I may be sick.

I have always found this community to be very supportive and most people willing to bring knowledge to each other...I find this to be amazing. I am going in to see the doctor in the morning. I have been feeling sick for awhile and blamed my symptoms on a million things...including the fact that I am not a kid anymore. I may be suffering from Celiac Disease and a non functioning thyroid. I am feeling pretty nervous, because if I do have Celiac disease it will mean a complete lifestyle change. I know that I need to lose weight and eat a bit healthier but at the moment, all I can see is the thought of losing all the foods I love and feeling deprived and alone. Celiac disease is the inability to process gluten...which is in many foods as a stablizer or thickening agent, besides being a part of all grains, breads, cereals, baked goods, etc. It is even in pills and medications to bind pills into pill form! I even found it in salad dressing!!! I can not just cut down on these foods...it will mean eliminating them forever and even taking vitamins to replace the minerals I would get from grain products. I know I will probably feel better if this is what is wrong and I correct it...but I feel overwhelmed right now. My diet will need to be heavy on unprocessed fooods...mainly fruits, vegetables, fish or meat if I choose. No cereal, bread, sandwhiches, hamburgers, cake, cookies...you get the idea. I just need to hear that I can do this and it will be for the best. I know many of you subscribe to a vegan or alternative diet that is healthy and non processed...how did you make it a lifestyle and not misss other "stuff"? If my thyroid is not working I will need to take medication...forever. I guess I can accept that. But with the Celiac disease, I either get my diet under control and eliminate gluten or it could kill me. The disease kills the small villi hairs in the small intestine and makes processing nutrients in my food impossible. As it is, I don't know how much the illness has damaged my intestines...it could be severe. Any thoughts would be really appreciated. Even a recipe or favorite foods and combos...something I can try and not feel so seperate when I go out or eat with others. Thanks everybody, knew I could count on you

updated by @panterra-caraway: 02/14/15 03:24:36AM

having been veg since i was 16 or 18 i can tell u u adapt and its not long before u dont miss those thimgs i would recomend u start eating right now ci=ut out gluten just in case and work on a healthy diet even if you are fine

youd be amazed at how the foods u thought were your faves become gross to you as u realizze how unhealthy they are

eating out is an issue my uncle is alergic to corn syrup and gets real sick if he eats it and klike gluten thats in everything u gotta plan meals more catrefully but..every human should do that with the crap we call food these days ppl should pay closer attention to what they eat..

look at it this way

your forced to be healthy by being sick your illnes is forcing u to make healthier choices on a daily basis and u will love eatting healthy as u adjust

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Girl i work at an organic grocery store, and people come in with your problem all the time, in fact one of my co workers is basically everything intolerant. she lives on vegetables, black beans, rice, tofu, soups and fruit... pretty much. she cant have sugar, wheat, dairy, grains and she's one of the most bubbly people i know. i'm sure it's going to be tough adjusting to such a different lifestyle but i KNOW you can do it. anything is possible. the mind is a very powerful thing. And there are plenty of wheat substitutes, gluten free flours, breads, pastas, chips, cereals... trust me we have it all at my store. I even know people that choose this lifestyle because eliminating all the processed and fake crap makes your body feel amazing, more energetic, and clear headed. also, the longer you go without something, your body eventually stops craving it. you got this, hang in there

oh my dear!! definitely a challenge it will be. but SE is right. not only will u adjust, but if u were to change ur lifestyle and what u consume, ud probably find that if u were to "treat urself" it probably wouldnt b much of a treat at all and may even taste disgusting. if u want u can message me and it would b my pleasure give u a few really good resources that may seriously motivate u to change ur diet, not bc u have to, but bc u'll want to. sometimes that makes all the difference. i wish u luck and strength!!!

Thanks SE! I think you are right in that my body is forcing me to make different choices. I have needed to lose weight for awhile and can't seem to do it. But at the moment, food in general is making me increasingly ill. My belly is hugely bloated even with a small bit of food and I have severe cramping and pain. Something has to give and maybe this is the tough love I need to get the message. I really think if I need the thyroid meds and get a healthy plan going I may be surprised...I will keep your words in mind

soaring eagle said:

having been veg since i was 16 or 18 i can tell u u adapt and its not long before u dont miss those thimgs i would recomend u start eating right now ci=ut out gluten just in case and work on a healthy diet even if you are fine

youd be amazed at how the foods u thought were your faves become gross to you as u realizze how unhealthy they are

eating out is an issue my uncle is alergic to corn syrup and gets real sick if he eats it and klike gluten thats in everything u gotta plan meals more catrefully but..every human should do that with the crap we call food these days ppl should pay closer attention to what they eat..

look at it this way

your forced to be healthy by being sick your illnes is forcing u to make healthier choices on a daily basis and u will love eatting healthy as u adjust

Wow Dreadfern, you made me feel hopeful! You should be a coach! LOL I am hoping that once I start looking aroound, that I will find good alternatives. I guess like anything, you don't think about something or really look until you have a need. I heard that some places like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods markets have gluten free lists in their stores and you can find alot of replacements. Thank you for your encouragement
Dreadfern said:

Girl i work at an organic grocery store, and people come in with your problem all the time, in fact one of my co workers is basically everything intolerant. she lives on vegetables, black beans, rice, tofu, soups and fruit... pretty much. she cant have sugar, wheat, dairy, grains and she's one of the most bubbly people i know. i'm sure it's going to be tough adjusting to such a different lifestyle but i KNOW you can do it. anything is possible. the mind is a very powerful thing. And there are plenty of wheat substitutes, gluten free flours, breads, pastas, chips, cereals... trust me we have it all at my store. I even know people that choose this lifestyle because eliminating all the processed and fake crap makes your body feel amazing, more energetic, and clear headed. also, the longer you go without something, your body eventually stops craving it. you got this, hang in there

Kristina, I am going to hold on to what you and SE said. I am feeling so ill that perhaps I can change for the better with less pain and sadness than I thought. My body is definitely not happy. I must do something. I will keep repeating: I CAN DO THIS! Thank you for encouragement.

Kristina P said:

you CAN do this and it will be for the best, for everyone and everything involved. Im vegan/vegetarian and while sometimes i miss meat and the smell of it is good, sometimes it smells horrid and Im so very glad i dont eat it anymore.

if you are clicking around on the interwebs you can find so many good and varied recipes for gluten free and meat free food. ididn'tbelieve people when they said theirtastebuds change after a while and don't desire the fatty/meaty/greasy stuff... but its true. try it for 30 days even if doc says its not gltuen related, i bet you will feel better.

Kristina!

Cheekychu, I think that is what scares me the most...knowing that I can never "treat" myself again...maybe you are right and once I start to feel better, I won't want to. I guess what is hard is not actually making the choice initially, but feeling like I have to. Well, it is for the best though huh? I am sure I will be messaging you. Thank you for your kind words and offer of help.

Cheekychu said:

oh my dear!! definitely a challenge it will be. but SE is right. not only will u adjust, but if u were to change ur lifestyle and what u consume, ud probably find that if u were to "treat urself" it probably wouldnt b much of a treat at all and may even taste disgusting. if u want u can message me and it would b my pleasure give u a few really good resources that may seriously motivate u to change ur diet, not bc u have to, but bc u'll want to. sometimes that makes all the difference. i wish u luck and strength!!!

Hey girl'] I have been all grain, gluten and sugar free since May and I dropped 31 lbs so far. After the first week you no longer crave sugar or the pasta, I eat as much as I want and feel SOOO much better. No more swelling, aching elbows and knees and my foot that had plantar fascitis (sp.) is almost completely recovered. I can't say enough about how wonderfully this has worked for me. I'm pretty sure it helped my hair grow faster to, hahaha. Message me and I'll message you what I eat (it's totally not vegan']) xo & praying for peace for you...Nancy

YES!! the treat isn't eating the bad for you thing...it's NOT eating it. You deserve to not eat it because you are worth it']

Panterra Caraway said:

Cheekychu, I think that is what scares me the most...knowing that I can never "treat" myself again...maybe you are right and once I start to feel better, I won't want to. I guess what is hard is not actually making the choice initially, but feeling like I have to. Well, it is for the best though huh? I am sure I will be messaging you. Thank you for your kind words and offer of help.

Cheekychu said:

oh my dear!! definitely a challenge it will be. but SE is right. not only will u adjust, but if u were to change ur lifestyle and what u consume, ud probably find that if u were to "treat urself" it probably wouldnt b much of a treat at all and may even taste disgusting. if u want u can message me and it would b my pleasure give u a few really good resources that may seriously motivate u to change ur diet, not bc u have to, but bc u'll want to. sometimes that makes all the difference. i wish u luck and strength!!!