.  You definitely got very very badly CC'd there.  Check out their website and click on our food, then allergen info, brings up this:  Open Original Shared Link

Their Chili is listed as containing wheat and gluten, as well.  A lot of chili without beans has gluten containing ingredients to thicken it up, so always view it as suspect.  

If you want to make your own chili cheese tots or fries at home, you can use ore ida potato products, hormel chili with beans (will say gluten-free on the back), and a cheese of your choice.  Then you can make a giant serving of it and eat it all, and get sick from eating too much instead of the gluten!

Edit: Also, sonic makes cream pie and oreo shakes, if you consume one of their shakes you have to ask them to clean the stirry thingy well.  I have a friend of a friend who worked there for a while and had him do it for me once or twice, but remember you are putting your health directly in the hand of kids at their summer job, so beware.

Edit: Hormel chili without beans contains gluten, I clarified which for you after reading this through.

Awesome example for the newbies   Thanks for posting!  Next time we go on a vacation, I think I am going to buy a hot plate and a small skillet to make real meals with... the hotel doesn't have to know, LOL!