The Gluten-Free Homemaker

Although no one in Sue’s family has celiac disease or is gluten free, she was told many years ago that she had a wheat sensitivity.  She tried to eat wheat free but it was difficult, and she gave up.
Fast forwarding to this year, Sue was only eating a small amount of gluten per day, usually at breakfast.  When she would try eating gluten in the afternoon, she gained several pounds, so she continued eating only 1/2 bagel for breakfast.  Then one day she had a few slices of bread in the afternoon.  She ended up craving sugar, bloated, and gassy.
Sue had digestive problems off and on for years, but this year it was on.  She went to her doctor who told her she was very low on vitamin D.  That information combined with the fact that she has Graves Disease, an autoimmune thyroid disorder, caused the pieces to begin coming together.
Sue went home, finished the last package of fettuccini and and began eating gluten free the very next day.  Now, her digestive problems are gone.  Last year she caught every bug in town, but is hoping that this year she will be healthier.
Thanks for sharing your story, Sue!

You can visit Sue at her blog, Gluten Free with Pizzazz.

Labels: gluten free stories

In April, Iris started on a gluten-free diet in hopes of alleviating digestive problems, and unexpectedly found that it cured her of depression.  The day after she stopped eating gluten she woke up feeling happy.  It only got better from there.  Iris said,

“Over the next 2.5 months, I felt better and better every day. On June 28th, my birthday, I remember feeling as if it was the happiest day I could remember in years. Life suddenly seemed exciting and I felt once again that I had a purpose. “

Last month she started eating gluten again in order to be tested for celiac disease.  Any doubts she had about whether eliminating gluten was what had made the difference in her life were quickly erased.  She fell apart.

She called her doctor and told her what was going on. The doctor listened and said, "Please stop eating gluten today."  Iris had a blood test done, but the doctor told her, "It's just a test.  You're the real authority on your body."

Iris is back on a gluten-free diet and improving slowly. You can read more of her story at her blog  The Daily Dietribe.  Thanks, Iris, for sharing your story with us.

In a previous post I asked you to send me your gluten-free story.  I’ve since gotten a few responses.  You can read more gluten-free stories here.

Labels: gluten free stories

Mary lived with celiac disease for years without a diagnosis.  Interestingly, she always disliked pasta, was not a big fan of bread, and tended to eat rice and corn based cereals. However, the disease still took its toll on her body.

“Aside from always being quite petite and having trouble gaining weight, my major symptoms included migraines, bloating/cramping and a neuropathy in my right arm.  Although I saw numerous specialists (neurologists, rheumatologists, various surgeons and even a psychologist) about the migraines and the neuropathy, no one ever suggested celiac disease might be the cause.  Part of the treatment I underwent for the neuropathy resulted in the loss of function of my right arm, which I gradually regained with intense physiotherapy.  I required special accommodations through the last few years of high school and all of my university to be able to handle writing tests and exams. I had many, many tests, including several nerve conduction tests, ultrasounds, MRIs, and a variety of tests requiring the ingestion of radioactive cocktails and large expensive machines.”

Mary has several relatives with celiac disease. Her mother was the first person to be diagnosed, and after doing some research, concluded that Mary should be tested as well.  Mary was diagnosed with celiac disease based on blood tests and biopsies, and she had a second biopsy done several months later to confirm healing.

She has been gluten-free since 2003. Being on a gluten-free diet improved all her symptoms and the neuropathy disappeared! She noticed that she became much more sensitive to gluten after she stopped eating it. Even trace amounts would cause vomiting and other gut issues.

Mary’s biggest challenge has been eating out. She has found that it requires advanced planning. One of her most memorable experiences was when she was asked, "Just to confirm - gluten-free means you can't eat any meat, right?"

Eating with friends and family can also be complicated. She has found that few people have any concept of how to avoid cross contamination. Then it is hard when people try to accommodate you, but end up making an error. She says, “The pressure to eat it anyway can sometimes feel overwhelming.” She tries to explain in advance and have her own substitutes on hand.

Looking on the bright side, Mary says there is a lot more support for celiacs than there used to be, there are more foods and mixes available, and the gluten-free diet encourages healthy eating.

Mary reminds us, “It is currently recommended that first degree relatives should all be tested for celiac beginning in childhood and repeated at intervals over a period of some years, regardless of symptoms.” See this article, the University of Chicago site, and the Columbia University Medical Center site.

To learn more about Mary, visit her web site, Parenthood.

Labels: gluten free stories

Mikki, a wife, mother, and high school teacher formed a weight loss group with some friends. She did everything right. She ate well and exercised, but instead of losing weight she gained it. She also became very tired and sluggish. She says,

“I was SO tired. The tired-ness started affecting my work habits, my dress, my attention span, everything.”

Next, Mikki got a headache. A bad headache that she tried relieving with a glass of wine not knowing that the tannins in the wine would make it worse.

“The pain in my head exploded exponentially, and I ended up in the urgent care, thrashing in the worst agony I had ever felt. I missed 2 days of work before it faded back to a steady ache. I had that headache for 2 weeks before I dragged myself to a doctor.”

Mikki finally did see a doctor who said, "You look allergic." Mikki writes,

“Those three words changed my life forever. He took me off of all wheat, corn, and dairy products, as well as all artificial flavors and preservatives. It would clean out my system, he said. You’ll lose some weight this week, he said, and that’s ok. Just be sure to keep eating balanced meals.”

The doctor then had some tests done and told her to return in two weeks. Those test came back negative, and the doctor suspected a dietary problem. He had her eat wheat again which she did for two days. Her awful symptoms came back immediately. The doctor then ran a blood test for celiac disease. The result was positive. Very positive.

Knowing nothing about celiac disease and no one who had it, Mikki began researching. She then purged her pantry and began the task of learning to shop for gluten-free groceries. Before long she was cooking with confidence and then became comfortable enough to start experimenting.

You can read more about Mikki’s experiences at her blog Here's What Let's Do. I have summarized her story, but you will enjoy reading it in her own words here.

Last week I asked you to tell me your gluten-free story. I need a new one for next week, so take a few minutes this week to send me your story. You can email it to me here.

Labels: gluten free stories

Owen started having health issues when his mother Melanie put him on solid foods. He would react with rashes, diarrhea, passing undigested food, spitting up, screaming, and waking up at night, among other things. Owen’s family lived in Germany and saw  doctors there who tested for a number of things, but a test for celiac disease didn’t get done. The tests all came back negative.

Next, Owen saw a doctor who practices alternative medicine and was tested for allergies. Those tests indicated that he didn’t tolerate wheat, oatmeal, and some other grains. Melanie tried giving him spelt, but the results were bad. At that point Melanie put him on a gluten-free diet to see how he would do. About his response Melanie said,

“Within a couple of days on the diet, he was improving and much happier. A couple of weeks later, he was rash-free and sleeping through the night most of the days.”

Owen was gluten free for about six months, then was put back on a diet containing gluten. They flew to the U.S. where Owen saw a G.I. specialist. The doctor did an endoscopy and told them that Owen did not have celiac disease. His answer was that Owen had toddler diarrhea. When asked why Owen did better on a gluten-free diet, the doctor said, “It’s the fiber in the gluten-free foods.” Back in Germany, Owen resumed a gluten-free diet and improved once again.

Life is still challenging for Owen and his family, though. Melanie says,

“We are still in search of a diagnosis as he still has reactions to this day. He will flush, have swollen hands, lips and a swollen face, go into screaming fits and complain of stomach/head and bone/muscle pains. He will always run a low grade fever and have diarrhea a day after a big reaction. Once we see a reaction coming on we give him Benadryl and usually within about 20 minutes he is improving. And we also have noticed that he is digesting his foods a lot better while taking Zyrtec on a daily basis. Now that we are back in the states we are starting our next round of seeing different specialists to figure out what is going on.”

Owen is now almost four years old. He is the only one in the family who eats completely gluten-free, but everyone eats gluten-free dinners since that makes things easier.

Melanie would like to encourage others through their story and the small steps they took in the right direction. She also wants to let others know that they make mistakes and don’t always pay close enough attention, and Owen gets sick because of it. However, it does get easier with time and can soon become second nature.

Melanie and her other son Jonathan also suffer from allergies. You can read more about them on Melanie’s blog Allergy Family.

Don’t forget to write to share your gluten-free story with me.

Labels: gluten free stories