Feeding Pumba

Cranberry-Orange Bread

This was a recipe from the back of a Bob's Red Mill mix. It's the best bread-like mix we've tried.

2 cups Gluten Free Biscuit & Baking Mix (Bob's Red Mill)

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tbs oil

1 cup Orange juice

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup Cranberries

In a medium bowl, blend together egg, sugar, vanilla, and oil. Slowly blend in the orange juice. Add biscuit mix and cranberries to liquid ingredients and blend until just combined. Using a spatula, scoop the dough into a greased loaf pan and spread out dough evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

We found it cooks better in an 8' cake pan. Also, it's best right out of the oven. When it's cooled it gets really clobby (if that's even a word) and when it's stored for any period of time it gets moist, in a bad way. So, it's best to eat it right away. Like I said before, it's the best bread-like mix we've tried. However, that doesn't mean I want to eat it very often and I'm sure when we start experimenting with other things we'll be able to find something much better.

Feeding Pumba

Tuna Tents
This was already one of my favorite meals, so I am pretty excited that it is gluten-free as well! It's way easy too, which is a plus.

On a square of aluminum foil place desired amount of tuna, and desired amount of any chopped vegetable you want. Some of my favorite vegetables to use are; squash, carrots, peppers, green onion, fresh spinach, broccoli, and snow peas. But to each his own.

After all that is piled into the middle of your aluminum foil square pour the Butter Herb sauce over it.

Butter Herb Sauce

Combine is a saucepan over medium heat

3 tbs margarine/butter
1 tbs lemon juice
1 clove garlic minced or 1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried dill weed

Once you've poured the sauce over everything roll the edges othe the aluminum together to form a packet and bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!!

I can't eat the margarine/butter right now but I tried something similar to this where I cooked everything in a skillet on the stove using the same seasonings as the sauce, to taste (except the margarine/butter) and then at the end I drizzled olive oil on everything. It turned out really well.

Endoscopy

An endoscopy with multiple biopsies is the only way to have a 100% accurate diagnosis of celiac disease. Maybe one day they will find blood work that is accurate enough not to do the endoscopy but right now that is not the case. The biopsies are sent to a pathologist to assess if there is any damage to the villi in the small intestine. It is important to continue eating gluten until the endoscopy is preformed. The body is a miraculous thing and begins to heal immediately. Patients, especially children, who are diagnosed soon after onset of celiac disease can heal rapidly causing the biopsies to come back negative for damage and thus negative for celiac disease. So continue to eat gluten until all diagnostic measures are taken.

It used to be that a second endoscopy was preformed 18 months after starting a gluten-free diet to ensure that the intestines were healing. However, that is not the common practice anymore, though some doctors still do it. If patients are improving on a gluten-free diet and their antibody levels are decreasing the doctors don't find it necessary to go back in again.

I will admit, the endoscopy was not a fun experience. Did you know that if you are an adult they think you are mature enough not to be completely put under? Well obviously they didn't take into account me. I can handle a lot of things, but there are three things that I really don't like; needles, people in my mouth (my poor dentist), and throwing up. This, in a way, combined all three things. (I didn't throw up, but did gag when they pulled the tube back up which is just as bad as throwing up) I'll just say, the nurses were not amused with me. Granted, the 'mild sedative' did take the edge off and made me loopy enough to comply to their instructions I otherwise would have put up a fight against, like "open your mouth". In the end I survived, and I guess if I really had to do it again I could. But only if I REALLY have to. When my doctor came in to start the procedure she said: "Usually I can't tell anything by just looking, unless there is severe damage, beyond the damage to your villi; we usually have to wait for the pathologist report to come back. So, after this you can go and eat all the Krispy Kreme donuts you want." I politely told her that I didn't care if she could or couldn't tell anything just by looking, I was starting to eat gluten-free that day because I was tired of being sick. Well, when she finally got down into my small intestine I heard her say, through my mildly sedated haze, "Wow, you definitely have it! No more Krispy Kremes for you." Ha! I told you so. So in the end, she told me no more gluten, gave me some souvenir pictures of my intestines, and sent me on my way. When the pathologist report came back it said the same thing only in greater detail. "Near complete obliteration of the villi; Chronic inflammation of the intestine" and a lot of other stuff that I didn't fully understand, but it's not good. But as I said earlier, the body is a miraculous thing. It can heal itself even from extensive damage. So as long as I stay away from gluten I will completely heal. It just may take a few years. But I don't mind because if 15+ years of damage can be healed in 2 years, I'm not complaining.

Preliminaries

Unfortunately I am not talking about a Miss America swim suit competition. I decided I would go ahead and start writing about the tests I've had. It's a bit of a process to be diagnosed with Celiac disease, and I'm not even talking about the years I and other people have gone through of random medical tests before the doctors even get around to Celiac disease.

When I finally went back to the doctor a few months ago, determined to figure out what was wrong with me, I knew I needed to at least be tested for Celiacs thanks to my mom's research and knowing a few people who had it. Thankfully after talking to my new doctor he agreed that I should be tested for Celiacs as well. (It's a good thing he agreed because there was NO WAY I was leaving that office without being tested, and I would have put up a BIG stink)

However, being the good doctor he is he wanted to test several other things as well. So, along with the Celiac panel he did blood tests for thyroid problems, hepatitis, and some other basic nutrients testing. Those tests are all pretty basic and should be done with the symptoms I was presenting. We've all had blood tests. They are easy and relatively pain less. Although I will admit that I have this fear of needles and turn into a four year old girl who wants her mommy when anyone comes at me with a needle.

He also wanted to rule out parasites and intesinal infections which meant a stool sample test. I'll say one thing about that test; some things in this life are just wrong, and that was one of them. Painless, but wrong.

Well, all of the tests came back negative, except the Celiac panel. I got a call from the doctor's office saying everything was fine but that the doctor wanted to talk to me about my Celiac test. I happened to be in the area the next day so I called to see if there was time that morning I could come in. All the nurse said was, "We'll make time. The doctor really wants to see you." So I went in and got taken back right away. Normally when the doctor walks in he is cheery and talkative, that was not the case that day. He was very quiet and solemn. He came in, pulled up a chair close to mine and sat down (he never sits down). Then he said to me in his Russian accent, "Unfortunately you were right, you definitely have Celiac Disease." I think he was expecting me to be sad or shocked or something. But I was actually relieved and happy. I had actually figured out what was wrong with me! Plus, with Celiac disease I could live a symptom-free life as long as I didn't eat gluten. This was a great day! He gave me the name and number of a gastrointestinal doctor so that I could go and get the next step of diagnosis done, an endoscopy. While the Celiac panel (blood test) is a good indication of whether or not you have Celiac disease it is only a starting point. The true diagnosis comes from an endoscopy with multiple biopsies of the small intestine. I'll get to that story later.

Here's some technical information about the Celiac Panel for those who want to know. The Celiac Panel tests for 3 anitbodies that are produced as a result of the autoimmune response that the consumption of gluten causes. These three antibodies are Ttg (Tissue Transglutaninase Ab, IgA), IgG (Gliadin Peptide Ab, IgG), and IgA (Gliadin Peptide Ab, IgA). The main one is the Ttg antibody, but the other ones are indicators as well. Some tests only test for one antibody but it is important to get all three tested or at least the Ttg. Normal levels for all three antibodies are <7;  >10 definitely has Celiac disease and will need to get an endoscopy to assess the damage. Just for reference here are my levels: Ttg >128 (The scale wouldn't go any higher they said.), IgG 84, IgA 60. Verdict is: 100% chance that I have Celiac Disease!!
 The other good thing about the Celiac Panel is that you can get the test redone after several months of being on a gluten-free diet. If the levels of the antibodies are decreasing you know that you are healing. If the levels are the same or increasing you know you are getting some gluten somewhere in you diet. This test is especially important for assessing improvement in patients who are asymptomatic (they don't have physical symptoms but do have intestinal damage). I will probably have to have this test done every few years once I get everything under control just to make sure that I am staying in the normal range. Even though I don't like needles I'd much rather get a blood test done every few years than an endoscopy every few years!!

Insomnia

Seeing as I couldn't sleep, again, I figured it would be a good time to write about insomnia. The insomnia started in second grade. I remember lying in bed at night thinking "I have to sleep so I can go to school tomorrow." I tried listening to soothing music, counting sheep, and even praying. However, sleep continued to evade me, though the prayer did help on occasion.
The insomnia has continued throughout my life, and I still try listening to music and praying; I've given up on the whole sheep thing. I've always thought that I just had an overactive mind that was keeping me awake. I figured I just needed to learn how to relax and quiet my mind so that I could sleep. Obviously, none of that has worked since I am writing this post. The most frustrating thing about it is that when I am tired during the day and go to take a nap I have no trouble falling asleep. However, when I go to bed at night, even if I am exhausted, I lay in bed for hours on end before I finally drift off.
The good news? I found out that insomnia is a symptom of Celiac Disease; shocking, right? Now, normally I like to explain why a symptom is connected to Celiac Disease but the truth is I have no idea how insomnia is connected. All I know is that autoimmune diseases mess up your whole body, which includes sleeping patterns. Why is this good news you ask? Well, if it's a symptom of Celiac Disease there is a chance that when I get better the insomnia will go away and I'll be able to sleep. That would be wonderful!!! But for now I'll go back to bed and see if writing this all out will help me sleep tonight.

So Blessed

I have been enormously blessed my entire life and right now is no different. When I was wrapping up my college education a few months ago I was frustrated that nothing was working out the way I had planned or wanted them to. I was supposed to start grad school right after graduation, but changed my plans and decided not to go. I was going to get a job right away when I moved back home, but my mom was wise and talked me into taking three months off. I am the kind of person who always likes to have a plan, and yet for the first time in my life I felt that I should just take some time off and not plan anything. It's amazing how God works. These things have placed me in the perfect situation to take the time I need to heal. Here are some of the other things that I am grateful for right now. This is certainly not the whole list, but includes things that have particularly affected me with my diagnosis of Celiac Disease.

• I have a loving Father in Heaven who loves and cares for me; who has guided me to find answers about my health and has placed me in the perfect position that I am in now.
• I have a wonderful family who loves and supports me. They give me strength and help me in anyway possible; from letting me live at home again, to my mom going gluten-free with me.
• I have the means to not work for several months without worrying about money.
• I was blessed to be able to finish college and do well, something that myself, my parents, and the doctors are shocked at.
• I have been blessed with finally getting answers to all of my medical problems and that I will recover enough to live a symptom-free life.
• I have been blessed to live in a time where Celiac Disease is known and where information is available for me to learn to live with it.

I love my life and everything in it. As I continue to write about my symptoms please realize that while these things have affected my life they have not dictated it. I am not writing about them to complain about them but rather to release it and allow myself to heal mentally and emotionally as well as physically. I am also writing to hopefully help others with this disease realize they are not alone and to provide information to those who want to know.
One last petty thing... today I am grateful that I was able to find peanut butter that fit into my diet!! :) It's the little things in life that bring me the most joy!

Feeding Pumba

The Farmer's Market This spring my mom and I got fed up with the produce at our local grocery stores. So we decided to try out our local farmer's market. Let me tell you, it's so much better than the grocery store! So much better in fact that we get up at 5:00 every Tuesday morning to go see what we can find. You can find all sorts of produce that is good quality and cheaper than the grocery store. Over the summer we have been able to get some of our favorites (zucchini, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, and berries), as well as try some new things (zephyr squash, winter squash, eggplant, figs, and october beans).
The farmer's market has been especially great since I was diagnosed with celiac disease. Fresh vegetables and fruits are some of the things that I can still eat and that I am trying to center my diet around. It's great to know that I can go somewhere that is a fun experience as well as come away with things that I know are fresh and taste good. We have had a blast trying new foods and recipes and enlarging our tastes. The farmer's market is going to close for the season soon and I don't know what we are going to do. Regular grocery stores just aren't the same anymore.

Change

I like change. I find it challenging; and I love a good challenge! Besides change can always be a positive thing as long as you make it a positive thing. Being diagnosed with Celiac Disease definitely meant some change. But I was also filled with excitement. The gluten-free diet is certainly a learning curve but I have been enjoying every moment of it.

Well, just to keep the excitement going I am adding in some more change. I've been gluten-free for a month and the truth of the matter is that I am still sick. Earlier this week I decided it was the little bits of milk I was getting (I am lactose intolerant due to the damage of my villi); the chocolate, the margarine, the gluten-free brownies, etc. So, I decided to be 100% dairy-free too. Unfortunately, being dairy-free did not help me from being sick this weekend; and I mean SICK. I haven't been that sick in a while. This morning I was trying to figure it out. Had I gotten gluten somewhere? That just seems impossible, I've been very cautious. It wasn't the dairy because a) I hadn't eaten anything with dairy in a few days and b) this was a different kind of sick (yes, I can tell the difference). All of a sudden I realized, I had eaten something with yeast in it this weekend. I don't normally eat things with yeast. The last time I ate something with yeast I was really sick too.

Now, I don't think I am allergic to yeast but it does make sense for something else: Candida Overgrowth Candida is a bacteria (bad) in your intestinal system. Normally you have a very small amount. However, due to things like stress, poor diet, or other health problems, candida can multiple at a very high rate causing the balance of good to bad bacteria to be off which causes intestinal problems. When you ingest things like yeast and sugar it feeds the growth of the candida causing an even higher reproduction rate and more issues. I know for a fact that the good to bad bacteria ratio is off in my system. This is due to deterioration of my intestines and malabsorption. This is also why my doctor had me start taking a probiotic (good bacteria in pill form). I figure maybe the balance is just a little more off than we expected and I need to take a few extra steps in trying to right the ratio of good and bad bacteria.

So, back to the change thing; I have also decided to cut out all yeast and refined sugar from my diet as well. (At this point I will do whatever it takes to feel better) The yeast won't be a problem at all. However, I am a self proclaimed sugar addict. It's going to take some getting used to; and I'm pretty sure I am going to face withdrawls. But, like I said before, change can be a good thing if you make it a good thing. I have always wanted to conquer my addiction and eat healthier. It will also allow me to try new ways of eating that may even be better than sugar. Who knows what I'm gonna find! I am still excited for it all.

 So just a quick recap; I am now: gluten-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, sugar-free (refined).  I always love a good challenge!!

Feeding Pumba

Since the biggest part of having Celiac Disease is figuring out the Gluten-Free diet I hope to make "Feeding Pumba" posts regular. I will post recipes, reviews of Gluten-Free items, and 'experiments'. Enjoy!

My lunch today was AMAZING!!

Tuscan Vegetable Minestone

2 cups diced spinach leaves

1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup canned ground or diced tomatoes
5 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth (we use Kitchen Basics, but anything gluten-free is fine)
1 cup diced zucchini (we do half zucchini, half yellow or zephyr squash)
2 15oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp minced fresh oregano (we use dried)
Salt and Pepper to taste
 In a large pot combine, spinach, onion, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Cover, adjust heat to maintain simmer, and cook until vegetables are half done, about 15 minutes. Add zucchini and beans. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add oregano, salt, and pepper. This soup saves great for leftovers and does well in the freezer. You can also add 1/2 cup diced potato when you put in the other vegetables. Or you can add 1/2 cup gluten-free penne pasta when you put in the zucchini and beans. However, if you add these things it doesn't save as well in the freezer.

 'Focaccia' Bread 1 pkg Bob's Red Mill gluten-free pizza crust mix (for this you will also need 1 1/2 cup warm water, 2 eggs, 2 tbsp olive oil)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 dried oregano
 Make the pizza dough as instructed on the package. (I only used half the dough and put the other half in the fridge) Spread out the dough on a greased pan. It doesn't really matter the shape. I did a rectagular-like shape because I wanted to cut it into sticks. After you spread it out bake at 425 degrees for 17-20 minutes. While the dough is baking mix together olive oil, garlic powder, and oregano in small contaner. Brush olive oil mixture on the crust when it has finished cooking and cut. This was a total experiment today because I've wanted something like bread sticks/garlic bread/pizza. It had really good flavor. The texture is... different, but once you get used to it, it's fine. I would definitely eat this again, and it filled my craving.

Mood Swings and Depression

The mood swings started when I was 11 or 12. You may be thinking, well duh... puberty. We thought so too for a while. When I got older and the mood swings got worse my mom suggested going to the doctor and getting medication for it. But some things about it just didn't add up. Half the time the mood swings didn't even coincide with my cycle. Plus, this was more than just a change in mood, I was like a completely different person. This was way beyond normal puberty or PMS.

Normally I am very level headed and rational. I hardly ever get irritated with people and almost never get angry. This is not the case when a mood swing hits. And when I say hit I mean a switch flips from one second to the next. One second I am happy, the next I am irritated with whoever happens to be near me. One second I am hanging out with friends, the next I just know that they really don't like me and are just being nice to me because they feel sorry for me. One second I am working hard and am confident in myself, the next I don't know how I am going to do what I need to. My perspective also switches. I perceive everyone else around me as irritated and irrational too. If I stop and logically think about things I realize that I am making no sense. But I can never snap myself out of it. I am just certifiably crazy for a while. For example... my grandparents were in town visiting. My mom, grandma, and I were all sitting at the table having a good time talking about harmless things like recipes. All of a sudden the switch flipped. I literally was so annoyed with my mom and grandma that I thought I was going to pull my hair out. They hadn't done anything but all of a sudden I saw them as irritated with each other and making sharp comments to each other; not at all the case. I just had to excuse myself and completely leave the house.

It has gotten to the point that when I am venting to my mom during these times she has stopped trying to understand me and make it all better. Instead she tells me "Don't make any life changing decisions, don't sign any legal documents. Just go watch a movie, read a book, and go to bed. Tomorrow, you'll feel better and it will all work out." She's always right. The next day, or sometimes even just hours later, I am my old self again and everything is alright again.

Luckily the depression isn't quite as bad. It tends to come as a byproduct of the mood swings and goes away with them too. There have only been two times in my life where I was depressed for extended periods of time. Those times were due to a combination of stress and other symptoms.

Why are mood swings and depression symptoms of Celiac Disease? Autoimmune diseases effect your entire body. Especially your hormone levels and functioning. Your body is mass producing antibodies, hormones, or other chemicals trying to fix what's going wrong inside you. Thus, sometimes you get spikes or drops in hormone levels causing things like mood swings and depression. Another reason is that if you're undiagnosed you may be dealing with symptoms that you don't understand. You can become frustrated, worried, and feel like you are crazy (been there, done that). This can cause severe depression in some people, especially if they don't have a strong and understanding support system behind them. Thankfully, I have had an amazing, understanding family which helped me avoid the depression. Not everyone is so lucky. So the outlook for me is hopeful. I figure once my antibody levels come down and my body isn't on alert all the time my hormones will be able to level out as well. Thank goodness!!

To Begin...

Last month I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I've decided to created this blog for a few reasons.

1. As an educational reference for friends, family, and whoever else comes upon this blog.
2. As a support and information source (not that I have all the information) for those who also have Celiac Disease.
3. As a creative outlet for myself. (This is probably the main reason for the blog)
** Side note, I am a believer is the whole "humor is the best medicine". If you are offended at me taking things lightly, sorry I'm not changing it. I choose to see the humorous side of life; it makes life a lot happier, especially when times are hard.
** Additional side note, I plan on blogging about symptoms I have had and procedures I have been through because I find benefit in knowing that others have been through the same things and have had the same feelings that I have experienced. So just as a warning, occasional posts may be more information than you ever wanted to know about me.

So, a quick introduction to Celiac Disease for those of you who aren't familiar with it... Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease (NOT an allergy or intolerance!!). When someone with Celiac Disease consumes gluten (a protein in wheat, barley, and rye) an immune response is triggered. Antibodies are sent to the small intestine to destroy the 'bad guys' and instead destroys the villi in the small intestine. This causes problems with absorption of nutrients, plain ol' proper functioning, and gives rise to a host of symptoms. One of the big problems with Celiac Disease is that the immune response is triggered by any amount of gluten, even just a hidden crumb. So, since there is no cure or medicine for this disease the only course of treatment is a 100% Gluten-Free diet; including miniscule crumbs.

How was I diagnosed? Glad you asked... I have had a plethora of varying symptoms my whole life. However, the past two years have just been out of control. I chalked it up to be stress. However, that excuse fell through when I graduated college and had three months planned of no school, no work, relaxation only, and my symptoms continuing to get worse. So, through my mom's research, and the correct medical tests I finally got the dianosis of Celiac Disease. (Yeah, I know it's kind of vague but I'm going to post specific stories later that I don't want to ruin. No one likes a spoiler!) When I got home and told my brother that I was officially a Celiac he laughed and said, "It sounds like some sort of alien species on Star Trek!" He's right! I can see it now... "Captain, the Celiac ship has locked onto us!" "Shields up! Red alert! Image on screen." Okay, so I am a bit of a trekkie too. Like Celiac Disease there's no cure for that either.

So, I have been Gluten-Free for about a month and have seen some improvements in my health. I still have a LONG way to go but it will come with time. The doctor's say that because of the damage I have to my small intestine it will take about two years for it to fully heal. Luckily they say I should start feeling much better in about 6-9 months. I honestly can't remember what it's like to feel normal and healthy so I am looking forward to finding out again!