LauraTX

Oh my gosh, congratulations!!!!:D:D:D

That is a great tip!  Thanks

Welcome to the forum!

I merged your two posts into one, so people can get a complete picture of your issues and give you more appropriate answers.  Your blood tests while on a gluten-free diet are of no use in the diagnosis of Celiac disease, because they could be a false negative.  Prior to your endoscopy, you need to be eating gluten for 2 weeks.  If you want to repeat the bloodwork and have it be accurate, you need to be eating gluten for 12 weeks.  If your doctor thinks you do not have Celiac disease based on the bloodwork done while on a gluten-free diet, let them know that is incorrect and the tests could be a false negative, and have them redone.

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The endoscopy center should give you information on the cost before they schedule you an appointment.  Usually they will get it pre-approved through insurance and give you a good idea of your copay, and collect that up front.

Once again, the blood tests could be false negatives since you were on a gluten-free diet.  Stay on the gluten challenge if you can handle it, and get them re-done after week 12, so you can have a complete picture.  If the endoscopy comes back with conclusive damage, you may feel comfortable forgoing the blood tests, but remember if you ever want them in the future you will have to go back to eating gluten. If you do have Celiac disease, it will take at least a few months to totally feel better and heal up on a gluten-free diet.  Meanwhile, since they are already checking out a lot of things, you may want to ask to have your gallbladder checked out, since it is in the area below the ribs where you describe the discomfort.

For those of you that can't have nitrates, are you able to eat the processed meats that contain the celery powder which, I have heard but not verified, has some type of natural nitrate in it?  Like applegate hot dogs (which are my favorite by the way)

As for the problems in your upper right quadrant, you can definitely have symptoms and pain after having your gallbladder removed.  It can take a very long time to clear up.  Some people have problems adjusting to having that constant flow of bile out where it used to be regulated, and there are also multiple sphincters in that area that can have a dysfunction.  You can ask to have that looked into, and I also recommend getting properly tested for Celiac disease with the blood tests listed above.  You will need to be on a gluten containing diet for those to be accurate.  If it has been more than a week or so that you have been lightly gluten-free, you will need to go back to eating Open Original Shared Link.

Here is some info to steer your doctor in a good direction on the phantom gallbladder pain (that is what I call mine):

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While I understand you being compelled to do your own "research", there is already enough research done on Celiac disease where you can go into a doctor, get some blood tests and an endoscopy, and get a diagnosis without having to go through months of self-experimentation first.  If you do actually have Celiac disease and being on a gluten-free diet clears up a lot of issues, will you want to go back on a gluten-containing diet to be tested properly if it makes you feel bad?  No one can predict how eating gluten will make you feel- everyone's reaction is different, ranging from no symptoms despite having confirmed Celiac disease, or very bad life-threatening symptoms.  Either way, if the person has Celiac disease, damage is being done to the gut and beyond.  If you do currently have untreated Celiac disease, a few months may not be long enough to see a conclusive improvement in your body.   The best way to assess that is to take advantage of the scientific research that has already been done, and at least go get a few simple blood tests.  (Do note that you need to be consuming gluten for a period of time for them to be accurate)

Many people regret not getting properly tested before going gluten-free, while others are fine not having a definitive diagnosis because the severity of the symptoms speak for themselves.  That is up to you to decide how you feel on that.  However, if in the event you do have Celiac disease, it is best to know as early as possible so you can be monitored for associated health issues, and also know that you must be 100% gluten-free.

Getting checked for anemia is a good idea.  Do you have any lung or heart conditions?  I have asthma, can't breathe well through my nose, and one of the first signs I get when my asthma is not in control is I will have to stop eating and gasp for air because I get so out of breath during a meal.  I have to eat slowly and breathe well in between bites.  Then up my medication to get it under control.  I have searched online and not found anything really in the lines of that issue.  Just a manifestation of my asthma that I now know is a sign to get it under wraps.

I get around the metroplex quite a bit so I know a lot of good places that are dotted around, but never heard of Hannahs off the Square in Denton.  Don't get out to Denton much.   I like what I see online... just told my husband we need to go up to Denton!  Jays, have you checked out Gluten Free Nation in Houston?  

Also at DFW airport is Salt Lick Barbecue at A16, which has some gluten-free offerings and gluten-free sauces and salsa.  (been a while since I ate at that location so re-check but I highly recommend picking up their bottled sauces/salsa on the way out).  They are right at the skylink entrance.  Speaking of that, Another great thing about DFW airport is the Skylink tram that quickly takes you to any terminal.  It all goes in one big circle, and they have multiple trains that stop every few minutes going in either direction, so you can't get on the wrong one.  (Can loop around to every terminal in five minutes).  It is a great way to hop over to the next terminal to seek out food. Qdoba at A16 is a place similar to chipotle, where all but the tortillas are gluten-free.  Cantina Laredo at D24 may be the place Jays911 is talking about, I know their regular locations in the area have a good gluten-free menu.  And genghis grill at E33 is a build your own stir fry place, they have locations out in the DFW area I like to go to, there are a few sauces that are gluten-free, and they will clean the grill before making your item if you tell them there is an allergy.  There are also Starbucks at what seems like every other gate, and I will go there to get bottled water and fruit for a morning flight.

Where in the DFW area will you be traveling?  It is a very wide spread out place, so if you have an idea of where you will be that will be helpful for me to make some recommendations for you.  Otherwise my recommendation may still be in the DFW area yet an hour away, lol.

Your body already has a great system in place for waste removal. There is no credible evidence that these products are effective.  Your body doesn't have waste building up, as some of the proprietors of these products try to tell you, and they are ineffective remedies for non-existent conditions.  Some of the detox and colon cleanses can get dangerous, especially if you already had an existing medical condition.  Here are a few things to read:

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With the elk and deer, you are butchering it pretty on the packagesoon after it is dispatched, so I would think there is still plenty of oxygen left to keep the muscles red.  Beef is often aged, like those big parts of cows you see hanging in some butcher shops, so that would give it plenty of time to go purplish.  But either way, red does not mean not fresh,  It just depends on how much oxygen it was exposed to. So, the wording "the color of the meat is not an indication of freshness" on the package of meat was completely correct. Companies just know we shop with our eyes, kind of like how people always pick the perfect giant bright red strawberries even though the small ones taste the best, etc.

There are plenty of generic options for Synthroid- levothyroxine- that do not contain gluten.  Mylan is the brand I take.  As long as you stick with the same manufacturer you won't have the problem of needing to adjust dosing.  But if you change manufacturer you need to get new bloodwork done in six weeks.  This is why a lot of doctors will prescribe brand name only, but as long as you pick one manufacturer and stick with it, you are fine.

I just use brown rice flour or any gluten-free flour that is not a nut flour (no starch to give there), even corn starch is ok but will thicken a lot more than flour.  Put in equal parts (by tablespoons) 2 Tbsp Butter, melted and 2 Tbsp flour per cup of liquid.  Let the melted butter and the flour cook a little bit on medium heat, then when it starts to get nice and liquidy after a few minutes, add the liquid and whisk in, then boil lightly until ready.  Brown rice flour will take longer to release its starches into the gravy than a starchier thing like white rice flour or corn starch.  If you use corn starch try to do half and half that and another flour.  You can always add extra liquid if it is too thick.  This is making a roux, and it makes sure there is no raw flour-y taste, and no lumps in the gravy.

So sorry!  I too use a magnifying glass because some prints are so tiny I can barely read them with my glasses on.  If your are worried about red meats, you should be.  I buy mine frozen from the health food store after reading a label on what claimed to be pure organic natural beef.  the label stated that the color of the meat was not an indication of freshness.  that tells me it has soy to preserve color and freshness. It looked very fresh and colorful.  don't give up.

This is actually not correct.  If they are adding anything besides the meat, they are going to label it that way.  The real reason that statement is on the package is that a lot of shoppers think fresh meat= bright red, and if it is a darker or purple, it is no longer good.  It is actually the opposite that is true.  The meat surface gets red when it is exposed to oxygen, and there are some stores that package things like ground meat in the bubble packaging that lets air in, so it stays bright red and the consumer perceives it as fresh.  If you want good steak, look for a fresh cut that is more purplish.  That is also why you will find that the middle of some chunks of ground beef, etc, are more brown/purple in color.  The oxygen isn't getting in there.

Frozen beef from the health food store was probably fresh cut and then frozen soon after, so if the color is not bright red, some consumers may assume it is not as fresh.  They likely put that statement on there to assure customers who think as such, and let them know that yes, the beef is good to eat.  It is a popular misconception.

Here is more info on that:

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And another more simple explanation: 

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That meatball recipe looks good, Ive had a variation of that before.  The farmrich meatballs in the frozen section are now labeled gluten-free.  If you dont want to make hundreds of them, heh

Do note that many of the beers they review here are the "Gluten Removed" kind, which I do not recommend Celiacs consume.  If you do, it is at your own risk.  

The comments on new planet are funny, because my husband tried that at a GFAF expo and was gagging, lol.  But he also doesn't like regular beer.

Coconut oil also works great on dry facial skin.  Works nice for me since I tend to get allergic reactions to a lot of cosmetics.

Soy sauce in meat marinades is a common secret ingredient to get that deep umami flavor...not as uncommon as you would think.  I specifically ask about it at any new place I go.

Oh yes we need those!!!    I liked those things as a kid, of course, you COULD just smear your own peanut butter on crackers.  But a nice thing to have when traveling or with kids.

Any time I invite relatives over, or people over, usually holidays... I just let them know "Also, since I have an allergy free kitchen, we are going to provide the food, and you can bring the company!"  And then if anyone really pushes, you can do napkins, drinks, safer things.  One year I had two relatives give me money for about the full cost of Thanksgiving dinner, so the next year I made sure to let them know I don't need that much and turned one person down.

And along with the other's recommendations, avoiding hamburgers/hot dogs is probably a good idea with people wanting gluteny bread and also the cost of gluten-free buns that may be wasted by people who don't like it.  Kebabs are something you can grill up and then keep warm in the oven. Also things like chicken and turkey legs, sausages, etc are all things you can do that with.  Of course you could do a bunch of steak, too, if the budget allows.  The hillshire farms sausage mentioned was gluten-free last time I checked, and so are their little cocktail smokies.  For sides, a huge batch of mashed potatoes kept warm in a crock pot is always a crowd pleaser.  Fruit salad and a veggie/dip platter are fancy enough and you won't really need rolls.  Also, a big salad is also an easy thing to put together, and you can do it ahead of time. Lots of salad dressing bottles on the shelf at the store are gluten-free.  Another thing we like to do especially with BBQs is corn, especially if it is in season it is cheap and delicious.  Lots of ways to cook it- grill, boil, so you use whatever heat source isn't taken up by the other stuff.

As far as the beer, it really depends on the people.  Gluteny beer isn't going to form crumbs or anything and doesn't have as much gluten in it to get all over stuff, but I think it is worth the peace of mind to just keep it outside so you don't end up having to wipe everything down where drink rings are.  You could also not serve beer, and do something a little more fun and fancy, like margaritas, pretty cocktails, various liquors and soda, wine, etc.  You also have the option of doing no alcohol at all, if people will be okay with that.  It is cheaper and you can still make fancy punches with fruit in it, there are all kinds of recipes out there.   If one or two people end up bringing beer anyways, just tell them personally to keep it outside.  But if you have sloppy drunks in your crowd, time to take the beer away, lol.  Probably best to make them stay outside anyways

I am like you when something goes wrong, like when I found wheat flour in a chocolate ice cream (Blue Bell).  Fury.  I stood there in the kitchen yelling "What the -bleep-?!!" over and over... lol...It is kind of like a bad date night.  Just have to clean yourself off and move on.

In the studies you link, they even say that the study is not enough to draw the conclusion to support this myth.  A gluten-free diet for a person with Celiac means NO gluten, at all.  Please do not buy into the internet myth because you will end up hurting yourself in the process.  As you said, stick with the gluten-free bread.  If you don't like Udi's as much, try out the King Arthur Flour gluten-free bread mix.  Very good.

For some family friendly recipes that are gluten-free but not too complicated, I like Open Original Shared Link

As far as regular cookbooks go, any crock pot cookbook will work for us Celiacs, you just have to sub in gluten-free ingredients which usually is no big deal.  There are a lot of websites that do crock pot freezer meals, I have made those up for when I had a surgery and could do nothing, and those would probably be nice for you having kids taking up your time.  I like to look at cookbooks at my local library, and I only buy them if I really like them.   Most cookbooks I only like one or two recipes, and I will just hand copy those before they are due back to the library.

Edit to add:

A lot of us here who don't have as much time but still have to cook from scratch do a lot of batch cooking.  Cook up more than you need and freeze, and things like casseroles are really good for that.  Taco meat, soups, a lot of things freeze really well.  That way you can do the work of one meal and have it carry over for a few more.

They probably keep the ingredient list short so they can accommodate all kinds of allergies.  Pile it on the top!