queenofhearts

I'm with you on that one! There really ought to be a law about the font size. I'm actually looking for a magnifying glass that will fit in my wallet with the credit cards for that very reason!

I think they can also be red splotchy patches, I found this:

Hives (medically known as urticaria) are red, itchy, raised areas of skin that appear in varying shapes and sizes. They range in size from a few millimeters to several inches in diameter. Hives can be round, or they can form rings or large patches. Wheals (welts), red lesions with a red “flare” at the borders, are one manifestation of hives.

Sorry Leah, I don't know anything about Prevacid, it seems they are putting everyone on it now though.

Great pictures Vincent, thanks for sharing. And a belated Happy Birthday to your son

When I have had hives, they were less spots than blotches... just kind of everywhere. I don't get them often but when I do, they sure do itch!!!! Heat makes them much worse by the way so if you have a flare up try to stay cool.

I've decided to stay away from the Prevacid, at least until I see my doctor again & talk about the rebound issue.

It's a price I'm more than happy to pay to have National Healthcare. No worrying about having to see a health plan approved doctor, no big out-of-pocket expenses, and no worry about being dropped from or refused insurance due to a diagnosed/pre-existing condition. The waits are basically for elective stuff...for those with emergency or life-threatening cases (eg cancer), there is no wait.

Michelle

I'm all for National Health! I think it's barbaric not to have it actually. Isn't the US basically the only first world country without it? Insane.

But that's a long wait! At least the endo comes first so you can find out about the Celiac & get started on the gluten-free diet sooner.

Leah

This might help-- it's from gfp's Gluten Free Paris site.

Open Original Shared Link

Leah

Yoiks, that is a lot of nut butter!

I'm not crazy about the french bread recipe so don't give up if that's all you've tried. French bread is THE hardest bread to fake since it's basically nothing but wheat, water & yeast. In my experience the best gluten-free breads have other flavors to compensate for the lack of wheat.

I haven't even tried those Kinnikinnick muffins... now I think I'll pick some up!

Leah

Have you tried making some of the recipes but just cutting the fat a little? I often do that just because so many recipes seem needlessly fatty... haven't tried it with her breads, but you might try the trick of adding some pureed fruit to add "mouthfeel"-- if you can tolerate fruit.

I feel a bit foolish now...especially after reading through everything again after a few hours. I guess should have learned to not trust my first impressions...at least not until the ol' emotions are settled again. My apologies to everyone again.

Anyways, my first language is actually English. I am an American living in Sweden. I moved a few years ago. My Swedish is decent enough for basic conversations, but isn't particularly adequate for handling any medical issues. That causes a lot of stress.

I was also thinking along the lines of having a biopsy to help me out with sceptical family members. All of my family is back in States. I think my mother decided that I was a hypochondriac about a decade ago, so it would be a great help in aiding me to convince her that something is actually causing all of this.

I love Denmark! Copenhagen is so beautiful. I am considering moving there to study for a semester. I understand a bit of Danish, but mostly if it is written. It sounds sooooo very different from Swedish, even though many of the words are the same.

Thanks for the reply. Please forgive a frustrated/tired/nervous newbie for an overly sensitive rant earlier in this thread.

Well that explains your flawless English! I can definitely relate to the difficulty of getting along in a foreign country, though I haven't had to deal with Celiac issues abroad (only diagnosed ~2 months ago).

I'm sorry to say I've forgotten all my Danish; I lived in Copehagen when I was 9 & didn't get any practice since. I do like to think that it would come back to me if I ever went back, but I may be kidding myself!

So many of us have been accused of hypochondria for years... maybe from the fear of that judgment, I just never talked about my illness, myself, so the hard part for me was convincing people that I had even been sick! Of course my husband & kids actually saw me getting weaker & sicker, but you couldn't easily tell if you didn't live with me. Having an official diagnosis helps when I'm turning down a friend's homemade goodies!

Leah

I know Bette Hagman has an English muffin recipe but I haven't tried it. My favorite bread is her 4-flour bread, the sesame seed variation is especially yummy. Do you have her bread book? It's great.

Leah

I'm afraid that is impossible, and entirely out of my hands. It's a three month wait for my endoscopy, and a 7 month wait for my colonoscopy. That's just the reality of elective procedures in Canada.

Michelle

Yikes, I guess that's the price you pay for National Health... I had a 2 month wait & thought that was forever!

I thought I would just look in my food log and list the symptoms I had:

Bloating/Distension

abdominal pain/Left-side "stitch" pain-intense at night

"pointy pain"-like glass in intestines

intense lower back pain, especially all night

constipation/diarrhea alternating

RED eyes, chancre sores, sore, cracked lips

yellow stools,heartburn

crampy morning pain, joint pain, cracking joints,gas

DARK circles under eyes

MOST of this is gone or at least lessened. Nighttime is still my worst time- not sure why. I do feel MUCH better and I've been gluten-free(mostly, some stuff undiscovered) for almost 5 months. The depression is better, too. I am nervous, though, as I'm about to go back to work in a high school where I work with emotionally disturbed kids and I wasn't well all last year. So I think, by association, I'm scared symptoms will come back when I'm under pressure again and getting up at 6 again. I'm trying to have courage! Thank you for this thread- it's very good!

lisa

MOST of this

Glad to hear you're almost rid of your symptoms! After 2 months I'm finally beginning to feel something is changing. Stress does make things worse, but in my experience getting up early actually helps my mood. The key is to get to bed early too so you don't build up a sleep deficit... but I think humans are meant to work in light hours & sleep in darkness so it helps counter depression to be on that schedule.

Leah

Lisa

So admire your efforts.

I spent 2 years fighting to keep our little 7 acre plot at the end of the street 'a green space'

the $$ speaks and the builder was in the 'pocket's of the township so in 1 DAY OUR BEAUTIFUL 200 YEAR OLD TREES (some were speciem species that the arborist we hired said and it was agreed 8 would stay) were leveled by the bulldozers.even the 8 that were to be saved.......now the McMansions are their crowded in so tight they can spit out their windows into the next door neighbor's window..

say la vie...

judy

Oh, what a sad tale... my heart goes out to you. We lost all our trees in Hurricane Fran, & that was painful enough, but it would be even worse to see them go from sheer stupidity...

Hmmm, don't know if they're considered major surgery here...definitely an outpatient sugerical procedure though. Anytime there is anathesia in use, there are risks. For my upcoming endoscopy and colonoscopy (on different days...don't know if I could handle both in the same day!) I need someone to drive me to and from the appointment (because of the anesthesia.) If I do not have a support person/driver, they will not perform the procedure at all. IMO, taking the day off from work is justified...and my support person (DH) will have to take the day off too as the procedures are scheduled, but could be delayed to much later in the day due to emergency cases.

Michelle

Oh, man, I had mine both at once because to me the prep is way worse than the procedure! Plus that way there's only one anesthesia... you might want to consider rescheduling... up to you of course.

Leah

Leah and everyone

Thank you so much for the biscuit recipe and others for the other ideas! When I get brave, I may try them out. Still just eating fish, meat, veggies and fruits- some rice milk and rice krispies. I'm not daring because I still have some symptoms and I seem sensitive to SO much!!! Oh well... it's much better than it was. Be well everyone!

lisa

I trust you're not taling about Rice Krispies brand-- the gluten-free kind, I hope!?

Leah

Honestly, I don't even think saying Celiac would help that much.

As to glue, I did have to give up the wheat paste I sometimes used in my artwork! (No, I wasn't eating it...)

Oh yeah, very well versed in the endo (and colonoscopy) dept!

I have been officially diagnosed refractory, and I am hoping that the little villis standing at attention will prove them wrong.....

Here's hoping you & your perky villi will prove them wrong, wrong, wrong!! I'll be thinking of you. When's your endo?

Have you thought of giving those villi a few altoids?

It makes a lot of sense to me. I wasn't overweight but I still had that frantically-hungry-all-the-time feeling-- I was constantly fighting the urge to eat. It's fading slowly! After diagnosis, at first I actually gained weight-- I ate a ton of gluten-free baked goods, because I'm an avid cook & HAD to figure it all out right away. And I couldn't let all those goodies go to waste, now could I? But I'm sort of evening out now, & back to a more balanced diet. The best thing is that I'm beginning to feel a distinct boost of energy, & since fatigue was my most life-complicating symptom, I'm thrilled! I've been anemic for 35 years, & I have a hunch that iron is finally beginning to make it through!

Leah

Hello Darlinks!!!! I tracked you down! With my bloodhound nose, searching relentlessly until I found my faithful friends, GAWD! I'm a Retriever!!!!

Susan, darlink, don't know the story of what's going on, but if this piece of cardboard is a guy from your past, don't get your hopes up. We can never travel through time and re-capture what once was.... If we could, heck, I would jump back in the 80's in a flash and relive that decade long party I had! Ah, to be in your 20's again......

Anyway, glad I found you guys so you can officially wish me luck and send "Villi Standing At Attention" vibes to me for my endo tomorrow. I am actually really quite worried, although I wouldn't admit it to anyone but my celiac friends, who would understand of course......

Hugs.

Karen

Villi vibes are coming your way! Veni, vidi, vinci villi!

What are your worries specifically? That they won't have healed? Sorry I'm not up on your case... you've had an endo before, right?

Leah

Lilla, it's very normal to be a bit emotional about this! I didn't think Tom's post sounded harsh, but you are right, it's a disadvantage of internet communication that we can only read the words, not see the speaker. That's why all the emoticons (smilies)-- but there aren't nearly enough to cover all facial expressions! And there's the tone of voice too...

But back to the point of the biopsy. The most helpful aspect of it in my case was that it convinced family members that the gluten situation was real. If you live in a household of gluten-eaters who might be a bit careless in their cross-contamination, &c, it might help to have a firm diagnosis in hand.

Good luck to you, & by the way, your English is perfect! What is your native language?

Leah

Oops, just saw your first post so I'm guessing it's Swedish! I lived in Denmark briefly when I was a kid, & was put to work in my Danish school helping 4th graders with their English. I know language classes start early in Sweden too. How I wish we took the same approach here.

Sorry to interrup the ice cream thread........but I am bustin here. Can I yell and scream in Rachelville and no one will hear, but listen.

I think that I should resign my post as Senator as todays, politics did me in. Ever feel "Nobody loves me, everyone hates me...I think I'll go eat worms".

Bad day at the Preservation Meeting. We got sold out by the town who was worried about a law suit, by a TOWN COUNCILMAN. Town Council, appoints the Preservations Commission members (with semi-judicial authority)..that would be me, and currently Chairman. Town Manager is staff for the Town Council.

Town Councilman wanted vinyl replacment windows in his historical house, we denied. (wood, wood,wood), threated to sue the town, and they caved.....leaving us with our fingers up our *** (nose).

No reply needed. I am just screaming out loud.........CAN YOU HEAR ME.

I so resign my position as Senator for Rachelville and would like to solicit the position of Town Cryer if the job is open.

Lisa

Lisa, I admire you for making the effort. Politics can be so frustrating. It takes a lot of guts & patience to stick with it.

Leah

Oh yes, it also takes a lot of ice cream!

Interesting - I'm having epidural steroid injections into my spine later this month (no general anesthesia or anything) and those are categorized as 'surgery'... I even have to go in for a separate "pre-op" and "post-op" appointment! I think anything where they put you under would definitely be in an even more "serious" category since there are risks involved with that.

That's a good point, the anesthesia-- & those forms they make you sign are pretty scary!

I think you can see this in different ways....

For thepoor friend, she probably does see it as major surgery. She is probably frightened and confused... not to mention the medical disclaimers.

I think the compassionate thing would be to tell her she is welcome to the time off and that this is already given BUT for her own sake she should realise these "operations" are minor and in your case you have had several and its no big deal. As her friend and employer you are happy for her to take the time but you don't want her worrying over nothing.

At the end of the day, if you did make her come in I doubt you would be ready to sack her for being inefficent and distracted the whole day anyway... but make it clear you are doing this because its a big deal for her and she should worry less over minor ops and legaleze jargon on forms.

That sounds like just the right touch.

Actually the webs do creep me out almost as much as the critters themselves. Nothing like striding out your front door only to be enveloped in sticky spiderweb.... UGH!

EEEWWW, I hate spiders! But they bite!! Different creatures altogether from bats!

Well.... MOST spiders don't bite... but I've encountered enough black widows in my time... (Many of them in TX, as a matter of fact!) There was a whole brood of 'em in my garden a few years ago & it scared the bejeezis out of me!

I actually don't mind squirrels so much, but they are so destructive.

Good point Morgan, I'm not a fan of the creepy crawly, biting at that

Carla

Maybe this is one of those must do life experiences, just to try it. I would have to have a lot of people with me holding my hand, and keeping me from fainting...

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

(I say this though I have phobias of my own. SPIDERS are mine. I can handle one at a time but if someone invited me to sit in a restaurant while swarms of spiders scittered by I'd be out of there like a shot!!!!)

You don't just see them flying into the night sky, you feel them skimming your body for the mosquitos!! It's a little freaky, but really cool.

Poor Molly is probably running from the room shrieking about now!

Bats are my favorite mammal

Are you a fan of squirrels? They're just rats with cuter outfits, and they don't even do anything useful like eat mosquitoes

OK, so they plant trees...but the trees don't bite me!

I wish they wouldn't plant quite so many pecan trees in my flowerbeds. Those roots go down to the core of the earth!

Please tell your husband that he is one terrific portrait photographer (he also had a beautiful subject). I am partial to black and white and the old sepia tone photos. I assume he is a professional photographer?

No, he runs a restaurant! (A very un-gluten-free one, unfortunately...) but he has a natural talent for photos. His mom is really good at it too as is his brother. My son actually wants to be a pro-- his favorite course in college so far was photojournalism. My son had his first show at a local coffee shop this summer. It was so exciting!