BlessedMommy

Sounds like celiac to me, especially with the positive biopsy. What did your bloodwork say?

I don't see why you'd have to go back to eating gluten again, though, especially since:

A) Your biopsy was positive

You experienced symptom resolution with the gluten-free diet

C) Celiac runs in your family

Unfortunately it's a common dilemma...bring back your symptoms with a vengeance or go un'dx'ed. In my case, I don't really have a choice (gluten challenge could mean a stroke for me), so I'm basically sitting back, living 100% gluten free and eagerly awaiting the day that science comes up with a way to test for celiac without eating gluten. There has already been an invitro gliadin challenge tested (biopsy your tissue and put in a petri dish with gluten basically) so science is hopefully trying to move in that direction.

I wish you well in whatever you decide!

If at all possible, it would be a good idea to get a DX. Could your doctor help supervise a gluten challenge and order the bloodwork for you? Especially with you being young, it will be much easier to get accomodations from parents and school, etc.

You are more than welcome to post here!

I do not have a diagnosis and I would not go back on gluten for a million dollars. (neurological complications) No way I would risk a stroke just to get a diagnosis!

Instead I'm living happy and healthy and staying gluten free for life. There's many here in a similar boat.

I also like Tinkyada pasta.  

There is gluten in shaving cream? 

LauraTX, has your OCD improved at all since going gluten-free? I have GAD with OCD symptoms. 

I have to LOL at your signature. I was curious at the backstory so I googled "Silly Yak Girl" and then I found "Silly Yak Bakery." It took me saying it out loud to realize that Silly Yak is a play on words for celiac!

So funny, Cathy! 

So...back to the question of if you have crossed the line into paranoia- I am guessing....yes.

Haha! Well, maybe I can blame my lapse into OCD on gluten. ROFL!   

I think that my problem was that I was realizing all the real ways that I probably should be more careful (when I first went gluten free, I didn't have a lot of guidance) and once I fixed all the real issues, I started worrying about the non-issues. Stupid OCD! 

FWIW, my naturopath is a biopsy DX'ed celiac. *shrugs* And she said that her antibody numbers didn't drop until she switched all of her personal care products to gluten free.

No, I won't be bothering with worrying about buying gluten free toilet paper. I'm guessing that if a person is eating toilet paper, they have much more pressing issues to deal with than celiac. 

That link still suggested moistening envelopes with water instead of saliva. Not sure why they would say that, unless there's a chance that wheat starch is in the adhesive? Sometimes it's hard separating fact from urban legends.   

My naturopath, who's celiac, was telling me about buying gluten free toilet paper. Is that going a little far or is it actually necessary?

Wait, Irish, envelopes? I try not to lick envelopes because I've heard that they could have gluten in the glue.

I have a 99% gluten free household, but I do allow my hubby to eat some prepackaged gluten free stuff, if he cooks it on a dedicated pot and with a dedicated spatula. But, if he goes and touches the faucet after eating, then theoretically the faucet is contaminated and should be wiped off. 

And when working at my MIL's house, I tend to not touch her faucet handle either.

In your opinion, where is the line between a healthy level of caution and gluten phobia? And how do you know when you've crossed the line?

??

 

But no celiac should ever eat a hamburger removed from a bun.

Yes, that's the point I was trying to make, is that you shouldn't do that. Sorry for the confusion.

Great job!

I liked that phrase, "significant food restrictions." I'm going to remember that!

JosieToo, would you mind sharing what you put in your box and what type of container you carry it in?

My husband eats mostly gluten free at home, but sometimes will come home from somewhere else where there was pizza served or something of that sort. And he occasionally does have gluteny stuff at the house, though I try to segregate them as much as possible.

CathyO, I really appreciated your post. I'm 32 and have been gluten free since shortly before I turned 28. Sometimes the years ahead of being careful with my diet seem overwhelming.

It's good to see a little perspective and to realize that I'm fortunate to have caught this early.

The sugar cravings definitely can go away. I know that my taste buds have changed a lot since I went down this road. 

I totally believe in low sugar for weight loss! My MIL went on a sensible diet with very few sweeteners at all, low fat and virtually no processed foods and also at her doctor's advice, she went down to 2 meals a day.

She started out at 267 lbs and in 8 months is down to 189 lbs, a 78 lb loss! 

Yep, I agree with the above.

I take all the precautions that I can with the areas that I can, because there are areas that I can't control. I'm not standing there in the factory watching them make the stuff. I'm not going to make all my guests change their clothes or wash their hands as soon as they come in my house. I'm not going to stay away from the county fair because of the cow and horse feed with wheat in it. I'm not going to worry about the 1 PPM that my certified gluten-free food might have in it. (munching Udi's granola as I speak) 

Now if people need to take precautions in these areas that I mentioned due to extreme sensitivities, that's fine. I'm not belittling that. I have known celiacs/NCGI who can't walk around at the county fair with the grain in the air. But personally that doesn't affect me. You will probably soon figure out your sensitivity level, if something bothers you, don't eat it again. Keeping a food journal can help. 

Short of eating a diet of only whole foods and foods from dedicated facilities, there is only so much control that you can have and some degree of uncertainty is part of life as a celiac. 

Most celiacs can tolerate up to 20 PPM, which gives you some margin of error for those things that you can't control. But since deliberate contamination will raise you above that level fast, you have to do whatever you can. In other words, if they bring you a hamburger and you take it off the bun, you're probably way above 20 PPM.

Most likely, but it's a good idea to get the biopsy, if feasible.

This guide may help to answer your questions:

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