Fat Friday

Today was Fat Friday at work, which means different grade levels get together the last Friday of the month and bring in breakfast for the entire staff. Usually the lounge is filled with donuts, breakfast tacos on flour tortillas, muffins, coffee cakes, granola bars, and a limited supply of fruit that I usually stick to. I tell myself that it's okay that I can't eat anything because it is healthier that way.  But it all just looks so amazing!  When I walked in the lounge today, my fellow GF co-worker (who eats GF for arthritis) had made gluten free brownies. Then two minutes later in walked all the tacos, and two special bean and cheese tacos on corn for me! I could only eat one because the banana and brownie filled me up. The other is in my fridge now. Needless to say, it was an awesome feeling to know that others were thinking of me today, even if it was my fellow GF eater. Maybe others on the staff will now consider my needs a little more.

What!?! Why Did I Throw My Receipts Away?

I was being a couch potato watching Ferris Bueller's Day Off and decided to do some Celiac perusing on the web. To my surprise I learned that I can write off some food price differences, cost of transportation to specialty stores, shipping costs of gluten free food, and admission to medical conferences related to Celiac Disease. I've been GF since September and I usually end up throwing away our grocery receipts. I never thought anything of it, so I have no documentation of buying GF for the past 4 months. At least I found out now, and can start saving receipts for 2011. Celiac Disease Foundation even has a sheet you can print out to track your spending. I will be creating a binder ASAP!

In other news, Iivana had her last personal training session today at Petsmart, although we do have agility class tonight still. We were talking to our trainer Sarah about possibly signing her up for a scent detection class in the future. Sarah is an awesome trainer who works with other Belgian Malinois at Lackland. She said some dogs scent detect to find drugs, guns, mold, etc.; she wondered if there was anything we would be interested in? It was funny because I had recently read this article! I know a class at Petsmart would not lead her to ultimate detection, but since Iivana is so smart, it could be a possibility with lots of practice:)

Eat Fresh!

I started this blog for two reasons: the first is to document everything related in my gluten free experience and the second is to share that information with my fellow Celiac sister.  While I think Kristen might be the only one who reads my blog, there is the possible occasion that one day a new Celiac diagnosee (totally just made that word up) will stumble upon my gluten free blog.  With that said Kristen, I may post things that you email me because I want to share it with others (and have something to write about).  It's also a way to share my opinion and thoughts about what you sent me, since we don't talk everyday.

My mom was telling her about Subway trying out gluten free buns.  I was instantly excited because it is often difficult to pick up something GF quick.  The buns are baked at a separate place, so that would mean, I could expand beyond ordering salads only at Subway.  While it is still in a test run, I hope the bread tastes good and that they decide to carry it.  They are conducting the tests in Texas, which the article lists as Dallas and east Texas.  Is Houston considered east Texas?  In two weeks, Justin and I will be going to Houston and I'm considering calling a few Subways to see if they have the GF bun.  I would love to try it!

Cupcake Pebbles

The commissary usually has less variety and takes much longer to obtain new items to sell.  When I heard about Cupcake Pebbles, I checked weekly at the commissary.  Still, none were turning up. (They did have the new Marshmallow Pebbles which are full of gluten).  Last week Iivana was receiving a grooming at Petsmart, so Justin and I decided to kill some time.  We went to HEB so I could see if they had Cupcake Pebbles, since I'd been wanting to try the new cereal.  I was in luck, and grabbed a box to try.  Regretfully I only bought one box because I wanted to make sure I liked them before I bought a whole slew of boxes.

My very own box!  Overall, they are pretty sweet, but I love sugary candy and the taste reminds me of real cake.  So I'm obsessed already and can't wait to get more.  I could see people thinking they're too sweet though.

This is one of my favorite snacks to make.  I learned it from my sister, Julie when I was young.  We would make concoctions with various cereals, peanut butter, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, etc.  To make this one, I first spray a bowl with butter spray.  Then I pour marshmallows in the bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.  I stir then pile on the Cupcake Pebbles and stir.

Pizza

I've tried a few gluten free pizzas from restaurants including Bostons, Cottage Inn, the Little Aussie Bakery, and more recently BJ's. I ordered a veggie pizza from BJ's and we got it to go. Justin was craving pizza on New Year's day and this closest place to our house, even though it was almost 20 minutes away. I think places like Pizza Hut and other chains need to come out with gluten free pizza.  The pizza was okay. It was the typical thin crust sans gluten, not much flavor crust. I didn't find anything overly special about it and thought I could probably make a better one (if I wasn't feel so lazy, like I did on this day.)  I wonder if I would have liked the pizza better if we had ate at the restaurant when it came pipping hot out of the oven.

The take out box.

Looked satisfying

San-J Peanut Sauce

This reminds me of my days working at Noodles and devouring the Indo on my break.  This San-J sauce is a little bit spicy, but makes a superb stir fry.

We used Rice Noodles by Thai Kitchen and usually add chicken but this one was veggie only.

G-Free Diet

I just ordered The G-Free Diet by Elisabeth Hasselbeck.  I don't really know much about the book, except that Elisabeth Hasselbeck has Celiac Disease.  Hopefully I'll be able to fit some reading into my schedule with class starting up again this week.  Luckily I'm only taking one class this semester, so some night time reading seems probable.  I ordered my paperback copy from Chegg for $13.99 because I had some money credited there for selling back a book. With shipping and tax though it was a little over 20 bucks.  Once I receive it and start reading it, I'll post about it.

After School Snack

After the kiddos are gone and I'm preparing for the next day, I like to grab a Lara bar while I work.  I feel like I'm writing a cheesy slogan but they are natural.  There are only a few ingredients in each bar.  For example, my favorite which is the apple pie has dates, almonds, unsweetened apples, walnuts, raisins, and cinnamon.  Each bar has about 200 calories and about 10 grams of fat but they really keep me satisfied.

These are some of the flavors we bought to try.

We bought these three in a pack at Sam's Club.

I had a coupon to use at the commissary. Betty Crocker bought Larabar and these are all the flavors they make.

Mmm...Cheesecake!

Justin was craving cheesecake so while at Central Market, he looked up this recipe on his new Droid Incredible.  We grabbed all the ingredients and when we arrived home, I started the process.

I used these Kinnikinnick graham crackers for the crust.

These are what the crackers look like, they're a bit smaller than regular graham crackers. 

I whipped all the ingredients together using my Kitchen Aid mixer and threw it in the oven.  It came out like this and I still needed to add a topping.

Eek!  It's over the pan.

I managed to fit the sour cream topping on it so it could bake for 15 more minutes.

At least when it went down a little when it cooled.

This was the thickest cheesecake I ever made.

I started mixing the ingredients at 5:00 p.m. After prep, bake, and cooling time we enjoyed a slice at midnight.

The cheesecake was decent, I've definitely had better but it was a nice treat.  I think I may have over mixed the ingredients because it tasted a little separated.  The cheesecake wasn't that bad though because we finished the whole thing!

Delicious Donuts!

These kinnikinnick donuts were amazing!  There were four other kinds of donuts at HEB Central Market.  I tried the chocolate dipped ones and definitely want to try the other ones.  They are in the freezer section and make my mouth water just thinking about them.

Happy New Year!

When looking forward to the new year, I can't help but reflect on the changes that 2010 brought. We gave Iivana back in February after fostering her for 3 months. She started military working dog school and was on the cusp of making it. She didn't have enough drive so in September, we fully adopted her.  Now our lives are filled with puppy classes, walks, and frisbee fun. She is going to be the next Zeke the wonder dog.

In June, I started classes at University of Texas at San Antonio to begin my masters. I completed 15 credits in 2010 and will continue to work towards my masters in reading throughout 2011.

This is me and Rowdy the mascot at a reading celebration.

In May, I visited my primary care doctor because I needed refills on my allergy medicine and iron.  I remember a Friday night at the Alamo Draft House, I received a call from my doctor saying she was concerned about my anemia. This was no shock to me, since I was first diagnosed with anemia in the second grade.  I was like big deal. Back when I was 8, they ran a variety of tests and concluded my red blood cells were smaller and as a result did not carry as much oxygen. I thought here is another doctor (since with the military my primary care is constantly changing) thinking my anemia is a concern.

Well today I should thank that physician.  She recommended I see a hematologist.  I first went at the end of May and discussed my history with the doctor. They ran more advanced blood tests.  My hemoglobin and ferritin levels were very low. After months on iron, I went back to see my hematologist and she said, we need to figure out why you are anemic. Through a couple of visits during the summer, we set up a plan with different possible things to look into. An antibody test of tissue transglutimase (TTG) and endomysial was ran on my blood and came back normal. This was the first test to see if I had Celiac Disease.  It was negative, so this took us back to the drawing board. After describing symptoms I felt, which I often attributed to stress, my hematologist referred me to a gastrointestinal doctor (GI).  By this point, it was already my final days of summer. I had an initial appointment with my doctor where I again described symptoms I'd been feeling. At this point, I had been researching Celiac Disease on my own and felt certain I did have it.  

My GI doctor scheduled me for a colonoscopy/endoscopy to see if I had any bleeding in my colon and to look at my small intestine. Yes folks, both ends were getting looked at!  On September first I had the double procedure completed. There was no bleeding in my colon although, they did find a polyp that was not cancerous, but in time could become cancer. They removed the polyp and said I would need another colonoscopy in 3-5 years, especially because of my family history (My dad had colon cancer).  They also took a scraping of my small intestine because it was abnormal. I waited anxiously for the phone call to explain what the microscope showed. For the days to follow, I ate gluten like there was no tomorrow. Despite the sorrows it caused my belly, I indulged in pretzels, cereals, and bread! I think Justin and I ate fresh bread from the commissary at as many dinners as we could.  

This is me embracing a bag, after I finished 6 lbs of pretzels.

I remember the day I received the call from my GI doctor. It was Tuesday, September 14 and I was at school.  Pillsbury pancakes were for the school breakfast that morning, this would be the last time I would enjoy these delightful snacks. I missed the call early in the day because I was teaching.  I called the doctor's during my lunch leaving a message to call back before my lunch was over, which at this point was only about 15 more minutes or to call back after school. I carried my phone tight for the rest of the day. After school, I went to make copies and did not hear or feel the vibrate.  I arrived back at my room at noticed I had a voicemail! How I did I miss the call?  I frantically called back. Luckily the doctor was right by the phone and he explained it all to me. They looked at my villi under a microscope and there was "blunting." From the scraping they were pretty sure I had Celiac Disease but would have to do a more advanced blood test to confirm it.  

I went back for blood testing, this time it was genetic testing for HLA typing. This blood work had to be sent out and took about 3-4 weeks to get the final confirmation. My hematologist told me to notify my sisters as well because they had anemia, but never as severe as mine. Julie had blood work done which was negative. Although, I wonder what type of test they did on hers because my first one was negative too.  I think she might have CD because her symptoms are similar to mine. Kristen saw her doctor as well, which was a horrible experience for her.  She had blood work that was positive and also had the EGD. She had an official diagnosis before my final blood work came back. Jill has not had any testing yet, since she is pregnant! I wonder who in my family has Celiac since it is an autoimmune disorder which means it is genetic.  

Finally I had answers! We began cleaning the pantry and shopping GF at Whole Foods, Sun Harvest, and becoming familiar with the options at the commissary. My ferritin levels were still extremely low, any thing less than 30 is low and mine were about 3. Ferritin is my stored iron. My hematologist wanted me to get an iron infusion, which means I would be connected to an IV for 4-5 hours while iron was injected into my body.

I scheduled an appointment for the next week, which was the beginning of October. On the day of the procedure, I insisted Justin go to work and not come with me because I had plenty of school work to get done. I arrived with my backpack full of class work and my laptop to write some papers. I shared a room with two others who were receiving chemo treatments. Unfortunately my doctor was on leave, which I was not aware of when I scheduled the appointment. Another doctor came to explain the procedure to me before they began the test dose.  I already feel anxiety when at the doctors, so having my doctor not there did not help!  They had to administer a test dose first to make sure I did not have any reactions to the iron infusion.  Since I drove myself there, they were going to give me Claritin instead of benadryl. The nurse began with a small injection needle to put in the IV. I instantly felt the iron in my veins. It was painful and I grabbed my chest saying, "I can't breathe!" I broke out into a deep sweat and felt cramps in my stomach. I was crying that it hurt. The doctor injected something, I think benadryl to counteract the symptoms I was encountering.  They gave me oxygen to stick in my nose and I began to breathe easier. I had to use the bathroom though! They helped me to the restroom and I still felt like absolute crap trying to figure out what just happened. I was in there for a bit with sudden diarrhea, trying to relieve the cramping. I decided the cramping would not go away, so I left the restroom.  I quickly washed my hands because moving was not helping anything.  As I began to walk back to my seat, I couldn't see anything. Everything went black and the nurses had to rush to get my a wheelchair. I was wheeled back to my seat. Sight came back but I was incredibly groggy and began to experience chills so I took a nap and wrapped myself in a blanket. When I felt better I called Justin to come pick me up to take me back home. For the rest of the day I slept. I was a terrible experience!

I saw my hematologist in December.  More blood work was conducted and I am still waiting for the results. I'm hoping my ferritin levels have increased since being on a gluten free diet, that my small intestine is healing, and I am now hopefully absorbing iron. I don't think I've heard yet because of the holidays. I think I should be hearing from her next week.

So this brings me to today, reflection of the process of my diagnosis. Although eating gluten free can be difficult, there are many options out there. It does require more planning and costs a little more but it worth it. I feel so much better and can't wait to see what 2011 brings.