Check-In January 2008

pajohnso · Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Posts: 20

Happy New Year!!! Lets hope 2008 will be a great year for everyone. I am still struggling with the whole GF thing. I have decided to get the Enterolab test panel done, just ordered it last week so I haven't sent received the test kit yet. I have been back and forth on whether or not to do the test because of the expense but I have my medical savings account there for a reason right! Since I hope to not have any health issues this year, I think it is money well spent. I just sent it to my insurance company to see if they will pay (BCBS). I will let you know how it turns out.

I started eating gluten again for the test as I wanted to see what the fecal fat score is when I am eating gluten. What a terrible 2 weeks this has been. Although it took about 1 week of eating gluten to get back to my old symptoms, I am quickly remembering how crappy I really felt. I will post my results as soon as I get them!!

Until then, everything else in my life is great so I can't complain!

Paula Razz

aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 10608 Location: WI, USA

Hi Paula,

Thanks for stopping by with the update.

Depending how long you've been off gluten, you wouldn't have to go back on gluten with Enterolab. At least that's the case for the gluten test. I'm not sure about the fecal fat test.

If I remember correctly the test can detect the presence of gluten for up to 1-2 years after you've been off of it.

Judging by your dietary trials, it kind of sounds like you have your answer.

Take care and good luck!!
_________________
Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 10608 Location: WI, USA

Paula,

Here's the links to EnteroLab FAQ's about testing and eating gluten.

https://www.enterolab.com/StaticPages/Frame_Faq.htm#eating

celiacmaine-iac · Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Posts: 1352 Location: Maine

This is so exciting! My first check-in!

Not much to tell. I've been GF for about 2 months. We had our first totally GF Christmas and Thanksgiving. Both went well, and no complaints from the non-GF people.

I feel like I'm finally getting a grip on figuring this whole thing out. I must have looked like a space cadet the first few times in the grocery store. Very confusing at first. It's like learning a whole new language. Am feeling a lot more confident when I shop, and probably don't have that deer in the headlights look as often. My symptoms are abating every day. The brain fog is just about gone, my skin is healing, and my energy levels are improving.

Did find out at Christmas that I'm going to be a grandmother again. Can't wait! Another good excuse to make a quilt!

Thanks to everyone here for answering my questions, and sharing your experience. I'm more grateful than you'll ever know. You're a great bunch!

Steph

tazdog · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 4 Location: arlington, tx

Checking in..
Almost my 1 yr GF anny..

Also tonight was my first workout with a trainer as my goal is to life change into working out a min of 3 times per week and it all started tonight..

Now just need to move to healthier eating... Smile

aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 10608 Location: WI, USA

Hey Taz - Happy almost anny! Wink

So, do you feel you have a better handle on the GF lifestyle now you've got a year under your belt? You should be settled in nicely right about now, I would think.

Way to go on the workout program!! I need to get back into the swing of things too. As a matter of fact, I have a 1 year membership to a health club hanging on our bulletin board that I gotta use. Peg will have my _______ if I don't use it! We won it at a cookie baking contest. Peg said "If I win it, you're going!!"
_________________
Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

ostrich · Joined: 30 Mar 2006 Posts: 4960 Location: Nebraska

WestWalker · Joined: 08 Aug 2006 Posts: 308 Location: West Coast

Happy New Year...may it be a blessed one for everyone!

Christmas and New Years was great spending time with friends and "my kids". Every Christmas day we have a tradition of having a Silly String war (I can't believe they do this in the house but...) and then we spend an hour cleaning up but it's a blast!

Otherwise, I am pretty discouraged as the new year has brought new muscular problems and I'm having issues beyond my legs now and seems it has crept into my arms and hands making it hard to do simple tasks for long. After med bills of 100k and my savings wiped out, losing insurance, I am in need of a dose of good news. Sometimes the challenges just seem to get me down but that's the trick, when you are down you get back up right?

All the best to everyone for a gluten free year and new labeling laws!

Fidissimus · Joined: 17 Mar 2006 Posts: 1881 Location: Portland, OR.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Wow. I can't believe we're in 2008 already! Of course the month is more than 1/2 over and things have been so crazy for me that I'm *just now* getting around to make a post. How does that happen?

Some of my New Year's Goals are these:
1. Get healthy!
2. Have less stress in my life
3. Spend more time with my family

So all of those things require some pretty major life changes. I'm pretty burned out on my current (very stressful) job (it'll be six years in a few days) but still love the company. So I've been working with a recruiter to get my portfolio up to date to apply for a color designer position. I used to be a color designer about a decade ago and have the skill set, but nothing relevant to show in a job interview. So I will be working to update that. Of course interviewing / changing jobs is stressful but once I get settled in I think it will be less stressful than what I'm doing now.

Spending more time with my family - we're talking about moving (maybe building) in a location closer to work. Much more research needs to be done. Right now we have the worst commute (sometimes up to 4 hours a day in the car - coming and going). That's a lot of time I could be spending with Sophie reading books and playing and interacting with her.

Get healthy: I've been on super Probiotics that have been so incredibly helpful I can't believe it. Also was told I have allergies to dairy, eggs, almonds, rice, pineapple and brewers yeast. I've given them all up. I do feel a little better now after three weeks. I still want to follow up with a RAST test to confirm the IGE and IGG4 test they did.

I've also been working on the quilt that I posted pictures of in the other thread and hope to get that done shortly. And my in-laws have been here for a week. I think I'm one of those rare souls that get to say "I love my in-laws!". They really are great. I really wish they lived closer so we could hang out more often. My MIL and I have a lot in common and have a great time hanging out. Very Happy

Oh, we've also been looking at cars. My DH thinks we should get a Mustang as our "practical family car"... lol. Sooo not going to happen. Sadly we can't agree on what to get though so we keep driving our dying wagon around.

Here's the car we were looking at, at the dealership the other day...

_________________
Cheers!
Jenn

GF BD: Feb. 2001
Free of wheat, barley, rye, oats, dairy, eggs, almonds, pineapple and brewers yeast.
http://graindamaged.blogspot.com/

Fidissimus · Joined: 17 Mar 2006 Posts: 1881 Location: Portland, OR.

Oh and I resigned most of my duties of running the support group. I was sad and torn about it but it needed to be done. I don't have the time (the baby doesn't sleep all day anymore!) she's an active 2 year old who needs a lot of attention. I will keep doing the newsletter though and trying to make it to some of the meetings. Maybe in a few years I can pick it up again. Sad

_________________
Cheers!
Jenn

GF BD: Feb. 2001
Free of wheat, barley, rye, oats, dairy, eggs, almonds, pineapple and brewers yeast.
http://graindamaged.blogspot.com/

cruelshoes · Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 3380 Location: Washington State

The egg drought is over! After several months with no eggs (the days are too short now), Winnie the Wyandotte laid her first ever egg yesterday. Here are some pics of the chicken and the egg. I even know which came first. Very Happy

Winnie on the bottom, Esther the Easter Egger on the top.
_________________
-Colleen

Where are we going, and what am I doing in this handcart?

celiacmaine-iac · Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Posts: 1352 Location: Maine

I'm jealous Colleen!
Ohhhh... I so want to raise chickens again. Mail me an egg, please. Lots of bubble wrap should do the trick, shouldn't it?!?!?! Nothing tastes as good as home-grown eggs. We are seriously thinking about raising chickens again. Trying to line up some neighborhood kids to care for them when we have to travel, since all our kids (you know who you are) moved south.

And I totally understand your excitement when they start laying again!

Steph