Hello! New to the list...

[Guest guest]

Hello! I wanted to introduce myself. I'm Ruthie and I live in Montana

(just moved here from South Texas). I'm not sure if I have a gluten

sensetivity, but I'm reading up on it, and this is why (*note* very

unscientific!):

 

For the past several months, my eating patterns have been quite

regular. Most mornings, I eat a smoothie for breakfast. I usually

bring a soup or salad to lunch with me at work. This type of eating

makes me feel great! I have noticed, though, that when I forget my

lunch and buy carrot sticks, an apple, and a bagel, I get the most

intense crampings/bloating three to four hours after eating. This has

been my first " insight " into how wheat might affect my body... but

it's brought up some interesting points. In 8th grade, right after I

went veggie, I pretty much lived off bread and rolls, cheese pizza,

etc. Also at this time I started experiencing severe pain in my

stomach. I remember coming home and crying because my pants were

squeezing me and I couldn't hold my stomach in (though they had fit

that morning), eventually I had an upper GI and swallowed the barrium

(don't remember what this test is called), and the doctor pressed on

my stomach and it was painful and they said it seemed like I had acid

reflux and gave me Prevacid. I eventually determined I didn't need to

take it and stopped. What's weird to me is, if it is wheat that

is/was causing this uncomfort, is it possible that I just ignored it?

I've eaten wheat all my life, and have even enjoyed baking

bread/pastries, so if I did truly have a sensetivity, isn't it most

likely that I would have known by now? Though the cramping seems more

severe and painful now than ever before, could it be the case that

I'd had mild discomfort in the past and simply ignored it? I *am*

trying to tune in to my body's signals more now, but Im shocked that

they would be screaming this to me so soon.

 

I know I could probably solve all my questions by getting tested, but

unfortunately I'm lacking in health insurance right now, so I'll have

to make do. I've been simply eating wheat free most of the time (and

paying close attention to how I feel) and then introducing wheat

again (for example, a few days ago I made peanut butter cookies, then

last night we had pasta for dinner) to see if I feel differently. So

far what I've noticed, besides the intense bloating/cramping, is

super stinky gas (even my husband noticed that! how embarrassing!)

even though we ate no beans or cabbage, loose stools, but definately

not diarreah, sluggishness/fatigue, fuzzy thinking (I've noticed it's

sometimes harder for me to come out with complete sentences when I'm

speaking), and tingling skin.

 

These are probably enough to tell me something! I'm just stubborn and

as my dad says, I've always been a hypochondriac and we have no

history of celiac disease. But my brother does have Asberger's! (I

doubt that makes much of a difference, I just read there may be a

connection) I think I'm mostly very hesitant to give up wheat

because, as I said, in the past I've really enjoyed baking...

everyone loves bread and cookies fresh from the oven. Especially me!