Is this what healthy is like?

[kalyx]

I've been living gluten-free for over 6 months now and I am finally getting nutrition from food. This is such a strange realization to know that I have never derived energy from food like I do today. It is no wonder that so much of my diet has consisted of simple sugars from candy and soda, because those are probably much more easy to absorb by

Comments

[bodlon]

This makes me curious. I lack a lot of the classic symptoms and doubt I'm celiac, but food for me doesn't often "stick." That salad thing you describe? That's me all over.

It makes me wonder if I'm walking around with some undiagnosed food thing, but because the complaints I do have are sort of idiosyncratic, I have no idea what it is.

[kalyx]

I didn't realize I had cd, despite knowing of the disease and watching as rm was struggling with her serious illness. I had many of the well known symptoms, but had blamed it on other things, plus I went for long stretches of time when I didn't have food related problems. It wasn't until I happened upon a radio program on cd that it suddenly occurred to me that I might have it. And this was mostly because I had become very sick and was becoming desperate to find an answer. I was ready to go to Africa to get a nice hook worm infection, because I thought MS was progressing, which in retrospect sounds insane.

The best way to find out is to keep your regular diet and have the blood test. Despite have a large number of the symptoms, I decided that there was no way I'd give up bread, cake, pudding, udon, if I didn't have confirmed cd. the blood test was off the charts positive.

[bodlon]

I have had the same hookworm thought until someone demonstrated that it doesn't actually cure asthma. So, er, yeah.

The two things that make me a little skeptical about cd in my case are that a) of all my problems, underweight has never been one of them, and b) my diet could be described as Ridiculously Gluten-y. On the other hand, my relationship with food is hilarious -- appetite, a weird and changeable set of foods can put me in distress, etc. -- and that gives me pause.

So. I may just make a list of what's going on, make up a cousin with celiac, and ask my doc. If nothing else, it could start us looking for what the deal is.

[kalyx]

FYI, not everyone who is celiac is underweight. Some are. I was, but my father wasn't. He had a pot belly and wasn't exactly skinny and he most definitely was celiac. And I lived on gluten and never associated my dietary issues with bread. I associated them with cheese, hamburgers, fried chicken, but not breads. I helped myself by cutting out dairy for years and eating mostly asian cuisines, but what my body was actually responding to wasn't the lack of dairy, but the switch to eating more rice instead of breads. In retrospect it makes sense, but I would have never suspected gluten was the cause. Now I know it is since I can tell when I get some with the onset of gas, bloating, cramping w/in 20 mins of eating. The only way to know for certain is to have the test done and to go gluten-free for a period of time and see how your body responds.

And there are other dietary issues besides celiac, but cd is crazy common and very under-diagnosed, so it wouldn't be too out there to consider.

saw you today?

[mostly_water]

Hello!
I am pretty sure I saw you in the Rotunda cafe this afternoon. It was pretty crowded in there and I wasn't sure if it was you. We met a long time ago. I didn't realize you were at UW. Let me know if you ever want to grab lunch. I am on campus Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Re: saw you today?

[kalyx]

Yes, you probably did see me. I work below the Rotunda and surface for sustenance from time to time.

I'm always looking for lunch/dinner dates. I am limited in what I can eat, so when I have the time, I walk up to the ave for pho or pupusas. today, sadly will be another salad day, the only thing I can eat at the rotunda cafeteria.