Good News (Sort of)

My test results have come in.  Also at some point my Doctor had time to look over the information I had given him.  While he found no Celiac proof during the endoscopy he was able to find out that I was right the entire time.  I was telling him the truth when I said I had the issue.  I can’t believe that it took them this long to be able to see the evidence I had sent to him at the start of all of this.  However, what sparked this is what I was saying before the procedure.  “The symptoms were right, and I know that you didn't get to the gluten levels we need for the damage.  However, it sparked my interest.  I took time to read what you had sent me.  I also verified this information with a specialist in Celiac.  I agree that you have this issue, even if the test I gave you didn’t show evidence.” 

I had to be a little happy that I was vindicated, I am also sad since I now have more evidence that I will not be able to enjoy gluten filled foods again. 

Results and excuses

This image is public domain

Alright, I am very sorry for the break.  So many things in my life have occurred in one week.  My ward has left for the US ARMY.  We couldn’t be prouder of him.  When he became part of our lives he was not the person he is today.  He worked so hard and finished high school, got his life turned around and now he has left to make his own way.  I am proud of him and sad about the loss at the same time.  That was my weekend was helping him get packed and ready to go. 

Taking a week break

With my computer acting up, blogger being up and down, my job, and my impending procedure.  I will be taking the next week off.  One of the reasons is that I am currently out of ideas.  there are so many things to do.  However, I am currently on a gluten filled (yeah I failed) diet and therefore I cannot be a fair judge of items that are gluten free.  However, once I am back I can give you my input on how things.  Especially how it is like to go gluten free.  I figure that once again I will have cravings and a hard time.  Only this time around i will be able to record my journey.  My family and decided that no matter what the "nice Doctor" says.  I will be going back on a gluten free diet.  I have been so sick even attempting to eat the gluten that there is no doubt in my families mind.  If only the doctor could observe me eating something as simple as a piece of bread then I am sure that the tests wouldn't be needed.

However, this will give me a good example of how well things have healed not only in the intestinal portion, but also in my stomach lining.  I hope to have some good news by the end of the week.

Wish me luck and I will see you all a week from Monday!

Also if you have any ideas, please let me know.

Last Week of Gluten

Four weeks of gluten later and I am still not up to the required gluten for this test.  I am not going to be able to get the results they want from said test.  Even with the little about of gluten (one serving a day or less) that I have been able to consume I have had strong results externally.

Results:

Weight Change: + 15lbs
Skin change: Dry, itchy, patchy, small rash, breakouts
Energy change:  Fatigue, trouble sleeping
Mood Changes: irritable, slight depression, (may be lack of sleep)
Body Changes: Joint pain in neck, hips, and knees.  Bloating, Headaches, Ulcers, acid reflux, excess gas
Hair Changes: Nothing Noted

Back to School Food Allergy Summit -Review-

Tonight I have attended the Food Allergy Summit.  There was a lot of good information to be shared with the participants.  We learned more about 504 plans, the newest in Epi Pen Technology, how to deal with school administrators and what is going on in the world of allergy treatment.  The Carolina Cupcakery has also managed to create an Allergy Free Cupcake that has no soy, nuts, peanuts, wheat, gluten, Soy, milk or eggs.  Also the taste was divine.  

There are now automatic EPI pens that talk the user through the steps of how to administer the medication should the need arise.  This is great for teachers and those who are not comfortable with how to use an EPI pen.  This is just the thing you need if your child has a life threatening allergy and there is not always the possibility of teaching everyone how to properly administer the cure.  

504 Plans, I have talked about them before, these are contracts with the school in how to deal with a Childs allergies.  Also the school must provide a safe learning environment for your child.  That includes safe food.  If you have not yet created a 504 plan for your child with Celiac or a life threatening allergy, you should do so as soon as possible.  Since the parent is the expert in the needs of the child, make sure that you have an active part in developing this plan.  

Allergy treatment, there has been a change in the way Doctors are handling some allergies, instead of avoiding the foods that make yourself or your child react, they are trying to work up a tolerance.  Sadly however, this doesn't work for those who have Shellfish allergies or Celiac.  Those allergies work differently than a peanut or tree nut allergy.  At this time the only way to deal with those issues is avoidance of the foods that make you sick. 

There was so much information given out to those who attended.  This may turn into a yearly event, and if it is, I would love to see more of you attend.  There is so much that can be learned from attending something like this.  

Personally, I had a great time; I can’t wait to see what they do with this in the coming years.  

Being me in a family of overachievers

I grew up with a family who all went to college.  It was filled with Doctors, lawyers, Computer programmers and well known ones at that, I think there was an astrophysicist someplace in the cousins. However, most everyone was a Doctor or a Lawyer.  Everyone does such exciting stuff with their lives and have the large high profile jobs.  Then there is me, the only granddaughter out of six grandchildren.
 
I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up.  I loved music and singing so when it was time for collage of course I would be going.  That idea wasted five years of my life.  By the time I left the university I had stage fright enough to end any possible performance job.  Ok, so not knowing what I wanted to be I went on a military Journey with my husband.

Finally had time to think about what I really wanted to do with my life.  Being from my family there is no way I didn't have the brains to do what I wanted to do I just needed to know what I wanted to do.  Also I was my own person so being a doctor or a lawyer simply isn't an option.  I didn't want to follow along in everyone else’s footsteps.  This made me think about what are my strengths.

I have always been the type of person who was fantastic at science.  "Book, You need a book to learn this?" type of person, I decided in all of my glory that I am going to do something in the scientific field.  So what are my interests? This thought process continued for a while.

After long and hard debating I applied for school again in 2009 and started on a criminal Justice and Forensic degree. Which I had to change to Criminology (adding in psychology courses) my thoughts were to work with the base police force (in a lab).  That way no matter where we went, I always had a job.  Then I learned that you can train into being a Medical Examiner without medical school.  So that is what I wanted to do! Plan in place I set out to be my own person.  (Some of you are laughing at me by now)
 
Only recently have I thought about my choices and what I have chosen to do with my life.  I ended up aspiring to be both a Doctor and a Lawyer (in a fashion) no career combines both of those professions better than Criminology and forensics.
 
All of this is great and I know what I want to do with my life now.  But by having such overachieving family members left me lost for a very long time.  I was so terrified of being the only failure in the family that I pushed myself into something I was not ready for.

Only recently have I felt like I was ready to move on with my life and remembered that no matter how amazing my family members are I still have to be myself and in the end the only person I answer to is myself and my husband.