Jenny (AZ via TX)

I used to use these products, but it's been a little while. As I recall, a lot of their products were gluten free. The products were nice - I just needed a change. Just give them a call.

Right now I use some products I got at Whole Foods. The line is gluten free, paraben free, cruelty free and vegan. It's called Skin Organics. So far, I really like it. You can only get it at Whole Foods though.

I wasn't a lot of help as far as the mychelle products, but I remember their customer service as being very helpful.

I was really tired after first being dx'd. My ferritin level was below normal and I found out I was hypothyroid. So you are on the right track getting tested to see what the problem is. I slept a lot. It is emotionally draining too. Spontaneity (sp can't find spellcheck) was especially difficult in the beginning and for me it still is to some degree. If you are going somewhere that includes lunch time or dinner, you have to take the time to research where you can eat if you need to. Now, since I found out about Udi's bread, I sometimes will just make a sandwich. Before Udi's, I could not find one bread that I liked and was worth the calories.

You are right that it is a grieving process. I have a friend that went to a grief counselor after being dx'd. We associate food with so many good/happy times in our life. How could we not grieve that. But, just in the 2 years since I've been dx'd, it seems like there are so many more choices out there. Even with restaurants.

It takes a while for some of us to feel well, but hang in there. I saw small increments of improvement at a time and feel so much better than I did.

I had chronic sinus infections and terrible allergies for many years. After being dx'd with celiac and going gluten free (it's been 2 years) I have not had one sinus infection. Also, very few allergies now. I don't take allergy meds anymore and I was taking prescription generic allegra as well as generic flonase. I used to have to make sure I had tissues with me at all times because my nose seemed to run constantly.

For me, going gluten free has made a huge difference regarding my sinuses and allergies. My headaches have also been reduced, but I still get them occasionally. I hope going gluten free works for you too!

I finally got to try this bread and all I can say is pure heaven! I ate the first slice plain, nothing on it and not toasted. Absolutely wonderful. I don't think I will be able to eat any of the other gluten-free breads again.

I still can't get it in Arizona yet but was lucky that my husband had a business trip with a layover in Austin. My niece who lives in Austin, met him at the airport with four loaves of bread. My husband lugged that bread around with him even though his boss was with him. He took very good care of it.

Sadly, I don't think they'll last very long. I've been thinking of everything I want to make, like cinnamon toast, grilled cheese and PB&J. This bread actually has less calories and fat than the bread I was eating so not only does it taste great, it's better for me!

Again, I want to thank all of you for mentioning this bread.

There is also a gluten free list app on the I-Phone. I'm not sure how good it is, but my husband just put it on his phone for me. He has the I-Phone, not me. Anyway, it's a one time charge of about $6.00. The foods listed have a dated listed next to the food saying when it was verified gluten free. I skimmed through it the other night and thought it was pretty good and would have definitely used it when I was first diagnosed. I also use the lists that Happygirl has listed. Glutenfreeindy is one of my favorites and made shopping so much easier.

I am still trying to get this bread. I was told via email from Whole Foods that I could special order this. So I did last Thursday. I called to see if it was in and they had no record that I had ordered it. So I decided to call a different Whole Foods which is actually closer to me. The girl I spoke to was very nice and took my order. She called me back to say she couldn't order it. I told her about my email from corporate and she said she would check with her coordinator. I'm hoping they will do this. I really want this bread and am excited to try it. Everyone seems to love it. Thinking good thoughts!!

I haven't received my bread yet so I don't know if there is a shipping charge or not. They did not mention it and I'm guessing there isn't. I'll let you know when mine comes in. My niece in Austin just picked some up at Central Market. She said it was pretty good. She has never had gluten free bread. I told her if she could eat it not toasted it's wonderful! She hasn't been dx'd with celiac or gluten intolerance, but said she feels better when she doesn't eat it.

It's so weird to get so excited about bread, but I am!

After reading all of the posts about Udi's bread, I decided I had to have it. I called Wholefoods in Scottsdale and they did not have it. So, I e-mailed corporate that I was requesting this product. They sent me back an email that all I had to do was call my Wholefoods and they would special order it for me.

So, if they don't have it in your store yet, they will probably special order it for you. I'm so excited to try it. Also, it looks like it has less calories than a lot of the gluten free breads out there.

So thank you all for posting about this bread! I would never have know it existed.

I was in Sedona just a couple of weeks ago. We went to Picazzo's and I get very ill. We were also there in the summer and went to Picazzo's. They brought me a salad with croutons - this after waiting a very long time to get my food. They did change it out and I did not get sick that time. I go to Picazzo's all the time in Scottsdale and have never had a bad experience. I will not go back to Picazzo's in Sedona. It's not worth the risk to me.

We also ate at Oaxaca - Mexican food. I thought it was pretty good and our server knew all about gluten free and told us that the chips were made in a dedicated fryer so not to worry about cross contamination. He actually used those words.

We also ate at Enchantment Resort. We called ahead to see if they could accommodate me. It was one of the best meals I have ever had. My husband order a flourless chocolate cake (it was my birthday) and all four of us were in heaven eating it.

Here's my two cents. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will chime in.

TSH - obviously too high

T4 - looks low even though in the range

T3 - looks around mid-range

Everyone is different in how they feel. Since I've been taking my meds, I feel best when my TSH is 1 or less. Also my T4 around 1.3 and my T3 toward the high end. Also, we are all tested at different times. My doctor likes to test me about 5-6 hours after I take my meds so my numbers will be different than someone that doesn't take their meds the morning they are tested.

My advice is to start at a low dose and gradually increase if you need too. I started at a higher dose and had heart palpitations and bad headaches.

I take both Naturethroid and a compounded T3.

I hope this helps. The numbers are a guideline, but it comes down to how you feel and hopefully you have a doctor that will take that into consideration as well. You may also want to get your ferritin level checked next time too.

As I mentioned before, I hope someone with more knowledge can help you out. I know there are some old threads on here as well about thyroid issues.

Sorry, maybe my wording was poor, but I was only referring to Quaker and mentioned it specifically in case that's what Aeman56 was going to use. I did not mean for my statement to include all brands of grits.

Ooh, I'm hoping they eliminated the wheat. I used to eat these before Celiac and loved them!

If you would list the reference ranges on your lab report, we can see where the numbers fall within the range and can better interpret what they mean.

I don't know what kind of grits you use, but when I called Quaker about a year ago, they did not consider them gluten free due to cross contamination.

Yes, my fingertips looked like they were water logged. Could not figure out what was causing it. I am also hypothyroid. My fingertips look fine now. I recently switched from Armour thyroid to Naturethroid. I wonder if that made the difference. I know that Armour had reformulated their pills and I did not do well on them. I felt undermedicated on them. I feel better taking the Naturethroid (same dose as Armour).

Could our wrinkly fingertips be from being undermedicated?

According to Stonyfield yogurt's website, many of the yogurts are certifed gluten free. I eat it almost every day and have for years. When I feel bad it's one of the only things that sits well in my stomach.

I don't love veggies either, but, here's how I make them.

I've done this with both asparagus and broccoli and it was yummy.

Cut up veggies to how you like them. For asparagus, I just bend until it breaks.

Put in a pan. Sprinkle with olive oil. Add salt and pepper or whatever spices you like. Bake at 350 degres for about 10 minutes. Take out of oven and add shredded parmesan or asiago on top. You don't need a lot because they both have fairly strong flavors to them. Put back in oven for about 5 minutes.

Hope you like it.

Jewelsp, here are a few of the supplements that I take:

Methylcobalamin (Vitamin B12) - by Source Naturals

Vitamin D3 - by Vitamin Research Products (I find them in my health food store, but you may have to order)

DigestMore Ultra - by Renew Life

FloraSmart (12 Billion) is a probiotic - by Renew Life

You may want to get your B12, D3 and maybe Ferritin (iron) level checked before supplementing. Everyone is going to be different in what their body needs.

All of these say gluten free on the bottle. I take many other supplements besides these, which I took before I was dx'd with celiac. If you want more info, please pm me.

I was really nervous about the outcome - what they would find. I did feel really sleepy afterward and slept a lot when I got home, but at the time I was sleeping a lot anyway. I did not remember a thing. Had absolutely no pain at all.

jerseyangel and DMarie - Unfortunately, I don't live in Texas anymore , but I do get to visit quite a bit - lots of family there. I would love to move back to either Dallas or Austin.

Thanks for the brand names and you too Purple. I had never heard of Saco. I'm scared that once I make this, I will become addicted to it! But, I have to try it, right?

What kind of cocoa do you use? Is it unsweetened? Would you please list a brand? Thanks.

Everyone has such great recipes. My all time no fails are:

grilling - chicken, hamburgers, pork chops etc.

This is my no fail and easy, easy stove top recipe.

1 bag gluten free pasta

1 jar pasta sauce (I use Rao which I get at Safeway (about $10/jar) and put half a jar of Marinara and half a jar of Arrabiata for spice)

frozen cooked shrimp

Thaw shrimp. This doesn't take long in a bowl of cool water.

Cook pasta according to directions.

Heat sauce in pan. When pasta is almost done, add shrimp to the sauce.

Pour over spaghetti and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

I like Hormel Natural - has no nitrites. Also, if you go to the Hormel website they have a huge list of gluten free foods, not just bacon.

Matt, I guess I should have articulated this better. My friends do accommodate me. There are about 5 restaurants that we pick from that I am comfortable with. In the beginning I did not feel comfortable eating anywhere. My friends and I usually do lunch which is the most convenient time for all of us to be together. We are all married, some with kids, etc and lunch seems to work the best for all of us.

I think we also need to remember that being gluten free is a learning curve, not only for us, but for our friends as well. We did not know truly what it entailed except giving up bread and such. We had no idea it was so involved. I am very fortunate to have my good friends and a very understanding husband. My husband is extremely careful at home. The house is mostly gluten free with just a couple of exceptions.

Jason, I understand how you feel. I was really pissed off and then really sad. Sometimes it still gets to me. It's not just about the food, it's about relationships you have with people. It was a big adjustment not to be able to eat at any restaurant you wanted to, especially spur of the moment. Even if you eat really healthy, you still have to worry about cross contamination, spices, marinades. I know it shouldn't be about the food, it should be about the relationship with your friends, but to me they went hand in hand. That was part of the fun, tasting each other's meals, talking about it, etc.

At first, I would go and not eat. Not a lot of fun. Then I brought a yogurt - still not a lot of fun. Now I can actually eat at a few restaurants I feel comfortable with. Still working on it not being about the food.

Still, it's very hard. I have another friend that has celiac as well. She told me that she actually went to a grief therapist and that it helped her. She said, it may sound weird, but it helped. Some of us are grieving and not just the food, but our lifestyle which has changed. Everyone is different in how we handle things. Just thought I would throw out another option. Please hang in there. We are in this for the long haul and thankfully, people are becoming more aware of what gluten is. I was ignorant when it came to gluten before being diagnosed.