Daughter has to go gluten-free

[Butter]

My almost 15 year old daughter has been sick for a long time.  Doctors can't figure out what's wrong with her.  She saw a rheumatologist yesterday.  He said there is clearly something wrong, but he doesn't know what it is, but he intends to find out.  He said to try going gluten-free.  Her symptoms could be a lot of things, but they are consistent with possible gluten issues.  He is not the first person to suggest her issues could be gluten (he is the first doctor to say that/recommend a gluten-free diet).  So we are trying it starting today.  It seems a bit... overwhelming.

 

So, please, post your favorite recipes, links, words of encouragement, whatever.

 

I'm hoping this works, though I'm not holding my breath.  So many things have been tried and theories suggested.  Sometimes I feel like we should be on Mystery Diagnosis.  It seems overwhelming now, but I think once we get it all figured out it won't be so hard.  And if it works and my daughter actually gets healthy... well, any trouble would be 100% worth it!

[Guest submarines]

:grouphug: I hope you get a diagnosis soon.

 

In terms of GF, it is really not that difficult compared to even 5 years ago. Especially for the transition, she can have her favorite foods practically unchanged--GF pizza, waffles, cereal, pancakes, baked goods. Everything is readily available.

 

I do a lot of baking, like muffins / banana bread with almond flour.

 

The trick is to check for gluten where you'd normally don't expect it. This means reading every label.

 

Good luck with the transition and I hope she feels better soon.

[Aiden]

I also hope you get a diagnosis soon.

 

There are lots of gluten free mixes available now. For making things at home from scratch, though, I love the recipes from The Paleo Mom: http://thepaleomom.com .

 

If going gluten free helps enough that you want to continue it, there are several cookbooks that are very good: Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilipo, Well Fed and Well Fed 2, Against All Grain, Mediterranean Paleo.

 

You can google "paleo recipe" and you should get lots of good results. You don't have to go paleo to go gluten free, but paleo recipes do avoid all grains.

[Guest submarines]

I also like minimalistbaker.com for easy GF cookies.

[go_go_gadget]

This site has great tips and information about the transition: glutenfreemusings.com

[Southern Ivy]

I get the majority of my recipes online. These are blogs I refer to all the time and they all have fantastic recipes!
(The first one is my own blog.) 

www.glutenfreemakeover.wordpress.com
www.glutenfreeonashoestring.com
www.againstallgrain.com
www.elanaspantry.com

www.intoxicatedonlife.com
www.glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

Here's a list of the top 50 blogs that might help too. 
http://www.culinarynutrition.com/top-50-gluten-free-blogs/

Also, one of the best resources I used when I first got serious about my diet was Living Gluten Free for Dummies . It really helped me to understand what I was eating and to be able to identify hidden sources of gluten. 
I would suggest, though, that instead of trying to fill her diet with gluten-free replacements, that you all try to eat only fresh foods for awhile. Her body needs time to heal and will do best with whole food recipes. (Try the paleo blogs mentioned in previous posts or Against All Grain or Elana's Pantry.) 

It can be overwhelming when you're dumped into the gluten-free world, but if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. 
Good luck!
 

[sbbulliv]

Udis is the best bread sub. Often found frozen in grocery stores, although Trader Joes has it Defrosted. TJs also has GF toaster waffles and pancake mix and inexpensive oats. Ronzoni GF pasta. Annies GF mac and cheese. Start using beans, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes as side dishes.

 

By meal:

Breakfast: rice Chex, GF oatmeal

Lunch: soup or salad

Dinner: protein, veg, rice or potatoes

 

It is worth trying. Health benefits can be impressive if it is the problem.

[justasque]

My almost 15 year old daughter has been sick for a long time.  Doctors can't figure out what's wrong with her.  She saw a rheumatologist yesterday.  He said there is clearly something wrong, but he doesn't know what it is, but he intends to find out.  He said to try going gluten-free.  Her symptoms could be a lot of things, but they are consistent with possible gluten issues.  He is not the first person to suggest her issues could be gluten (he is the first doctor to say that/recommend a gluten-free diet).  So we are trying it starting today.  It seems a bit... overwhelming.

 

So, please, post your favorite recipes, links, words of encouragement, whatever.

 

I'm hoping this works, though I'm not holding my breath.  So many things have been tried and theories suggested.  Sometimes I feel like we should be on Mystery Diagnosis.  It seems overwhelming now, but I think once we get it all figured out it won't be so hard.  And if it works and my daughter actually gets healthy... well, any trouble would be 100% worth it!

 

Keep it simple.  

Breakfast -

 

oatmeal (perhaps with apples and walnuts, or other fruit/nut add-ins)

 

eggs with vegetables and perhaps hash browns (this could be an omelette or a traditional British fry-up)

 

Lunch/Dinner - 

 

Rice bowl (rice with sauteed vegetables and beans, meat, or seafood) - a rice cooker with a metal steamer would make this easy.  Quinoa can also be made in a rice cooker.

 

Any kind of roasted meat with vegetables (perhaps broccoli or green beans steamed in the microwave, and potatoes or other roasted veg cooked with the meat)

 

Salads with chicken strips or hardboiled eggs or beans, perhaps with some quinoa.

 

You may find that this kind of simple food is a nice way for the whole family to eat.

 

[bettyandbob]

Start simple and make some meals the whole family can eat. If you do a family meal that is basic, all the food is familiar and no one is singled out. Doing this also helps you provide variety to the person who is gf. If you go about it saying you'll just give the person a separate meal, you might fall into the habit of making the same food everyday for that person. It's boring, can be depressing and might lead to cheating. So, I advise trying not to serve casseroles and pastas to the rest of the family in your initial stages.

 

Dinners can be: roasted meat, vegetable, salad, and rice.

 

Keep some frozen gf pizzas on hand for nights when you want to do pizza delivery--put her pizza in the oven and it should be ready by the time the delivery guy gets to your house.

 

Be aware that gluten is found in a lot of things you don't think about. Soy sauce, licorice, salad dressings. Read labels carefully. If you aren't sure of an ingredient it's best to just not use the item.

 

For lunches you can get gf bread. But remember you dd can eat most of the stuff you put in a sandwich without the bread. Bag lunches in our house get packed in small ziplock containers or bento boxes. Cut fruit, veggie, hummus, peanut butter, greek yogurt, chicken salad, tunafish, leftover dinner.

 

It's easier if you turn your mindset to the foods your dd can have (there's a lot of them) and build meals around that, rather than look at your standbys and lament her not being able to eat them.

 

[SMRB]

If you have not already, please have Celiac testing done before you go gluten free. If she improves on a gluten-free diet, you will not want to go back, which will leave you never knowing. She would have to go back to a gluten diet for 4-8 weeks to have Celiac testing done. DS went gluten free after negative celiac testing and improved greatly, so we know it's gluten sensitivity and not Celiac. We were grateful that we got the advice to test first, because with sensitivity you don't have to be as scrupulous about possible cross-contamination.

 

For meals, we have found that it's easiest to just eliminate breads completely rather than using GF substitutes. We stick with fresh foods and use a meat/vegetable/salad combo most nights. We don't find it hard, except when we want to eat out or have pizza.

[The Girls' Mom]

I agree with what has already been said.  Try to go to a whole foods style of cooking.  It is much easier to control the gluten.  Watch out for oats, they are easily contaminated, and only certified GF oats will be sure to be GF.  

Some of the best GF brands of regular foods we've tried:

Udis Whole Grain GF Bread (Costco carries it now!)
Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta.  Although some of the mainstream brands of pasta are starting to make GF versions, I haven't heard yet whether they are doing a good job of being truly gluten free.
Pamela's Gluten Free pancake mix is awesome.
Amy's Gluten Free frozen burritos are really good.
San-J Tamari (a wheat free version of soy sauce)

Just really watch labels and stay away from processed foods and seasoning mixes.  Anything pre-made has the potential for wheat..from ice cream to sausage.  Just learn the different terms for wheat and gluten and watch for them.

I eat corn chips and corn tortillas when everyone else is eating flour tortillas for burrito night.
We eat more rice and potatoes instead of pasta.
I make things like homemade granola bars or Lara bars for a quick breakfast.  

It is MUCH easier now with so many options.  
 

[kewb]

My dh is gluten free. At first thought it is very overwhelming. But once you sit down and look at the foods you eat it is notm that complicated.

I get a lot of recipes from againstallgrain.com

Ohsheglows.com (vegan site. Not all recipes are gluten free)

You have to read every label. There are products that have gluten, like teriyaki.

You will have to replace cutting boards, measuring cups, etc. I have a special place for utensils that are just for gluten free.

I would stay away from oats for at least the first 6 months. Even certified gluten free can cause a reaction.

[Lizzie in Ma]

Ok, I've got to ask.  Has she been checked for Lyme via Western Blot?

 

Vitacost has lots of discounted gluten free foods, we get a ton of stuff from there.

Detoxinista has many of our favorite recipes.  The cauliflower crust for pizza is a favorite.

[KungFuPanda]

Crockpot 365 is all GF meals. I used it for a while before I even noticed. We're not even GF!

[Lawyer&Mom]

Get tested for celiac now. I cut out gluten on my own 8 years ago before I was tested. I feel better, and I'm pretty sure it's just sensitivity, not celiac, but I don't know, and I don't want to have to go back on wheat to find out.

 

Its gotten so much easier in the past few years. If you need to have bread in your life, I would recommend going to a few different stores and buying a several options. Do your own taste test. There is a lot of variation, and it would be a shame to eat a lot of mediocre GF bread, when better options might be out there. (This is my delicate way of saying I loath Udi's, but I'm not sure my favorites, Canyon Ranch and Maninis, are available near you. And YMMV.)

[Upward Journey]

Agreeing with those up thread.  Get her tested for celiac first!

[VeteranMom]

I visited a homeopath last week.  I was told the same thing by her.  I was gluten free a couple years ago, so I'm familiar with it.  I was put on a bunch of different supplements to help me, too.  Have you thought of visiting a homeopath?  Your daughter might be helped along with some supplements and other diet suggestions, too.  I know that just having been off of gluten for a week, that it is a serious problem for me and I need to adjust to the lifestyle without it.  I have been having a lot of health problems over the past year and a half.  It makes me sad to give it up, but it is what it is.  I've just ordered the book Wheat Belly and am interested in what it says.  

I like popcorn and spiced pumpkin seeds for snacks.  I think going gluten free is easier these days.  My biggest difficulty occurs when traveling- nothing like being stuck in a small Texas town trying to figure out what to eat at the Dairy Queen!    

I "second" the link to the crockpot 365 website.  She has some really good recipes.  My family likes the sweet and spicy salmon and the tilapia recipe with basil pesto and parmesan.

Good luck to you and your daughter.  I hope she feels much better very soon!    

[An Unexpected Party]

I really like the How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook, by America's Test Kitchen. (They are affiliated with Cooks Illustrated.)  The recipes are good, but it also includes information on why things work; there's a lot going on  in regards to how things blend together during the process of cooking and blending, so certain alternative flours work better than others, depending on what you do with them.  At first I used a lot of mixes and packaged GF foods, but after a few months, I wanted to get back to simpler recipes and learn how to cook more from scratch. I made the best buttermilk pancakes of my life from the cookbook last month. Not only do they help with the GF stuff, but they include helpful tips on cooking in general, and their suggestions for how to best heat a pan/griddle were unfamiliar to me.  It's a good overall book.

[Butter]

Ok, I've got to ask.  Has she been checked for Lyme via Western Blot?

 

That's one of the things they took her blood yesterday to test for.  I actually requested she be tested in September, but the regular doctor thought I was a little weird asking for it.  To be fair, we live in Texas and I actually haven't seen a single tick since we moved here a year and a half ago.  But, we didn't always live in Texas.  Since the rheumatologist was taking her blood anyway to test her for all sorts of stuff (including celiac), I brought up Lyme to him.  He asked if there was a history of tick bites.  Most definitely.  We lived in the middle of the woods in Maryland.  Tick bites were a daily occurrence with one child or another.  I've had Lyme, my middle son has had Lyme, and my mom (who we lived with) had Lyme.  So she is being tested for Lyme now.

 

The rheumatologist is well aware of and VERY supportive of all the supplements she's been taking the last few months.  He even said which he thinks are doing her the most good.

[Guest]

When you need quick food/fast food: 

 

Taco del Mar Baja Bowls (enchilada in a bowl)

Chipotle (same idea)

 

French fries almost EVERYWHERE have flour on them.  That is why they are crispy.  Wendy's fries are OK.  So are their burgers (without the bun).

 

Subway does a great chopped salad (sub sandwich in a bowl)

 

I have a very restricted diet, and the thing I will tell you for sure is that the first couple of trips to the grocery store are the PITS because you have to read everything.  It can take two hours to get the groceries for a few meal.  HOWEVER, once you know what you can and can't eat, it's a lot easier.  Still, check the labels from time to time because vendors change recipes and often without warning.  It is really annoying to me because they might add something gluten-free that I am much more allergic to (like almond flour, which will kill me.  Gluten just makes me a little queasy...)  And you get really quick at reading labels, anyway.  

 

A couple of other tricks:  your daughter should always eat at least a little bit before she goes over to someone's house.  That way, if they have pizza or something she can't eat, at least she won't be starving.  I always do this AND I always take a box of rice crackers in the car.  

 

I think I could tell you the location of every single gluten-free fast-food stop between here and our cabin, 200 miles away, and here and my parents, 500 miles away.  :0)

 

Salads are good but check the dressing.  A simple good dressing can be made at the table if a restaurant has olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.  Pour these on the salad as you like them and then add salt, pepper and a little stevia (or half teaspoon of sugar) and toss with the salad.  I have been known to add a little tabasco, too.  :0)  

 

I personally did not substitute.  I just did without.  However, the one substitute I do indulge in is Enjoy Life's crispy cookies.  Their honey graham and chocolate chip substitutes are *wonderful* as are Cravings' Place's brownies and chocolate chip cookie mixes.  Sesmark makes really good rice crackers.  Safeway sells them.  

 

:0)  She'll be OK.  And if it helps her issues, she'll be really GLAD.  Give it some time though.  My dh has seen tremendous improvement in his arthritis having ditched gluten.  He's celiac, and it makes a big difference to him to keep away from wheat.  And potatoes, too.  

[Aelwydd]

If you have not already, please have Celiac testing done before you go gluten free. If she improves on a gluten-free diet, you will not want to go back, which will leave you never knowing. She would have to go back to a gluten diet for 4-8 weeks to have Celiac testing done. DS went gluten free after negative celiac testing and improved greatly, so we know it's gluten sensitivity and not Celiac. We were grateful that we got the advice to test first, because with sensitivity you don't have to be as scrupulous about possible cross-contamination.

 

For meals, we have found that it's easiest to just eliminate breads completely rather than using GF substitutes. We stick with fresh foods and use a meat/vegetable/salad combo most nights. We don't find it hard, except when we want to eat out or have pizza.

 

I agree, as Celiac disease can be difficult to diagnose. My own gastroenterologist explained to me that the procedure involves getting several samples to biopsy.  However, one can have part of the intestinal tract affected and another part unaffected.  So, if the biopsy does not get samples from the affected side, then the test will be a "false negative."  My doctor also told me that people can have intolerance to gluten based on other factors, besides Celiacs. Like lactose, some people are better able to digest it than others. 

 

When I had my test done, it came back negative, and so I assumed I could eat gluten.  He warned me not to add it back to my diet, and said that the best indication of whether my body can tolerate it is whether the signs of the disease abated while avoiding it.  For me, those signs included bloating, pain, "fogginess" and mental confusion, fluid retention, nausea and vomiting, headaches, and weight gain.  Those signs and symptoms all abated after I eliminated gluten from my diet.  I have found with experimentation that I can tolerate very small amounts of it.  But, if I throw caution to the wind and indulge, I suffer a quick return of the worst symptoms. 

[Mrs. Tharp]

GF Bisquick mix for pancakes, biscuits, etc. My kids eat the pancakes made from this without hesitation, and I've got two picky eaters.

 

The Cake Doctor Gluten Free cookbook for easy baking recipes.

 

Also, Bruce Fife's , The Coconut Miracle Cookbook. His muffins are delicious.

 

If you want to experiment with completely grain-free, Tammy Credicott's Make-Ahead Paleo is a great cookbook to try.

 

Also for going grain-free: Julian Bakery makes excellent sandwich wraps and a tasty pizza crust mix.

 

 

 

***Edited to add this: Good luck!!! I hope this is the answer to your daughter's health problems! A GF diet isn't too hard to maintain, once you are accustomed to it and have tasty replacements for some of your favorite recipes.

[snickerplum]

sarahbakesgfree.com is a super source!

[umsami]

We went through this with DS2. 
 

:grouphug:

 

First, gluten free bread (like Udi's) might not taste good at first.  Coming back to it after six months led to a much more positive response.  (Costco is best place to buy.)  So, at first rice cakes, lettuce wraps, and GF wraps worked better.  Ordering a sandwich/hamburger without a bun vs. bringing a GF bun with us, etc.

 

Pamela's pancake mix/baking mix was a real hit.   Makes good GF cookies too.  

Trader Joe's has a lot of affordable GF products.  Great source for almond and coconut flour, as well as all-purpose GF flour blend and GF brownie mix.

 

Bob's Red Mill has great products, but their GF Flour Blend is VERY bean-y.  King Arthur, Cup 4 Cup, or Trader Joes work better IMHO.

 

Target carries King Arthur (great mixes), Pamelas, Annies GF products, Udi's, Canyon Ranch, Chex GF oatmeal, Bob's Red Mill GF products, and Betty Crocker GF mixes.

 

Betty Crocker GF Brownies are yummy.

 

Chex and GF Rice Krispies are all widely available for cereals.

 

There are more GF granola bars out there...even made by Nature's Valley and other "normal" brands.

 

Trader Joe's corn pasta, Quinoa Pasta, and Mueller's GF pasta all are hits in our house.  Some packages are 8 oz vs 16 oz, so sometimes you need two.

 

Think naturally gluten free meals.   So chicken/protein and rice/quinoa/potatoes.  Hash brown crust for quiche or breakfast casserole.  Etc.  

 

California Pizza Kitchen and Mellow Mushroom both have great Gluten Free pizza. Domino's is OK if you want to do delivery.  Chuck E Cheese will do an individual GF pizza and GF cupcake.  CPK stores special to go boxes for GF pizza so they are not contaminated. 

 

Most chains have GF menus.  Chick-fil-a takes it very seriously.  While not as strict, McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King will do a burger with toppings in a box (just say no bun).  PF Chang's is very good with Gluten Free (takes cross-contamation seriously... provides you with GF soy sauce, etc.)

 

 

 

[TrixieB]

Last weekend at the request of one of my kids, I bought Franz GF bread... oh man, it is the closest thing to "real bread" that I have found in the GF category. Soooo good!

[Butter]

A HUGE thank you to everyone who has chimed in!  My daughter informed me that she really doesn't like pasta or bread much anyway so that's a huge relief.  She loves wraps, though, with flour tortillas, and also tacos (and doesn't like corn tortillas).  I may have to just figure out how to make GF tortillas for her.  I never thought of using lettuce as the wrap, though.  That's a good idea.  I have a good friend at church who is GF (among many other food allergies) and she said she'll help in any way she can.  It hit me yesterday that Ani can't even have the bread for the Sacrament (we're LDS and so every Sunday we eat a bit of bread).  I e-mailed the Bishop (guy in charge of our ward) about it, but I am sure he'll have no problem with use providing a cracker in a baggie since my friend already does that for herself (and she actually offered to bring an extra this Sunday for Ani).  My oldest son is one of the boys who passes the Sacrament around to the members and I talked to him about how they work my friend's special cracker and he said it's really no big deal.  All the boys know who it is for and not to open the baggie.  But that's just one of the issues that I'm sure won't be a big deal at all in the future, but right now is just one other thing we have to think about and address.

[umsami]

Wraps made from tapioca flour are pretty good. :)  I think GF on a Shoestring has a recipe on her blog.  Hold on, let me check.

http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/soft-tapioca-gluten-free-wraps/

 

When I visited my friend's LDS church, the sacrament bread looked like "normal" bread that was cut up.  I bet a slice of Udi's would work well too, if your Bishop allows it.  Who knows, there may be enough GF ward members to have a special communion plate for GF people.

 

 

[HeWillSoar]

I like the wraps by Toufayan, if you can find them.  There are two Walmarts about the same distance from me, and one carries it and the other does not. To me, they need to be warmed up to taste ok.   I don't like them with lunch meat, but they are really good with cut up chicken and buffalo sauce or caesar dressing or burritos.   Occasionally I get Arby's meat (just order sandwich with no bun) and I use that in the wraps.  Oh, and SteakUms.  And I've made pizzas with them too.  So versatile.

 

Udi's makes a good pizza crust that you can find in the freezer case.  Those are pretty good to make a homemade pizza.  Basically I make all the same stuff at home and just substitute a gluten free flour mix.  The hardest part for me is going out to eat. 

[Lizzie in Ma]

That's one of the things they took her blood yesterday to test for.  I actually requested she be tested in September, but the regular doctor thought I was a little weird asking for it.  To be fair, we live in Texas and I actually haven't seen a single tick since we moved here a year and a half ago.  But, we didn't always live in Texas.  Since the rheumatologist was taking her blood anyway to test her for all sorts of stuff (including celiac), I brought up Lyme to him.  He asked if there was a history of tick bites.  Most definitely.  We lived in the middle of the woods in Maryland.  Tick bites were a daily occurrence with one child or another.  I've had Lyme, my middle son has had Lyme, and my mom (who we lived with) had Lyme.  So she is being tested for Lyme now.

 

The rheumatologist is well aware of and VERY supportive of all the supplements she's been taking the last few months.  He even said which he thinks are doing her the most good.

 

I'm glad she is getting test, good luck.  And an fyi for your doctor...

http://bionews-tx.com/news/2014/06/25/lyme-disease-bacteria-now-endemic-to-texas-likely-to-stick-around-study-finds/

[xixstar]

If it is for health reasons, I highly reccomend avoiding all gluten free products and substitutes like gf bread. These are often full of awful not-real-food ingredients and can mask improvements gluten free diet can offer.

 

Focusing on consuming as many while foods as possible in the beginning is very helpful.

[Butter]

Lizzie, that's very interesting.  I knew he kind of blew me off when I asked for Lyme testing and when we got the results of her bloodwork I was a bit annoyed that he skipped it.  The biggest thing is she *does* have a history of tick bites and we *did* live in an area where Lyme Disease has been common for many years.  My mom and I got Lyme Disease in 2002!  (And our doctor there in MD had had it himself a couple years before.)  And I told him that.  The rheumatologist said he didn't care where the tick bite was, but if there was a history of any tick bites and these symptoms, he was testing for it.  It would be crazy not to since even if that's not it, why skip a potential problem completely.  It's better to eliminate all possibilities since one of those possibilities, even if you don't think it's likely, could still be it.

 

It is definitely for health reasons :)  She says she doesn't like bread much anyway, so that makes that much easier.  She likes fruits and vegetables a lot so that's good.

 

I was at church last night (I am in charge of the 12 and 13 year old girls and it was our activity night) and talked to the Bishop.  He said of course it is fine to bring something special for Ani for the Sacrament.  My oldest son usually gets to church a little before we do because he likes to be sitting where the boys who will be passing Sacrament sit well ahead of time (like 10 minutes early - the boy takes his job VERY seriously lol).  He can bring Ani's cracker in a baggie so it's on the tray and ready to be broken.  We are one of those families that pretty much always sit in the same place and the Bishop said that will definitely make it easier for the boys passing.

 

Also nice, last night's activity for Ani's age group was at a house and they had crepes which of course she could not have.  Her leaders know that she's been struggling and ill and they are really hoping this is it and she'll finally start getting better and they are totally supportive of whatever needs to be done.  So Ani texted her one leader (who is also my good friend) and said because of this gluten-free thing she couldn't go to the activity.  Her leader said not to worry, she'd make sure there was something Ani could have.  So she made a special Orange Julius for Ani.  That just was so sweet that she was willing to do that.

 

This summer when Ani goes to young women camp and youth conference (also church activities) will be a little more complicated, but they are pretty good about dealing with specific diets.  We'll just have to talk to them ahead of time.  I wouldn't be surprised if there are other gluten-free girls attending.  One of Ani's friends is a vegetarian and they let her bring her own food and they cook it for her.  They are very accommodating.

 

It's getting less overwhelming and these links definitely helped!  I am also amazed at how many regular foods we buy are labeled gluten-free.  It never mattered so I never noticed before.  I even got some Progresso Soup the other day because I had one of those "free" register coupons and Ani pointed out that one of them is gluten-free.  We happened to have an empty cabinet in the kitchen because I rearranged some time ago and never decided what could go in there so that is now Ani's cabinet.  Gluten-free stuff is in there so the boys know not to eat those particular snacks and things.  So far that's working.

[Lizzie in Ma]

Lizzie, that's very interesting.  I knew he kind of blew me off when I asked for Lyme testing and when we got the results of her bloodwork I was a bit annoyed that he skipped it.  The biggest thing is she *does* have a history of tick bites and we *did* live in an area where Lyme Disease has been common for many years.  My mom and I got Lyme Disease in 2002!  (And our doctor there in MD had had it himself a couple years before.)  And I told him that.  The rheumatologist said he didn't care where the tick bite was, but if there was a history of any tick bites and these symptoms, he was testing for it.  It would be crazy not to since even if that's not it, why skip a potential problem completely.  It's better to eliminate all possibilities since one of those possibilities, even if you don't think it's likely, could still be it.

 

Your rhematologist is on the ball, you are lucky.  We live in an area where it's been an epidemic for years and the doctors are still, by and large, clueless.  It's inexcusable.  We did the rounds with orthopedic docs, pulmonologists, allergists, dermatologists, rheumatologists, infectious disease doctors, and our primary before we found out my eldest had Lyme, since then, youngest has it and I had it as well.  By the time we got to an LLMD, our oldest was in a wheelchair and hadn't been able to do school for a year.  Now, 8 months into IV meds, she is finally feeling better, youngest is doing better after a relapse although is is still on meds and so far, I'm good.

The ignorance and the CDC/ISDA partyline crap make me so very angry.  If they catch it early and treat, there is an over 70% success rate so I don't understand why they are so reluctant to treat.  It just seems so crazy.