just diagnosed with mcc, and also no celiac

[Stanz]

Hi Crystal,

Your situation is a tough one, having been where you are when my girls were your girls ages. We had no insurance and if I hadn't started a home business making wedding dresses then, we'd have starved to death. It's very scary to feel so unprotected and hopefully if you do quit your job and achieve "poverty level" you will qualify for assistance. To this day I am shocked that my girls don't remember "being poor", for me, it's kind of like being overweight, once you've been there, no matter how thin or rich you are, you still see yourself that way.

I don't imagine you know if you are genetically GS, but that is the easiest place to start and you can find plenty of food to eat that isn't expensive that you can tolerate. It's only when you buy GF Specialty items, IMO, that you get soaked financially. For me it was just easier to give up sandwiches/cookies, etc. I use lettuce instead of bread.

In the beginning after dx, I took 3-4 immodium/day, now I take none. My main "med" other than that has been L-Glutamine. It costs me about 60 bucks a month, a little more for the first 3 months because I took more of it in the beginning. Other than that I just do probiotics, Vit D, and B-6, B-12 and Folic Acid (these last 3 are combined in a sublingual from Trader Joes). Steroids would have never been my first option and I know I am fortunate that this protocol worked for me.

Hang in there, I know it's overwhelming at first - you will get better. Thankfully you have a mom nearby who helps, that is worth so much. I might also suggest that you begin to look at your extended family history, as this may give clues to a genetic GS that would make a decision to go GF a little easier to take, mentally.

Connie