LauraTX

Looks like a place I would try.  If you have kids, a make your own pizza night would probably be a hit.  Let them make smiley faces with hormel pepperoni, etc.  

If your oven is self-cleaning, DO NOT USE OVEN cleaner or you will damage your oven! Just run the clean cycle and wipe up the crumbs and wash off the walls and ceiling with mild soap and water.

This.  And if you use cleaner before the cycle runs, any residue left in there will go into the air.  See if you can locate the manual in the house, and if not google the make and model # and you should be able to find the manual fairly easily.

I have always had problems with puffy/red eyes.  In high school one day when I was having bad allergies I got pulled to the side by a teacher who thought I was on something and I had to explain my allergy eye issue.  Later I thought it resolved, but I was 19 I think and I went to the eye doctor and he was freaking out at how inflamed my eyes were.  If you don't want to go to an allergist and get poked at, make yourself an eye exam appointment with an optometrist or opthamologist (NOT optician- they cannot prescribe meds) and they can prescribe you RX eye allergy drops to try.  They can also see really close up what kind of inflammation is going on in your eye when they look at it in the exam.  Some medications can also cause undereye circles and puffiness and the doctor should be familiar with them.

Secondly, if you suspect you are gluten intolerant, you should make an appointment with your doctor and get tested.

King Arthur flour has a flour blend and a baking mix that work great.  If you really want to go cheaper, gluten-free bisquick works for sweet things, but its sweet taste can make it odd for use in some savory things.

Also, not to derail the topic, but can you clarify that your doctor only took one singular biopsy to test for celiac?  If that is so, he could have missed finding any damage, as it tends to be spotty.  If that is the case, I would go back and insist on getting the blood panels done before going gluten-free as you need to be eating gluten for them to be accurate.

University of Chicago Celiac Disease Research Center recommends 5-6 different biopsies.  Open Original Shared Link  You can bring this info to your doctor when asking for the bloodwork.

So, KCG you are three months gluten-free now?  I say there is still time for improvement to show.  I used to get an inexplicable neuropathy in my legs and arms quite frequently.  It would keep me up at night and drive me nuts.  Did all kinds of testing over many years and then it was like, we don't know.  A while back I was thinking that I haven't experienced that in about six months now, and it had greatly decreased in frequency before that.  Of course it is anecdotal, but I am starting to think going gluten-free slowly fixed that- it may have been caused by my untreated Celiac disease.

So I wouldn't worry too greatly until maybe a year has passed.  Take vitamins and let yourself heal. 

I know Texas De Brazil is a chain, we only eat there with a coupon and we go to Sams Club and get a $100 gift card for $80.  They used to email out much better coupons like half off, but not anymore.  Now it is something like free dessert on your anniversary, Sun-thurs only.  Also, lunch prices are usually much cheaper and mostly the same items.  Can you tell I try to use any excuse to go eat there?  I need to check out Fogo de Chao and see if I can get discounts there, too.

I served the chebe cheese rolls at Thanksgiving and you would have thought I put crack on the table the way people were freaking out over them.  LOVE brazilian cheese rolls!

I hooked the most guys with picnic dates. We would pick a park to hike, go to a museum and then picnic or hang at the beach. Everyone begged for repeat picnics. A cute basket with real plates and glasses, nice blanket, bottle of wine, brownies, chicken salad and whatever takes your imagination!

Can you please send an ESP mind message to my husband and tell him to do this? LOL

I agree with everyone above and their great ideas..  Putting in how you like to cook for people and taking charge of the food part on first dates until you deem the guy worthy of knowing your secrets is a good plan.  That way you don't waste your time if he turns out to be a bad match.  Also, no better way to try out P.F Changs than with a cute guy (maybe) footing the bill!  Call ahead and familiarize yourself with what you want to order before you go so you only have to ask ten questions instead of twenty.

Yep, they can- especially if you are really sensitive which it sounds like you may be.  There has been some discussion on getting glutened from kissing although I think it just depends on the individual circumstance.  If you haven't yet done so, check out the newbie 101 thread on the top of the page under the "Celiac disease- coping with" category.  There are possibly still sources of cross contamination in your kitchen and house so it doesn't hurt to give that a second look and maybe prevent more sick episodes for you.  Welcome to the forum and I hope you feel better soon!

Cyclinglady, you already posted a comment on the 1st page of this thread saying that I've only been gluten-free and it takes a long time to forget what gluten containing foods taste like.  My response to your first comment was that I actually have found a TON of delicious gluten-free cookies.  For example, Udi's snickerdoodles, although they are incredibly unhealthy (100+ calories per cookie) are actuallly the best snickerdoodles I've ever had.  I've even made a couple batches of gluten free cookies myself, using good recipes, that turned out really delicious.  So the issue is not that I am expecting so much from gluten-free cookies.  The issue was that MY experience with the girl scout cookie was that it was powdery, SUPER sweet, and tasted exactly like a candy cigarette. 

I think you guys both have valid input here, that is the great part of this forum  We are all Silly Yaks together.  I think cyclinglady may be correct in that they had to make them extra hard and stuff to make it through handling and such with the pouch packaging.

I personally never liked thin mints but I don't really like mint. I always liked the shortbread ones or "trefoils" I think they are called.   I think people don't buy girl scout cookies for the taste necessarily... I mean, how good can a shelf stable cookie be?  I used to LOVE pecan sandies as a kid, and one day a few years back I had a home made version from a bakery and I was like wow, pecan sandies taste like crap- where have these been all my life?!?!?!  I used to also be a fan of the famous amos chocolate chip cookies and those are about as hard and crusty as you can get.  But I would still eat the whole bag because they are all tiny and pop right into your mouth.  But they are no where in the same realm as fresh baked chocolate chip cookies.

BRB going to go dig in my chocolate stash now....

Yes!!!! I cannot stand when people will turn their nose up at gluten-free food, it is completely insulting.  I have learned to not mention it is gluten-free unless it is someone you are already close to.  I made a bunch of pumpkin cookies for my sisters halloween party- told her not to label them gluten-free and she did.  NO ONE ATE THEM.  I was P.O'd.  We also have a friend who lives about 40 minutes away and we always meet him halfway for a meal, he said he didn't want to meet for dinner so he did not have to eat weird food.  I replied, "Well, we will eat at -favorite great local steakhouse- without you then!"  Ignorance is no excuse for rudeness, though.  I listed off all kinds of things and asked him if he liked them- M&ms, french fries, steak, mashed potatoes, potato chips, ice cream, sausage, hot dogs- and when he said yes I was like "THAT IS gluten-free!" and maniacally laughed.  Normally I wouldn't go psychotic like that but he is like a brother to me and he had made me extra mad.

I like to give feed people gluten-free stuff and then ask them after they ate it and tell me how delicious it is, if they could tell if was gluten-free.  I do that to remind them that gluten-free does not equal gross, healthy, whatever other preconceived notions they may have.  A few weeks back I had an internet/phone technician at my house for 3 hours dealing with line problems and stuff, and I had made cookies because I was bored so I gave him one.  He raved about how good they are and then I asked him if he could tell they were gluten-free and he was blown away.  Turns out his best friend is a celiac.  

Moose if I lived near you I would have shown up on your doorstep trying to bum some red velvet cupcakes!

Thanks for the info on them!   I have been thinking about trying them for our upcoming anniversary.  We have Texas de Brazil here, too and their offerings are very similar and if you get the right person they are very knowledgeable.  But OMG CHEESY BREAD!  I really want some now.  

Gluten- no.  Sugar- Maybe.  If something is amiss with your blood sugar, thirst can be a symptom.  Other things to look at are your medications.  I don't want you to divulge more personal info than you want to, but certain psychiatric medications, along with many other different medications, can cause excessive thirst and dry mouth.  Also, since your dietary habits have totally changed recently, you may be eating more salty foods to make up for the lack of sweets and baked goods, if you ate them frequently before (probably unlikely, though).

If you can't pinpoint a certain food or medication, you may want to go see your doctor if it doesn't resolve itself, to check on your blood sugar and other possible causes.  If you aren't sure if any of your medications can cause dry mouth, you can call your pharmacist or the doctor who prescribed it.  

Also, alcohol can alter your brain chemistry, especially if taken in large amounts.  Some people do fine when they drink but the day or two afterwards they are severely depressed.  You don't have to be an alcoholic for it to have this effect, either.  It is just how the body reacts sometimes, especially if you normally do not drink large amounts.  Basically a large ingestion will alter your brain chemistry and then there is a crash after that causes depression and moodiness, and that could be what you are experiencing.  Open Original Shared Link  This kind of hits at the brain chemistry changes alcohol can cause, you can google search if you want more info.  

Also, being drunk can make you forget to not eat certain things.  We had a party for my brother in law, and his friend ate a sandwich with sprouts in it, which he is very allergic to.  He was in the hospital for the next week, and his wife was very angry with him.  So now he knows to watch out for himself better, especially since with him it can be life or death.  And if he lives through it his wife might kill him!  Haha.

I will choose a DO over an MD every time.  In my opinion, they have a more well rounded way of looking at a problem.

 

Colleen

I also agree.  DO's are taught to treat the person as a whole, and although some MD's do that as well, it is harder to find.  I will pick a DO over an MD when I am doctor searching.

Edit:  I feel I really should add more to this.  I was always the "sickly" one in the family and I have seen many, many doctors over the years. Some ok, some good, some bad, a few really bad.  Luckily my 6 doctors I keep up with regularly are all really good and I like them a lot.  

Must haves in a doctor:

My doctor has to be able to speak to me at my level.  I am in between their knowledge level and the average person, so if I ask for specific details they need to talk to me in more complicated terms when I ask.  I once had a doctor talk to me like I was an idiot, and when I let him know about my scientific background and asked for more detail, he still gave me the most comically ignorant sounding explanations, so I fired him right there.

They need to know what they are doing and display competence and a willingness to broaden their knowledge.  My immunologist will go into great detail and answer any question you have, and my rheumatologist will consult research or other doctors when he puts me on a new medicine because the treatments for my diagnoses conflict each other some time.

They need to listen to me and believe what I say- treat me like a human being and family member.  My rheumatologist's office is always busy but when you get in the room with him, it is like you are the only person there.  Same thing with my PCP.  Especially places like my immunologsts office where I am there at least every 4 weeks, developing a relationship with the staff and being treated like family is great to me.  They all know I am a germaphobe and cater to it.  

They need to treat the whole me, not just the one system I am seeing them for.  I don't like to take pain medicine unless it is for an acute problem. I like to fix the cause instead.  I already take like 18 pills a day so if they want to add one more it better be for a good reason we can't address another way.

Things I can compromise on:

Distance- all my specialists are at least 30 min away, two are an hour plus.

Apppointment/waiting times-  When I go to my rheumatologist he is sometimes up to 90 minutes behind schedule.  I always see someone pitching a fit in the waiting room.  But there are shortages of these specialists, I waited six months for a new patient appointment, and people drive half a day from out of state to see this doctor.  Seeing that doctor is still worth it.  Same thing with my primary care doctor- if you want to be squeezed in on days you are sick and they are full on appointments, don't complain that you have to wait 45 minutes to be seen because one of those other patients probably has something terrible going on.  

Them not holding my hand-  A lot of people don't take charge of their own health care.  Before I go to appointments I write down what refills I need and questions I have.  If I phone them with a question and don't get a call back, I call them back myself.  You really do need to pay attention to your medicines and what is going on or you can create a dangerous situation for yourself.  Don't just assume it will be done.  While working in pharmacy I saw so many people with a lackadaisical attitude about their own health care, and I feel bad for those people because they are compromising their health. 

White corn tortillas also are pretty good for quesadillas, they just usually come smaller, but they taste less "corn-y" to me so I like them better for soft tacos and such.  They are also pennies on the dollar to store bought gluten-free tortillas like rudis.  I have never put butter on the outsides of them, I need to try that!

But overall I think doing the opposite of what someone on weight loss does may help you.   Instead of shaving calories, try to add just a little more to things and eat fuller meals.  Snack when you can, and try to see what you like that is higher calorie yet not totally junk.  Make higher calorie swaps when you can, like if you like yogurt, try those brown cow ones that are full fat (not really a fatty food though) and higher calorie, etc.  

Yeah, making plain cheese nachos is pretty easy.  Just throw down some gluten-free corn chips (easy to find) and put some cheese on top and nuke them for 30 sec at a time til melted.  That would definitely satisfy the salt and cheese craving, although I like my nachos with meat, beans, guac, and salsa, too! 

I second the Van's cheese crackers.  My favorite when I eat crackers.  Other ones you may like are the gluten-free Breton crackers- they are really good, large and round good for putting things like cheese on them, dunno about a whole pound, though  Goldfish puffs are gluten-free, they have that good intense artificially cheesy flavor, like a cross between cheetos and goldfish.  They are in a big bag versus the regular goldfish packaging.

Thanks for the heads up!

I eat turtles all the time and never have any problems besides wanting more

Ugh I have to stop reading this thread, I really want chocolate now!  The nutrition info i read on the website looks like the are okay, I am looking forward to their response to my email, I have a good feeling!

Smoking is terrible for you and those around you, I feel terrible for those who are addicted and can't quit. 

Because I love nuts+chocolate+caramel combinations I wrote them tonight asking for updated allergy info.  Will post when I get a reply.

Adalaide I think thats a perfectly fine suggestion, actually.  Nothing better than making your own natural pain reliever chemicals.  In regards to the corn/gluten free, if you have a pharmacy in town that is an independent or compounding pharmacy, call and talk to the pharmacist and see if they have anything for you.  But I recall corn starch in a lot of medicine ingredient lists so I wish you the best of luck with that. 

Tylenol is generally better to take for acute pain, like a headache.  Aspirin is an NSAID, an anti-inflammatory drug, so anything caused by inflammation like a sore muscle, would be better off helped with aspirin.  Of course, you can try both for that specific pain and just use whatever works best

Welcome, Frozen!   I am glad to hear your hubby is supportive, mine does the same, he has even learned how to read labels and stuff and advocates for me when we go places, he has my back!  This really is a great supportive place to be, feel free to search the forums for past discussions and ask any questions you need!

That is quite disappointing.  My area isn't a part of the test areas, but I was hoping for it next year.  I always like to support Girl Scouts, when I was a kid I would sell a lot of boxes so I could get free summer camp.   Ah well, my hiney size doesn't need cookies anyways!

I never even thought to look at rotisserie chickens, I always assumed they were unsafe.  I will have to grab one next time I am at sams  I like to cook a whole chicken and eat the legs/wings for dinner that night, and chop up and save the rest of the meat for casseroles.  Already cooked would make it MUCH easier!