ARGH - No answers!!

[Xrayted]

My hands and feet get itchy (and little tiny deeeeep down blisters) when I encounter gluten. Seems like hands and feet are so sensitive, they must just react first to everything.

Tongues, too. My tongue gets bald spots when I eat some gluten.

No wonder all those general practitionar look-sees involve checking the mouth, hands, and feet!

Hmmm... Knot, I didn't know it could do that. My one niece has the occasional itchy hands/feet problem since her two kids were born. Wonder if that may be part of the solution. Thanks! (You ladies never cease to astound me with your knowledge.)

LBTC - Sorry to hear that. But then again, that means there's one more out of the way and you're one step closer to finding out what's going on. (The gallbladder thing made total sense, though.)
I know you must be getting impatient with the whole thing, but try to hang in there. Your good health is worth waiting for the correct diagnosis. In the meantime, try to keep your mind off it. Ok, ok, I know how that sounds. I've had people tell me that too. Sounds like a bunch of horsesh*t, right? Yeah, I guess it is in a way. It took me a while to realize that worrying over what I had no control over was actually making it worse.
Being a giver, naturally I dug myself out of the emotional hole I was in by putting my energy into others. I got a puppy and spent lots of time with my family and friends. I did so much babysitting for the kids in my family when I was laid up that I think a few of them thought I was their Mom. (Actually, for 3 of them, I was for a while. But that's another story.) They all certainly ate through my refrigerator like they were mine. (I've got 17 of them now!)
My point is, find what works for you. No matter what we all say, you're the only one who truly knows who you are and what you need to live. When I say "live" I don't mean eat, sleep, and breathe. That's just existing. I mean besides the bike, what floats your canoe, bends your bamboo...? The answer is usually right in front of you if you open your mind and heart.

Good luck and take care!!

Cindy

[LBTC]

Thank you, Cindy

Yes, I have another passion - photography. And doors are opening in that area of my life. I am trying to keep a positive attitude, accept that now is a time to rest my body and nurture my creativity....

A lot of my identity (of the me I really love), has been around my strength and fitness. Without the intensity of biking and kickboxing, and with an almost always bloated belly, my self image is suffering, which also makes my positive energy and creativity suffer.

Add to that that I live in a new city and the only realy friends we've made so far are bikers in great health who ride a lot. We like them a lot, but know that they'd rather be out riding most of the time, so haven't even spent much time with them.

For reasons that are hard to explain here (but I've touched on in many a previous post), our circle of friends was reduced to a few people that once in awhile would respond when we contact them.....and they all live a few hours away.

I'm hoping that somehow I can find the energy and the ideas to start to cultivate some friendships. Tonight we actually went to a neat group thing, and met another couple who also have dogs and were very nice. Who knows, we might have made some friends there....

Anywhoooooo.....sorry again for the sad voice in posting. I am trying, really, and hoping for the best outcome.

Thanks for your ideas and support.

Another lady I met tonight felt strongly that I should do a liver cleanse. She recommended Royal Body Cleanse - it's one with lots of herbal and vitamin supplements, and a neutral diet (not a fasting cleanse). I'm scared of cleanses, but willing to do some research on it. Have any of you had any experience with liver cleanses or with this one in particular? I'm thinking I should ask the specialist about it, before I try it, but would love to have some facts before I see him.

And, Knotted, I truly do hope that it's not a gluten intolerance. The itchy hands and feet are a new development in only the last few weeks. The nausea and side pain, and the fatigue at exertion have been around since July. Gluten is incredibly hard to remove from the diet! Yikes!

Thanks again for your support, good wishes, and great ideas....and for letting me vent!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[KnottedYet]

It's not really that hard to remove gluten. If it turns out you do have gluten intolerance or celiac disease or wheat allergy or something similar, DON'T PANIC! Just send me a PM and we'll get you through it!

http://cbs4boston.com/seenon/local_story_287191815.html

http://www.celiac.org/

(BTW: my particular brand of gluten intolerance gets much worse when I'm stressed. When things are cool and groovy I can eat a bite of bread or two without distress. Even though I'm not supposed to.)

[DDH]

Have you been tested for Coeliac disease or glutten intolerance?

Here are a list of the symptoms for that. I have a friend who's son has this problem. He cannot eat anything with gluten in it.

What is coeliac disease?

Coeliac disease (also known as gluten-sensitive enteropathy or coeliac sprue) is a condition of the small intestine.

Gluten, a substance found in wheat, barley and rye, reacts with the small bowel, causing damage by activating the immune system to attack the delicate lining of the bowel, which is responsible for absorbing nutrients and vitamins.

In adults the symptoms may be similar, including weight loss with pale, offensive diarrhoea, or constipation and abdominal bloating with 'wind'.

Half of adults with coeliac disease do not have any symptoms from the bowel. They approach their doctor because of extreme tiredness, psychological problems like depression, bone pain and sometimes even fractures (due to thinning of the bones), ulcers in the mouth or a blistering, itchy skin rash mostly on the elbows and knees (called dermatitis herpetiformis).

[LBTC]

Thank you Knotted and DDH.

When I see the GI specialist, it will be on my list of what could this be....along with, could it still be my gallbladder, could I have had strep throat this spring and it was misdiagnosed by the walk-in clinic doctor and it's caused this problem, could I have chronic hepatitis C, could I have chronic appendicitis...

if anyone thinks of anything else to add to the list, please let me know! I want to go in with loads of questions. I'll also sit down and finally write down as best as I can recollect what all of my symptoms have been over time, and do my best to identify how frequently and how long etc.

I am hoping it's not celiac, but if it is it is very comforting to know that you great ladies are here to help support me through it! Thank you!!

Hugs and butterflies,
~Teresa~