I'm back.

Hi there. Just got back from vacation. It was a good time, and I went prepared with plenty of GF snacks. I figured that was the key, since eating out gets kinda complicated. We ate out, presumably successfully, a few times with only one abysmal failure (not in the GF department, but the food was expensive and gross).

I can't really give an update on how I feel at the moment, considering that I have been feeling yucky since last week. Some sort of bug, I don't know. I have finally started to feel better today, no fever (as far as I can tell). I start my first rotation tomorrow, so I'm hoping for the best.

My next challenge is figuring out how to pack a good GF lunch. I'll be at the hospital all day from now on, and I'm wondering what I'm going to pack. I got very used to coming home in between classes to eat lunch. It was a pretty familiar routine- ride my bike back like the wind, get home at 11, turn on Gilmore Girls rerun, raid the fridge and cook myself a decent lunch. It was usually something simple like spaghetti (pre-GF days), or sometimes an experiment (leftover taco meat with rice and cheese?), and scurry back to school by 12. Or 12:05.

Anyway. I'm at a loss for what to pack tomorrow. I specifically made leftovers of our supper tonight so that my dear hubby has something for lunch tomorrow. I was so proud that I thought ahead. Except- I forgot to include myself in the lunch picture!

Ok, I'm off to try and get everything around for tomorrow. I don't feel like I really know anything, but I'm trying not to worry too much about it. Wish me luck!

Hmm...

So I've been making phone calls like it's my job. I had to call the doctor a few times (they're pawning me off to a dietitian), call the dietitian, call the insurance a bunch of times, and then call the dietitian back to cancel the appointment, after a bunch of phone calls to find the number again after losing it. Why? Because a dietetic consult is not covered under my diagnosis. They will cover it for diabetes and that's all. Even though my condition is solely managed by dietary intervention, it's not covered. I didn't really feel the need to meet with a dietitian in the first place, but what about all the other people just being diagnosed with Celiac? Hmm... guess I'll just keep going it alone.

Another thing- I'm wondering if I'm still anemic. I'm wondering if that is why I don't feel much better. Unfortunately, the doctor just put me on some Prevacid because he thinks that my weird abdominal pain/swallowing issues are acid-related. Low acid makes it even harder to absorb iron, so I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place. Maybe I should just ask my family doc to check my hemoglobin. Hmm...

Are you feeling better now?

I've gotten this question a few times, and I'm never sure what to say. I don't want to lie and pretend that everything is hunky-dory, but I don't want to be Debbie Downer (btw- great SNL sketch) and tell the truth. To my disappointment, I actually don't feel that great. I oftentimes feel worse than I did before going GF. Right now, I'm having some very uhh... unique pains in my esophagus/stomach, especially when I eat or drink. There has never been pain before. I think I'm going to call the Dr. about it tomorrow. I'm still tired all the time and the depression/anxiety has been a roller coaster ride. My esophagus feels "tight" at random times, as before. Just when I think I'm starting to feel a tad better, I crash and am right back where I started.

I know that it takes a long time to heal from Celiac, and I know it can take at least 6 months to replenish iron stores, but I'm starting to feel a little discouraged. I read other people's stories about how they felt better within days of being GF. It's been about a month now, what's up?!

Update

I don't have too much to update on. I haven't tried anything too crazy lately. I did try to eat at Red Robin, but I think I'm a dork and their BBQ sauce was bad for me. Guess I'll just have to stick to Mom's homemade BBQ... Mmmm...

I'm mostly just trying to get done with school for the moment and have a little break here. I might try making some Cocoa Pebbles Treats (like Rice Krispies, but the darn manufacturer has to put malt flavoring in them...). Thanks to "kill the gluten" for that idea, and thanks to Mom for giving me Cocoa Pebbles. Oh- and thanks to the guy at Meijer who told me where the marshmallows were after walking through the store three times. Ok, I'm off to make them now. Update in a bit.

Update: Wow, way yummy. I almost think they're better than Rice Krispie Treats. (btw- is the singular form Krispie or Krispy? didn't learn that in English class...) I had to stop after about one and a half squares, mostly because it was major sugar overload. And you know that if I think it's really sweet, it must be pretty darn sweet.

Yum.

Ode to Pamela's Products

Pamela- you are my new bestest friend. You have brought decent chocolate cake into my gluten-free existence. I just want you to know that... I love you. And now- an ode to Pamela.

Who could make me, in the middle of the night,
Boot up my laptop 'cause I just have to write?
Pamela.
Who makes cake mix, add in some sour cream,
That makes me hope I'm not in a dream?
Pamela.
Who makes me feel, in my gluten-free world,
That not every GF product will cause me to hurl?
Pamela.

Anyway- I was still in a baking mood after my pizza crust turned out so-so. Thus, in a spirit of procrastination, I whipped up the cake mix I'd been wanting to try (Pamela's Products Chocolate Cake Mix). As my eyes scanned the colorful package, I noticed a recipe for ultra-rich cake with sour cream. Sounds like a winner! So with only four other ingredients (one was water, does that even count?), I baked a cake.

Good news- it's good. Better news- the batter was good :) Texture is somewhat in between that of cake and a brownie, but acceptable.

I remember the last real cake I made, right before I went GF. I'd been looking through my cupboards for all the things I would have to get rid of, and found the chocolate cake and matching frosting I'd been saving for a cake-requiring occasion. I decided to make it that night, wouldn't want it to go to waste... I remember savoring every moment of stirring, spatulating, and licking the beaters of the wonderful chocolateness, anticipating that this time would be the last. Lo and behold, I needn't have worried.

Thank you, Pamela.

Pizza?

Not really sure how to rate this one- Gluten Free Pantry's French Bread/ Pizza Crust Mix. I tried making pizza crust. Instructions were pretty vague. It took awhile to mix up all the different ingredients, then let it rise, etc. So an hour after I started mixing, I was valiantly trying to spread the dough into two baking sheets. Sticky, gooey mess. I was going to make two crusts, and I had plenty of dough, but I couldn't spread it thin enough to use two sheets. So I finally globbed it all onto one pan in a relatively uniform fashion...

Baking was fairly successful, lots of expansion, and I ended up with a large rectangular loaf of bread. Giving it the benefit of the doubt, I cut part of it off, added pizza toppings, and baked some more. If I'd been trying to bake a fluffy loaf of bread, I probably would have been happy. However, it was pretty squishy as pizza. Tasted good, good substitute for bread maybe, but pizza? Nope. Not how I made it. I'm guessing there's plenty I could do next time to change it, try to make it thinner, use some rice flour to make it less sticky. We'll see if I try it again.

I think it's continuing to expand in my stomach.