ARGH - No answers!!

[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~