Going Gluten-Free: Progress Thread :)

[Pacificfords]

Things are going fantastic! I am starting to heal - FINALLY. Learning to be gluten free is a challenge all it's own and each day is a new experience.

The most recent thing that I learned is that I react severely to iodine. I have a blistered rash that is caused from the combination of gluten and iodine. That has been an uncomfortable learning experience. I have to avoid sea salt, no more sushi (the nori sheets are high in iodine) and potatoes (the skins are super high in iodine apparently).

It wasn't healing because I didn't know about the iodine until I started reading on the forum at a popular celiac website. It has helped greatly.

My recent labs were fantastic. Still dealing with kidney issues, but slowly improving and expecting great things. Several of my "highs" and "low" have gone back to normal after just two weeks of gluten free.

It feels great to get healthy again...

[Melinda]

Great news! You must be relieved!

[chewy]

i am so happy for you pacificfords!!

[RAS]

Wonderful,I am so happy you are starting to feel better. Keep on letting us know how you are. RAS

[Pacificfords]

I guess it is a good time for another update. Living gluten free is amazing. I had a few bumps and bruises in the beginning, learning how to read labels and understand how many different ways gluten can be hidden. It is hard to imagine that I was eating so much gluten previously and even standing up. If I eat even a little bit of gluten I get horribly sick with stomach cramps - as if someone is punching me in the stomach for three hours.

I find my biggest challenge is being around other people and eating out. People are not honest about gluten, and in many cases probably have no idea. Friends sometimes tell me "nope, no gluten" knowing my limits and then I get sick and go back and read labels of things they cooked and sure enough... they just didn't read the label or didn't see the hidden gluten. I have even asked on certain things if it is gluten free and they said "yep - I checked." Later, reading the label - wheat was clearly listed. I thinks sometimes people look at what I am doing as a fad diet instead of a disease I am trying to manage and they simply don't care too much. However, in the process I have learned how to be very careful, eat out rarely (mostly sushi) at gluten free places, eat at friends home very rarely, and have a house full of veggies, fruits and grains. I LOVE cooking. I don't have to worry about all the gluten free breads and baking - cause we simply don't eat that way. It is pretty simple really. But I feel fantastic.

[Gramma Jackie]

Hi,

So glad to see you posting again. Glad to hear you are doing well. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease this past summer and have been eating gluten-free ever since. My biggest temptation was all the gluten-free processed foods in the stores. There is a lot of gluten-free junk food or at least fattening food. I tried several and my weight started to creep up, so now I am doing McDougall Maximum Weight Loss which is about 99% gluten-free. If one of the recipes in the MWL book calls for barley or wheat I just substitute something else like rice or kasha. I actually enjoy eating this way now and don't really miss all the foods with gluten in them. I had all the symptoms you said you had plus I was practically chained to my bathroom. But in just a couple of months I was a new person after going gluten free. I have written some of my experiences in my blog (see link below).

[Rosey]

Here is the list of symptoms:
■Irritability or depression
■Severe Anemia
■Stomach upset
■Joint pain
■Muscle cramps
■Tingling in the legs and feet (neuropathy)
■Weight loss/gain
■Diarrhea
■Abdominal cramps, gas and bloating
■General weakness and fatigue
■Hair Loss
■Rash (similar to sunburn on lower legs)
■Severe Edema
■Blisters in mouth
■Brittle nails
■Easy Bruising (lots of bruises)
■Insomnia
■Vitamin D Deficiency

Add a few things and this list could of been me very recently. I'm actually typing up mine so that I can put them on here too.