Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from June, 2012

Disclaimer

This blog provides general information and discussion about medicine, health and related subjects. The words and other content provided in this blog, and in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice. If the reader or any other person has a medical concern, he or she should consult with an appropriately-licensed physician or other health care worker. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog or in any linked materials. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. The views expressed on this blog and website have no relation to those of any academic, hospital, practice or other institution with which the authors are affiliated. DISCLAIMER REGARDING THIRD PARTY LINKS The Site may, from time to time, contain links to other (“third party”) web sites. These links are provided solely as a convenience and not as a guarantee or recomm

Gluten Free Mama - Mama's Almond Blend

Our first bag of Mama's Almond Blend  - All Purpose GF Flour arrived today.  We really like King Arthur's All Purpose GF Flour, but Mama's blend was highly recommended by a friend so we thought we'd give it a try.  It is $2.41 cheaper than King Arthur, for a 4lb bag, so that's a plus!  I'll add a review once we've tried it...

A Backyard Adventure

The kids talked me into sleeping in the tent tonight...and yes, that's the dog! Wish me luck! Also, I'm happy to report our first week of being gluten-free went very well! Buddy had 4 days of grumpiness, 2 nights with nightmares, and 2 days with a headache...but that is all behind us now and he's feeling great. The bloating, pain, nausea and reflux have gone away! He tested out a Lactaid pill with a plate of nachos and it worked like a charm. He is excited about his new diet and he is interested in helping me cook. Watch for some cooking pics in our future posts!

Celiac Disease: Dining Out

This is a great video showing a family dining out and the questions that need to be asked when ordering a meal.

My FructMal Girl...and Celiac Boy?

Well, this is all starting to starting to sink in... We saw Dr. L on the 3rd of June for a follow-up with Tootsie and to have Buddy seen for his increasing discomfort and array of symptoms.  These are the symptoms he presented with: Bloating Constipation Reflux Sharp abdominal pain Lactose intolerance  Large volume stools...large diameter Leg bruising Joint Pain Muscle Pain Feeling like he was going to vomit at bedtime Irritability/moodiness...Buddy said he felt like he had a bad temper. Dr. L listened carefully to everything we said and decided to start with an endoscopy.  I could see the wheels turning as he was listening to us and felt like he was leaning toward celiac disease, but couldn't believe our boy could have it.  Just 5 days later, on June 13th, Buddy had the scope done and while he was under they did blood work as well.  He was very nervous about the whole thing, but put on a brave face and did very well!  After it was all done he said, "That was

GF Breaded Cod

GF Breaded Cod We save our Udi's White Sandwich Bread heals in the freezer and throw a few in the food processor when we are in need of bread crumbs. Ingredients: 3 Cod Fillets Udi's Crumbs (3 heals) 1 egg a few shakes of parsley & salt to taste Coat the cod fillets in egg, then bread crumbs and sprinkle with parsley & salt.  Bake at 400ºF for 15-18 minutes.

Egg, Bacon & Cheese Panini

Egg, Bacon & Havarti Panini on Udi's White Sandwich Bread  1 fried egg 1 or 2 strips of cooked bacon 1 slice of havarti cheese Udi's White Sandwich Bread Butter the outer sides & Press! (sorry for the blurry cell phone pics)

GI Follow-Up

Tootsie had a great check-up with the GI doctor yesterday.  She is 44.4 inches and 41 pounds.  At her last appointment in February she was 43.8 inches and 39 pounds - she's growing!  Dr. L would like to keep her on a maintenance dose of Xifaxan for 6 more months since it is working so well for her.  She takes 200mg, 2x/day, for 5 days - once a month.  Our next follow-up will be in November sometime.

FODMAP Challenges

Here is a list of foods to be challenged by carbohydrate category - after you've found your happy, symptom-free place, with the 3-week FODMAP elimination.  You want to pick one category to challenge at a time.  Each new food should be challenged alone for 3 days - you don't want to challenge two foods at once or you'll never know which caused the reaction.  It is strongly recommended to do food eliminations and challenges under the care of a registered dietician.  You should also keep a detailed food journal - listing everything that goes in your mouth, along with symptoms, and BM frequency, size & consistency. Here is a link to a FODMAP Friendly dietician directory by state...and I highly recommend Patsy Catsos' book, IBS--Free at Last, second edition .  It is a fantastic book that will walk you through the challenges and includes shopping lists & meal plans. Lactose Challenge - (we do okay with lactose) Cheese, in larger servings Cottage cheese Milk

FODMAP Elimination Diet

This is the FODMAP elimination diet plan we followed when Tootsie was first diagnosed. However, she couldn't and still cannot tolerate fruit so we have taken all fruit out except for ripe banana. It is recommended that you eat only the allowed foods for a few weeks to establish a baseline (free of IBS symptoms). Allowed Grains/Starches : Amaranth Buckwheat Corn Flakes (Erewhon brand - corn & salt) Corn Tortillas Crackers (rice or corn) Rice crackers Rice Krispies Popcorn Potato Potato chips (plain) Rice cakes Soba Noodles (100% buckwheat) Tortilla chips Allowed fats : Nuts (except pistachios) Oil (any type, including coconut and garlic infused) Olives (black) Peanut butter (peanuts, salt) Seeds (sunflower, sesame) Butter Margarine Mayonnaise Half-n-half Sour cream Whipping cream Cream cheese Allowed vegetables (small serving sizes if you suspect FM): Bamboo shoots Bean sprouts Bok Choy Carrots (limited) Celery (limited) Cucumber (English