Check-In October 2008

aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 9881 Location: WI, USA

Today, as Peg was making us some apple crisp she asked me if I had done the October Check-In post. HOLY COW It's October!

Since it's apple season around here I thought an apple picture was in order. Every year for the past 19 years we go to an apple orchard and get some apples. We grabbed some Spartans [our favorite eating apples] and some Jonamac apples for baking. Hence the reason for the apple crisp! Since Peg had the Jonamacs out, I grabbed some for this picture.

Things have been pretty busy around here. This past Wed, we had my Mom, my brother and his family over to celebrate Mom's b-day. Finally, after about 4 years, our calendar has finally cleared enough so that we could startup a support group. The 1st meeting was Sept 20th, we had a reasonable turnout for it.

About a month ago, Peg felt the need to enter some of my photos in to a photo contest. We were allowed 6 photos - these are the ones we entered. If you click the photo, you'll a larger version of it.

How 'bout everybody else?

For those that may be new...Check-In is a place to introduce yourself, tell us how things have been going, whatever comes to mind. If you post your progress in the GF diet, you can use it as a gauge to see how you've progressed. You can check back over the months a get a snap shot of how things were...

The Check-In Time Tunnel

Here's what we were doing last year.
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Al

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

NoahsWife · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 183 Location: Missouri

Hello All, It's been a crazy month already. My Uncle passed away Friday and my family and I will be driving to the funeral on Tuesday. Busy with homeschooling our daughter - 10th grade, working on my Doctorate (Naturapathic Medicine) - 2nd year, and keeping up with our businesses - all 3 of them. I also help with the A/V Dept. at our church and run our church's Food Pantry. My husband is recovering from an infection on his leg, he came home from a business trip with it. Getting ready to meet with a builder about adding a second level to our home, need more room for offices and a bigger place for our daughter's space- want to create a suite-like room for her. Trying to keep up with our growing zoo - 2 dogs, and an African Grey parrot. Daughter wants another dog, I told not now...I'm way too busy. Hope everyone is doing well.... Confused

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Never let your fears become the bounderies of your dreams!

zip2play · Joined: 24 Jan 2006 Posts: 308

Al, Love the pics. The one of the pink flower is nothing short of amazing!!!

October is one of my favorite months. Apples, pumpkin patches, fall colors....what is NOT to love. IT is my daughters 7th birthday this month so we will be in full party mode for what will seem like weeks!!!!

Football season for my son will wrap up this month. After 3 months we may finally get back to a normal life! LOL Well, he may be asked to play for the tournament team, if so, it will spill into November. OH WELL!

Hope everyone enjoys fall as much I do. IF so, we are all heading into a fabulous time of year.

Monica

Torrey · Joined: 11 Apr 2005 Posts: 1056 Location: Hawthorne, NJ

Hey all,

Well, I'm a bit late on the boat, but I'm heading to Chicago *early* tomorrow morning for work...unfortunately, I'm only out there tomorrow and Tuesday, so I don't know how much of the Windy City I will actually get to experience! I have an Advisory Board meeting out there, so I'll probably spend much of my time indoors. I know a few of you guys are in and around Chicago--I'm staying at the W City Center--are there any good places close to there? Like I said, I'm only there for a day and a half, but I'd like to make the most of it! Wink

And ahh...apples and pumpkins--LOVE THEM! A friend of mine went apple picking today with her husband and they got some apples for me! Very Happy

I can't wait to pick them up on Wednesday--I agree with you, Monica, this time of year has the best flavors!!!

I celebrated my mom's birthday with her this past weekend and we had the most fabulous risotto--pumpkin, figs, prosciutto, parmesan cheese, and olive oil--DELICIOUS!
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~Torrey Smile

August 24, 1975
GF BD July 12, 2004

rpf1007 · Joined: 13 Feb 2008 Posts: 565 Location: Chicago

Hello!

Well, September was a bit of a blur...both good and bad. I had a nice relaxing vacation after a major exam that was not so good. Still waiting for the results of that which should be this week.

October has started out well so far. I had my best friend stop into Chicago on an overnight layover. I had not seen her in a year so it was a great surprise. I also took a photography course (for beginners) yesterday which was so great and I am hoping to do a more involved course this fall. I really felt like I needed something fun to do since I have to work a whole lot. That should start in November so I can't wait. By the way, Al and peg- love the posted pictures! Otherwise I am working a ton this month- but I guess that means it will go fast.

On the GF front things have been low key- no major incidents. I do seem to react a lot more to everything when I go to visit my parents. I live alone here so have a completely GF house. My parents are amazing and I have my own stuff there (my mom is totally paranoid of making me sick)- all labeled and they are super careful- but somehow I still do way better at my own house.

Torrey- I think your hotel is in the loop. Just north of the loop there are a bunch of the main national chains that have GF menus. Also there is Ben Pao (chinese) which people rave about. I have been sick there before so I have steered clear but most people think it is great. I honestly have not been too trusting of the national chains so I can't give you any personal experience on these locations. There is PF Changs, Maggianos, Wildfire etc downtown. Oh, and Weber Grill which I think is accommodating. I think you picked a good time though because we are supposed to be warming up tomorrow and Tuesday! If you end up finding something great- let me know since I live downtown and always looking for something safe!
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Rachel

Deb · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 5:14 am Post subject:

Yeah, as my sister says, it seems like a month is only 1 1/2 weeks long anymore. Seems like last month we were looking forward to June, and it's Oct already...how time flies!!!

I now have my CPAP machine and do not seem to be doing too well with it. Of course, from past experience, I always seem to take the long trail to healthiness! Shocked

It took me 17 days to get a full night's sleep, and I still am not noticing any improvements outside of sleeping through the night. Yet, it's a start. My 2 sons on CPAP think they are wonderful, The jury is still out as to how much it will help Joe, the son with so many health issues. He has only had his for a little over 1 week, and is doing very well with it.

Happy Halloween all!!!!!!!!!1 Wink

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You can't discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore!

ostrich · Joined: 30 Mar 2006 Posts: 4700 Location: Nebraska

I too am a big fan of fall, specifically October. I'm hoping this weekend to start decorating the outside of the house for Halloween. We also finally got our trees in...all 13 of them. They look great, and are already starting to turn colors. Hopefully they'll sleep well through the winter.

I'm slowly but surely improving my sewing skills. Thank goodness our local store keeps having fabric sales!

Work has been crazy busy, but it should hopefully die down in another week or two. I'm looking forward to the calm before the holidays kick in.

All's quiet on the GF front. Just making tons of flatbread. Can't get enough of that stuff.
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Ostrich :>--O==={

Did you think that your feet had been bound
By what gravity brings to the ground?

isto · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 4:21 pm Post subject:

Basically, I'm just tired. Benjamin is 2 weeks old and loves to stay up all night with me. He wakes up about 2 am and wants to just hang out and graze for 6 hours straight. Two nights ago I was crying because I was SO exhausted and I can't give him to my husband and catch a few hours of sleep because my husband can't nurse the baby and I won't give a bottle. I'm hoping the baby will soon get his days and nights straightened out and I can get a bit of sleep. I know I should sleep during the day when Benjamin naps, but I can't make myself relax and fall asleep during the day! Rolling Eyes

Had a severe gut problem for a few days and I knew I hadn't had any gluten, so I was fearing another intolerance when my husband came down with the same thing and I realized it was just a bug.
Hoping to sleep sometime this month!

Danita

plain_old_donut · Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 143 Location: MO

October is the month for our Chicago vacation! My daughter has wanted to go see the American Girl Place for years, and now that we are long passed the AG doll phase, we are finally getting to go. Since we live soooo far away from shopping any kind - our nearest Walmart is 45 minutes away, and nearest mall is 2 1/2 hours - we will probably do the whole "shop till you drop" thing, dragging poor Daddy behind.

While we are there we will make an October 18th stop at the University of Chicago for some free Celiac screenings for DH and me. I was tested locally quite a while ago, but from a lab with little experience, and since then my symptoms have increased to include Prediabetes and Peripheral Neuropathy (which came before diabetic concerns). DH has pretty much always been symptomatic. So, although I really don't want to have CD, I do want to get to the bottom of these health issues.

I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful fall weather. I know I'm enjoying the homemade Apple Butter that folks from church keep passing our way!
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Donna - Daughter to Eli, diagnosed with CD in 1968,
and wife to Jim, self-diagnosed with corn allergy in 1977.

cultureslayer · Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 859 Location: NC

cruelshoes · Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 3077 Location: Washington State

Today is the day the we make our annual family trip to the pumpkin patch. It is absolutely freezing, but clear out, so there should be some good photo ops.

The problems with the economy have hit home in a large way this week. There was a big meeting at work to let us know we are going to experience a "workforce reduction" (ie. we are going to lay a buttload of you off) next Thursday. They are asking for volunteers first, and if they don't get enough they will fill in the rest from the hit list I'm sure they have. I am afraid, but I know I can handle whatever happens.

The GIG conference planning is going well. I have asked to be taken of the committee for the kids program because I don't really think I have the time to devote to it. Our program committee has prepared a great agenda for the conference, and now we are trying to identify speakers for the classes. I can't wait to show all of you the results!

We are planning a family trip to Idaho at the end of the month. I need a vacation, so I am looking forward to it. And I have a childhood friend that I have not seen in almost 20 years that lives close to the place we are going. I can't wait to see her and her kids.

Our garden is winding down. I really need to get out there and do some cleanup for winter. Here are some of our white and orange pumpkins.

Sarah likes to help me pick the last of the raspberries. Half of them come in the house, and the other half go in to her tummy. Smile

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-Colleen
Dx 8/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
10-YO son Dx 11/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
Daughters (12 and 2) have neg. bloodwork

Just call me Queen Of The Typos. I have a tiara.

isto · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 9:41 am Post subject:

Colleen - that is the cutest picture! I can't believe how fast Sarah has grown!

kb9oyo · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 3:06 pm Post subject: October Check in

October is proving to be interesting. In addition to my daughter in law's birthday in the middle of the month, our wedding anniversary is at the end of the month. My son and his family live upstairs in our apartment building, so I already have a request in from them for what she wants for a birthday cake. Whatever happened to ordering them from a bakery??

I developed a problem with some rectal bleeding early in the month. My primary care doc, took one look at chart and noted my age and recommended a surgeon who does colonoscopys. I gritted my teeth and made the appointment for the consult. I was beginning to wonder if I could have a endoscopy and biopsy at the same time since I have never had one. My primary care doc didn't seem to think that it was possible at a local hospital. I was surprised when the surgeon brought it up before I could. I will have both done on Monday, Oct. 20. He didn't recommend a gluten challenge which did surprise me, but he seemed to be fairly knowledgeable about celiac. He agreed to take multiple samples---how many are recommended for a good biopsy?

The first date that the surgeon recommended was the day after my wedding anniversary. I turned him down on that one. I figured that there were more fun ways to spend it than prep for a colonoscopy! Wink

Sue B.
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Sue Beyer

aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 9881 Location: WI, USA

LOL!! I agree Sue, preping for a Colo is NOT the way to spend your anniversary. Happy Anniversary early!

Good luck on the 20th!!

Our Thread on Clan Thompson's Ask the Doctors - Testing - Lot of good Q&A's in here. Like how many samples need to be taken.

Dr. Cynthia Rudert takes 15 or more.
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Al

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

Linda · Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:05 am Post subject:

I'm very late in posting this month. I'm still working the early morning shift and avoiding the kids getting out the door to school - I love it! Well worth getting up at 4:15 a.m.
We're very busy with both boys in hockey again. Ty has an exhibition game tonight and he gets to be Captain for the first game (it's a rotating captain this year).
Canadian Thanksgiving was last week, we had a yummy turkey and ham dinner at my MIL's. Ty took a cheesecake for his dessert. I am useless at pastry of all kinds, and Glenn didn't have time to make Ty a pie, nor did MIL, so he voted for a no-bake cherry cheesecake which was devoured. He had three pieces, and some of the other kids also had a piece or two each.
Next Saturday is the Calgary Celiac Association regional conference. Dr. Fasano will be speaking. I have to make a dry run out to the University to figure out where to park, etc. I certainly hope the vendors will have some free food, it wouldn't be very kosher of me to bring a gluten sandwich for lunch at a GF conference. It goes from 8:30 - 4:30. I'm looking forward to hearing about the AT-1001 study.
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Mom of Ty (he's nine) who was diagnosed by bloodwork June 2005, biopsy August 11, 2005, notified on & started GF August 18, 2005