The Road Here

This is a blog about gluten free living, including recipes  and photos of delicious edibles.   It is the story of my illness and health and the interconnectedness of this spectrum with diet.   I am not a doctor or nutritionist, chef, web designer or photographer.   I am a nurse and my kids call me ‘Miss Heidi.’

I have been gluten and dairy free since November 2009.  After over 3 years of debilitating muscle weakness and fatigue, I was finally diagnosed with gluten intolerance and several food allergies.   For that time period, the muscle weakness was constant and so severe that I had difficulty standing at a fax machine.  Thankfully, I had a desk job or I would have been on disability.  The symptoms worsened with my pregnancy, which made a terrifying situation worse.  We, meaning me, my husband, doctors and mother waded through the possibilities.   MS was at the top of the list and, with a family history, it was a real possibility.

During the pregnancy, the muscle weakness and fatigue were worse.   I also had occasional episodes of racing heart rate, extremely elevated blood pressure, nausea, sweaty palms and an increase in the muscle weakness after pushing myself physically. This would happen after physical exertion that would seem light to a healthy person, like climbing one flight of stairs.   I was sent to the doctor and left in a wheelchair because I was too weak to walk to my car.   Those episodes occurred a handful of times, always with the same outcome, home to rest for the next couple of days.  One morning, this cascade of symptoms occurred while sitting at my desk.   My only effort was to raise my arm to get a binder from a self.  Being in my mid to late 20s at the time and having been very active before made my situation psychologically very challenging.  There were moments when I would wonder if I would have the strength to hold my baby after her birth.

My symptoms changed a lot over the years and were progressively getting worse.  I went to this specialist and that, all saying in essence, “We don’t know.   Maybe see this specialist…” and out the door with me.   All my testing was normal. No MS.  That was good.   But why can’t I walk more than 20 minutes a day with out hanging on my husband?  Why terrible acne….heart palpitations and blood in my stool?  Episodes of head-to-toe muscle twitching that lasted up to an hour in length?   Finally, a neurologist slapped me with a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and recommended an old Parkinson’s drug to help with the weakness.   I don’t take medications and this one made me especially worried with side effects like permanent changes to the brain, permanent decrease in sexual inhibitions, becoming hypersexual, seizures, depression and on and on.  I did not take it.  I did find an M.D. who specializes in CFS, fibromyalgia and Lyme disease.   This specialist also practiced natural medicine.   After $3000 of  bizarre and obscure testing, according to western medicine’s standards,  and I finally had some answers.

Life has changed alot since then.  My diet is completely gluten free.  Mostly dairy free as well, but there a few times when I will lick my daughter’s ice cream or have a bite with butter in it.  Food and cooking are now a major focus of daily life.   I am able to run a couple of miles several times a week and keep up with my perfectly healthy, almost 4-year-old daughter.  I no longer have that constant nag of gravity pulling me down.  Life is easier and simpler.   I am content.

My goals with this blog are to reach newly diagnosed individuals or those who would like to try a gluten free diet and assist with the transition.  It is an extremely challenging time, but well worth the effort.  HEALTH IS POSSIBLE AGAIN.

This is a warning: this is not fast food.   A diet rich in a variety of fresh produce, nutrient packed grains (gluten free of course), dried legumes and beans takes time and care.  A “30 minute meal” is a rare thing in our house.   That being said, the rewards are bountiful.  Cooking time is also quality time with my husband and daughter.   Ruby Mae gets so excited about “doing the garlic.” What we mean by this is to put it in the press and watch the transformation.   She loves watching the veggies in the Cuisinart go round and round.   But best of all is being the “quality taste tester”.   It’s a great time for me to learn new things in the kitchen and maybe have some wine and converse with my husband.   The grand finale is sitting at the dining room table together with fabulously tasting, nourishing food that leaves me feeling completely satisfied.   My body is happy.   This all takes time and I believe it is time well spent.

For my next entry, I will share a couple of our staple gluten and dairy free snacks.  Snacks can be the most difficult foods to substitute because most of us are looking for the convenience of grabbing something in a hunger pinch.  However, you will find packaged/processed gluten free products are terrible in flavor, void of any nutritious qualities and EXTREMELY expensive.  The snacks I will include are quick, easy to prepare, inexpensive, delicious and healthy.  What more could you ask for?  Enjoy!