Not only is my food labeled Gluten Free, but it’s also a label I must carry. Dinner with friends? No thanks, I don’t want to either have to speak to the manager for 30 minutes and/or get sick. House party? I’ll need everyone to stay away from me because they might have had gluten and then if they touch me I might get sick. My house? Ummmm… hey guys can you all make sure to wash your hands and wipe with alcohol wipes upon entering my house, kthnxbai.
Dating also becomes an issue. I *know* I couldn’t date someone who wasn’t Gluten Free (or willing to be totally GF), and I don’t know if having Celiac’s Disease would be a dating requirement or not, up there with “tall” and “loves cats.”
So when I first when GF I decided to keep a log. As with most things, it lasted 3 days and then I only started updating once a month. But since my 8 months of being GF is coming up, I wanted to post my log all at once and hopefully having a blog will make me update more. So here goes.
Day 1 – 8 june 2012
Weight: 173 lbs.
Foods:
AM:Berry greek yogurt with flax fiber mix, Boathouse coffee/protein drink.
Lunch: Protein shake (whey protein, banana, berries, flax oil, gluten free whey protein)
Snack: Almond crackers with gouda.
Dinner: Salmon with maple glaze, steamed Kale.
Dessert: Gluten Free brownie
Activities: class, workout, worked on paper,
Feeling: still itchy but less itchy, but it itches the most at night, not hungry or tempted.
Day 2 – 9 june 2012
Weight: 173 lbs.
Foods:
Breakfast: two buckwheat waffles, maple syrup, and raspberries + coffee
Lunch: Protein shake (whey protein, banana, berries, peaches, fiber mix, flax oil)
Snack: Gouda Cheese and Almond/Brown Rice crackers
Dinner: Amy’s Gluten free lasagna (vegetarian), with Organic Ricotta cheese added on top (I like the cheese and it adds protein). The rice noodles weren’t bad – although I like my noodles less “al dente” than the rest of the population so the “mushy” texture of most GF products don’t bother me.
Dessert: We baked our first GF things! I shouldn’t say “we” – my roommates have been SUPER supportive and went out and bought the ingredients for a recipe they found online. CARROT CAKE!!!
Activities: schoolwork, studying, workout (weight lifting – legs)
Feeling: the itching was the best it’s been in a MONTH. slept last night (after ONE DAY WITHOUT GLUTEN) without anti-itch meds. not feeling hungry, and I’m looking around my kitchen grossed out at every piece of bread (same way I felt when I finally purged my house of meat, all meat = gross). Roommates are going to finish up eating the bagels (of course we just went to Costco and bought bagels, croissants, muffins, and pizzas). Itching returned during the day but I think it might be one of two things: this flavored coffee I have might have gluten in it, or I forgot to drink water all day (or both).
Day 3 – 10 june 2012
Weight: 173.5
Foods:
Breakfast: Gluten Free Carrot Cake and vanilla almond milk
Snack: Sliced Gouda
Snack: Protein Shake
Dinner: Salad w/ GF dressing.
Activities: workout (weight lifting – arms), studying,
Feelings: Itchy still. 
but it’s getting better. I can feel it. I can also feel myself getting stronger! But I’m also a little sad. Self pity, maybe?
24 june 2012
OVERDUE UPDATE thinking of giving up most dairy (as much as I can) because I think that may be making me sick as well. I ate some chocolate chips (GF, dairy free) and my stomach hurt too. ate out at PF Chang’s with no issues. Ruth Chris Steakhouse was a little too meat-heavy for me, but their GF menu was awesome (had a blueberry mojito, strawberry/spinach salad, garlic mashed potatoes, a plain steak and creme brulee for dessert). Had to drink senna tea to process the steak. If I go again I will maybe split the steak. On Prednisone since the 19th, itching has stopped but it makes my heart race and then I can’t sleep. Took Ambien for two nights which helped. Last night I was wide awake til 3-4am, and then the steroids wore off and I started having the itching again and I couldn’t sleep until after 6am.
I’ve been feeling unusually sad, mopey, and depressed. Usually I just go outside for some sun, play some video games, and/or eat a snack and have a drink with some friends but this isn’t just a “shake it off” kinda sad. I feel very isolated and alone. I feel like I’m being crushed under the weight of this diagnosis. I think it’s stress – an international move, my mom moving, leaving my roommate for the first time since his brain tumour issues resurfaced, a new relationship, and being sick. I also read somewhere that gluten can act as an opiate and when you stop eating it you go through withdraws It really feels like it - I’ve been under heavy stress before (moving from NY to CA, my father dying, other health issues) and it’s never felt like “I can’t do this.” But now it does. I’m thankful for having a supportive network of people to help me through this even when I don’t think I can do it!
20 july 2012
I’ve cut out dairy, but then last night I tried sheep’s milk yogurt with some dairy free/gluten free “Oreo’s” – no stomach issues but I feel all mucus-y. So sheep/goats milk is a so-so addition.
August 2012
No more dairy.
October 2012
No more: Beef, Poultry, Sesame Seeds, Almonds, Halibut, Scallops, Tomatoes. Restarting dairy.
November 2012
Tried Dairy (goat cheese) again. Got a nasty ear infection in my left ear. No more dairy.
December 2012
Tried dairy (sheep cheese). Ear infection came back. Cool (/sarcasm). So I’m REALLY going to stop dairy this time. Going to Cambodia for Christmas so hopefully I don’t have too many problems.
I have two children who are coeliac, and am so glad that their diagnosis came when they were young (6 and 8) so that they could avoid the years of not knowing why they felt so bad. My eldest had physical symptoms, but the only symptom for my younger child (tested because I tested the whole family once the first was diagnosed) was anxiety. Several years on I can tell when she has eaten gluten, well before she complains of a stomach pain, by her behaviour. So I write this to let you know that you are not alone, and to wish you luck on your journey. You will always be more than your labels – you will always be a person with feelings and dreams that have no labels.
If you haven’t read the blog http://www.glutenfreegirl.com I highly recommend it – she gave me so much advice indirectly that has really helped me to ‘normalise’ life for my girls. Be well.