Hello to all.

[Jet City Woman]

Hi everybody.
I'm Amy from Australia, just had my 18th birthday a few days ago and had tests the day after for Coeliac disease. The doctor says if these come back negative I most likely have Non-Coeliac Gluten Intolerance.

I've been sick for the past 4 years, visiting specialists all over the countryside who each couldn't find the culprit of my symptoms. It's only this week that I've finally found a doctor who seems to know what their talking about and has seemed to 'hit the nail on the head', so to speak.

So, I'm just starting with a gluten free lifestyle, and am approaching it as positively as I can. I've been wheat-free on and off for a while when doctors were trying elimination diets so I'm familiar with the health food stores and sections in my supermarket. Now I've just got to learn the ins and outs of everything and I'll be set.

Anyway, I thought I'd introduce myself, I've been lurking here for a few days waiting for my account to activate. This place seems pretty cool. I'm glad all the Coeliacs and Gluten Intolerants have somewhere to unite and support eachother, even with the vast physical distance between us all.

I'd just like to thank you all for all the helpful information here, this is a great place to start for someone just new to this way of life.

Hope to get to know you all even better soon,

- Amy
_________________
- Amy

"You're safe from pain in the dream domain, a soul set free to fly..."

[nancw]

Hi Amy,

Welcome and congratulations on finding a doc who gets it, finding out now instead of later, and having the smarts to pursue a lifestyle that can bring you great health and satisfaction in knowing that you can live and eat well in spite of your CD or GI/GS.
This is a nice little corner of the internet - again, welcome!
_________________
Nance

gluten, dairy, soy, rice, corn, yeast and 99% grain-free

[ostrich]

Welcome to the board Amy! And congrats on finding a doc that'll get to the root of your problems. Please let us know if there's anything we can do to help.
_________________
Ostrich :>--O==={

I lie below, you float above
In the pretty white ships that I am dreaming of

[aklap]

G'dye Amy!

Welcome to the board. Having a PMA [Positive Mental Attitude] about this will get you far. There are several keys to being successful at this and PMA is one of them.

I'm always amazed at how small the world becomes when spending time on the internet. We are able to meet and help people from all over this Blue Marble. Another way to look at it - we are just a Pale Blue Dot. Amazing indeed!

Good luck in your GF Journey! Hopefully we can help make the path as smooth as possible for you.
_________________
Al

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

[mrsppmrxky]

Sorry you have been ill for so long! but glad you found us here. I look forward to getting to know you.
_________________

[Jet City Woman]

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome.

I do have a few questions regarding the 'Boot Camp'.
Firstly, when it says go back to plain fruits and vegetables, am I allowed to eat legumes and nuts with that as a source of protein? I'd be adding my own gluten free sauces and dressings.
Secondly, is it ok to eat eggs in the beginning or should I wait a little while before I introduce them?
I'm mainly sticking to a vegetarian eating plan here because I've never been a huge fan of meat and only ate it when someone else cooked it for me, I have always cooked vegetarian meals for myself.
Thirdly, in this phase is it best to avoid dairy? I've been eating only fruit and vegetables for the past few days and just ate some cheese before with a corn thin and am now experiencing 'brain fog', dizziness and heart palpitations. I'm not sure if these are associated with anything, but I've felt fine eating the fruits and vegies and now I feel ill again.

Any hints starting out would be much appreciated! Thanks again for the warm welcome.
_________________
- Amy

"You're safe from pain in the dream domain, a soul set free to fly..."

[celiacmaine-iac]

I've only had "off and on" issues with milk products, and they've all been tummy related. Not sure if the brain fog would kick in with milk. Are you sure the corn thins are GF? There can be cross-contamination(CC) issues with things depending on whether they've been processed where gluten is present. Also some veined cheeses (like blue cheese and gorgonzola) can contain gluten.

I'm not sure what labeling laws in Australia require. Here, in the U.S. they have to tell you if things are processed in a plant with wheat, but are not required to mention barley or rye. So be careful.

Also if you cut your cheese on a wooden cutting board that you used for bread in the past, you could have contaminated the cheese with gluten. My first glutening experience happened when I took a pizza out of the oven with my old oven mitts. I touched the pizza with the mitt, which made for a very miserable evening! LOL I hadn't even thought about how much flour must have been in them from being on the counter when I cooked with wheat flour! So gluten can hide in places you'd never expect. It will take a while, but you'll get it all figured out! Check here for the thread on CC.

http://forums.glutenfree.com/topic1718.html

Good luck! Steph

Isn't there a cheese in Australia called quark, or something? Don't ask me how I know! It's a long funny story that involves a little blue mouse and a precious little granddaughter!!!

[Jet City Woman]

Thanks for such a quick reply, Steph!

The corn thins are gluten free, they say so on the packet. The stomach pains are kicking in right now, it's as though someone is stabbing me with many knives. Perhaps the cheese was contaminated earlier by knives that have touched bread, I'm not sure.

All I know is that I'm really sick of being sick, and I'd do anything to get rid of this feeling and to have some health and vitality again.

It's hard for me to try and avoid cross-contamination too, as I live with an Italian family who live off breads, pastas and many other flour based meals.

And yes I do believe there is a cheese here called quark. They don't sell it where I live anymore... It was pretty good though.


P.S. I'm sorry if this message is all over the place. I feel quite terrible at the moment and I tend to lose my ability to form structured paragraphs and even sentences.
_________________
- Amy

"You're safe from pain in the dream domain, a soul set free to fly..."

[celiacmaine-iac]

Oh dear... I hope you feel better soon. Sorry you're feeling so sick. I hear you about the "sick and tired of being sick and tired". Not a fun place to be. Hoping your doctors will have some answers for you soon.

Steph

[toothpaste]

Amy, have you had a full blood panel run for other allergens, too? Might want to check on that. There are a lot of celiacs with allergies to other foods. I'm planning on doing the same in the next couple of months.
Before my whole family went GF, I was getting glutened every five minutes. I still have issues with grocery shopping- flour on the bags of GF foods I buy from other products is a problem for me. Plus, flour floats in the air forever, so if you are in a household with people baking bread and such, you are very likely aspirating gluten.
Hope you feel better very, very soon!
_________________
GF since May '07, positive blood-test results.

[Jet City Woman]

Sorry if this seems like a stupid, or rather ignorant, question- but what is a blood panel?

I had a test a few years back where they drew dots on my arms and tested different foods against it... I don't know whether that's what you mean. I also just had a blood test called a 'gluten enteropathy'. I'm not very familiar with all this testing stuff so I'm sorry if that doesn't make sense.

And yes, I completely understand about the flour. My mum is the Italian of my two parents and she is constantly baking and there are always crumbs everywhere from bread because my dad doesn't seem to believe in plates when he makes himself a sandwich.

I'm still trying to devise a way in which I can avoid it, as they don't seem to understand the concept of me having my own utensils and cookware.
_________________
- Amy

"You're safe from pain in the dream domain, a soul set free to fly..."

[ostrich]

For now, make your own food in a corner of the kitchen they don't normally use. Preferably on a plate or paper towel.

We all have issues convincing people stuff like that needs to be done before we can get better. The general discussion area is full of threads about resistant family members. Perhaps if you offered to pay for most/all of the new utensils? Or maybe they could designate a corner of the kitchen just for you?
_________________
Ostrich :>--O==={

I lie below, you float above
In the pretty white ships that I am dreaming of

[aklap]

[Jet City Woman]

Thank you all for your great assistance! If it wasn't for all your knowledge and all those handy links I've been reading my way through, I think I'd be lost in all this! I can't express my gratitude enough.
_________________
- Amy

"You're safe from pain in the dream domain, a soul set free to fly..."

[aklap]

Hi Jet,

Blood panel - is a series of blood tests.

Italian Mom - Italian's have a high rate of CD. It just might be possible you mother has the genetic makeup for CD [and thus you].
_________________
Al

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