Hello, Everyone!

[Courtney]

Hi all,

I have been away from the board for a few weeks, but I have checked in from time to time to read posts. I see that we have a lot of new members!

I have been very busy with my new job, teaching, grading, and planning, so I haven't had much time to post. I really enjoy it (most of the time, when I'm not dealing with students' excuses )

I realized that it is right around my first anniversary on the board, so I wanted to take a minute to reflect on how much better I am now than I was a year ago. By no means am I in remission, but it doesn't seem as impossible that I will get there as it once did. After I was diagnosed with MC and celiac in July 2008, I cut out gluten completely but got no better. I gave up dairy on my own based on the quick reactions I always had to it, but I stayed pretty sick throughout the fall. In February, I got results back from Enterolab that said I was intolerant to soy. I also had "high normal" levels for eggs and yeast. I cut out all three of those, and all legumes on the basis that people who are intolerant to soy may also be intolerant to other legumes. After that, I got a bit better. The D remained, but the accidents stopped, for the most part. Over the spring I also cut out other foods I suspected, like corn. I finally started cutting everything I knew wasn't being digested. This included whole nuts and avocado.
I didn't start seeing a real improvement, though, until this summer. I cut out all processed foods and have been surviving on proteins, white rice, rice pasta, and very well-cooked veggies. I think the biggest change was that I quit eating tapioca, which is used in a lot of GF mixes, and which I had long suspected. I have not seen Norman yet, but I have seen a few of his close relatives, so I'm pleased with my progress so far. The hardest part, as so many of you know, is the limited diet. It makes meals difficult sometimes, but it also makes a great excuse when I really don't want to deal with a group/family meal.

I am doing so much better than I was this time last year when I was getting five hours of sleep a night due to being in the bathroom all night. I owe you all lots of hugs and a big thank you for being here for me and for so many others who are suffering from this. You truly are a second family.



Love,

Courtney

[Gloria]

I was just wondering how you were doing - I'm so glad to read that you are continuing to progress toward remission.

Good luck with your teaching - English teachers spend more time grading than most other teachers. It can be overwhelming sometimes. If you make it through this year, subsequent years should be better.

Gloria

[tex]

Hi Courtney,

You've had a long, hard struggle, but it does appear that you're closing in on remission, so hopefully, it won't be much longer before you arrive, and then you'll eventually be able to consider adding foods back into your diet.

Tapioca is an interesting item. Theoretically, it shouldn't be a problem for us, but more and more members are finding that it does cause problems. Looking back, every time I tried tapioca while I was recovering, I reacted with D, but I just assumed that the milk in it was the problem. Now, however, 5 years into remission, I find that dairy products are not a problem for me. I haven't had any tapioca in years, but obviously, I need to try it again, to see if I react now.

Thanks for posting an inspiring update, and I hope that you will able to take that final big step, to full remission, soon.

Love,
Tex

[no-more-muffins]

Courtney,

Wow, you really have been through a lot. I really shouldn't whine and complain so much about MY problems because I know there are people with bigger problems. I am sorry that you still haven't seen Norman after a year but it sounds like things keep getting better for you. It can be so difficult when the progress is so slow and the dietary restrictions are so individual, and even changing within an individual.

I agree that the restricted diet is so difficult sometimes. Sometimes I feel like I deal ok with it and other times (like today) I feel like it totally alienates me from other people and it makes me feel so weird. At least I know that there are a lot of other people like me out there, even if I don't know them IRL.

[Polly]

Way to go, Courtney! Great progress!

Congrats on your 1st anniversary. I assume it's the tapioca flour you are referring too - not the pudding that contains milk. Right? I think Matthew was the first one here to figure out that he was intolerant to tapioca flour, and others have found the same.

If problems continue you may want to consider eliminating the rice, too. I know that I feel my best when I'm eating no grains at all. You might try starches like potatoes/sweet potatoes instead.

Keep up the good work. You are an inspiration.

Love,

Polly

[barbaranoela]

HAPPY fIRST bIRTHDAY COURTNEY---
yES u HAVE BEEN THRU MEGGA STUFF BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOUR SPIRITS ARE RIDING *HIGH* AND THAT HELPS IN ATTAINING BETTER HEALTH!!!


GOOD FOR U---


hAVE A GOOD DAY---AND KEEP US UPDATED TOO

BARBARA

[Courtney]

Thanks, all.

Gloria, I figured out that I have to grade sixteen papers a day to stay on top of things. I have to explain to my impatient students that I can't just put their papers through the Scantron machine! I had my first observation two weeks ago, and it went really well.

Tex, tapioca was definitely a probem for me. I had been using a GF1-2-3 pancake mix, and I noticed that I always reacted after eating those pancakes. Sure enough, it was also in the Nana's cookies I had been eating a lot of. I quit tapioca in mid-July and saw almost immediate improvement.

NMM, I know how you feel. Most of the time I am okay with my dietary restrictions, but it does make eating with others difficult, and it can be isolating. I'm able to handle it pretty well as long as I plan ahead and have food prepared so that I don't have to cook too much when I'm already hungry. The other day I hadn't planned out lunch, though, and I had an "I-just-want-to-make-a-sandwich!" meltdown.

Polly, I'm seriously considering going on the Paleo Diet once I have recovered enough to tolerate fiber. I love sweet potatoes, but the last time I had one was in March. The fiber causes quick and painful reactions for me. I can't wait to be able to eat more fruits and veggies, though!

Barbara, thanks! You are always so encouraging!

Love,

Courtney