SO discouraged!

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 9:53 am

I don't seem to be healing at all. The cycle is the same, but yesterdays bout of D was particularly violent, and my abdomen feels like a truck driver student was learning to handle bumps on it and trying to flatten them out.
I have now lost over 10 lbs. Don't get me wrong. I needed to lose weight. Walking more with Licorice has probably also helped. But I am not doing anything foodwise to do so anymore.

OTOH, I am not really trying things to tempt myself anymore. As it is I still spend too much time in the kitchen. I am not really hungry, but I make myself eat because I know I need to.
Basically the only things I am making consistently are my oatcakes because that's what I can face at breakfast time. No eggs, just gluten free oats and coconut oil. They are very good, and can be used as a base for butters, jams and jellies you want to put on them.
And ice cream, now only with coconut milk and mangoes because I am moving backwards.

I am now going to go to lamb (the only meat to which I had NO reaction on the enterolab tests) potatoes (ditto), cooked spinach and carrots, mangoes and coconut milk for the most part. If I can get my gut to settle FINALLY I will add in more foods very slowly. I didn't react to beef of tilapia when I first started, so those will be first. Then we will see.
I have really been good re:gluten, except for being glutened 2 weeks ago, corn, rice, and, for the most part with dairy. I was using eggs in baking, but haven't for a while now. No more muffins until this starts to heal!
I wish I had money to do enterolab again
What a drag! But it's 2 years in September from dx and finding you and I need to figure out what to do about this.

patc73 · Post by **patc73** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 10:04 am

Lesley,
I'm sorry you're still having problems! When I'm flaring, I have to go back to the beginning, too, and start again with just the safe foods. I don't react to oatmeal, so that's one of my safe foods. Your oatcakes sound good...how do you make them?

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 10:07 am

So sorry, Lesley.

:bigbighug:

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 5:27 pm

Pat - it's been so long....
measure:
2 cups GF oats
1/4 cup brown sugar ( I use a cup of coconut sugar. It tastes the same and is better for you)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

cut
1 cup GF oat flour (can be made in the blender if you don't have it)
Cut in until crumbly - 1/4 cup of earth balance or any shortening you can tolerate. ( I freeze it and grate it into the flour. Easier to handle.)

Add the oat mixture and the buttermilk, combine

Oven 325.
Shape cakes, flattened and as large as a cookie.
Bake for about 30 minutes until brown.
Cool on a rack.

They soften, so I, liking them crisp, bake them for a few minutes before eating.

Joan - Your enterolab results and mine are pretty similar. I know how you feel!

Deb · Post by **Deb** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 6:13 pm

Hugs, Lesley! You've had a long, hard road. Deb

Sheila · Post by **Sheila** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 6:39 pm

I'm so sorry, Lesley. Wishing you Normans soon.

:bigbighug:

Sheila W

patc73 · Post by **patc73** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 8:07 pm

Thanks, Lesley! How much buttermilk?

Leah · Post by **Leah** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 9:52 pm

So sorry Lesley. I can feel your frustration. I am also trying to still figure things out.
Good luck
Leah

Gloria · Post by **Gloria** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 10:46 pm

I hope you get better soon, Lesley.

Gloria

Robin · Post by **Robin** » Sun Jun 16, 2013 9:06 am

Hi Lesley....Sorry to hear your having the D's again! It happens to me too once in awhile and I just go back to the basics. I hope you get in under control...because that the hard part! Good luck! I will send you a Reiki healing and hope that it helps!

Love & Light
Robin

MBombardier · Post by **MBombardier** » Sun Jun 16, 2013 9:06 am

I'm sorry, Lesley. :bigbighug:

Costco just started carrying Australian lamb. I bought a roast the other day and cooked it with a rub that included fresh mint, olive oil, garlic, and I can't remember what all. It was really good! Took me back to my childhood, lol.

My 15yo, Sierra, had trouble eating it because she sort of felt cannibalistic since God calls us sheep so much in the Bible.

MaggieRedwings · Post by **MaggieRedwings** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 6:55 am

Feel so bad for you Lesley and do hope things improve. It seems like going back to the beginning is the only way to really overcome things - and yes, it IS a real drag.

Love, Maggie

Martha · Post by **Martha** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 7:50 am

Dear Lesley,

I'm so sorry that you aren't seeing improvement. I hope that you can figure things out soon, and begin to feel more like yourself.

:flowersmiley:

Love,
Martha

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 5:16 pm

Pat - 3/4 cup. Sorry! I use coconut milk + 1tsp lemon juice. I Have to make some. I am totally out.
Another thing - I am tired of baking.

Robin, thanks for the Reiki. Hoping it latches on.

Marliss - Costco has had Australian or New Zealand lamb for a long time, but it's not grass fed. TJs gets GF lamb. I have just ordered a box of real GF lamb. I had a chop yesterday. It was delicious. Best I have had for a LONG time. It really did remind me of my childhood.
Did you add rosemary and lemon? That's how I do it.

Thanks Martha, Maggie, Gloria and Leah. I just want to have a period of respite. It's not non stop D, but it's gurgling at night and the BM is formed, but full of mucous. I haven;t seen Norman even ONCE!

Polly · Post by **Polly** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 7:52 am

Oh, RATZ, Lesley,

Two years now and still having significant symptoms. That sucks.

I am wondering why you are thinking of repeating the enterolab tests. Do you think the sensitivities have changed?

Rather than spend the $ on repeat tests, have you considered the MRT? I don't believe it costs much more than the enterolab tests. It seems to me that you definitely have multiple sensitivities, since you are still not seeing improvement. It was a huge help to me in finally getting a handle on all of my sensitivities.

You say you are tired of baking. I can relate. I try to do a lot of my cooking in one day (soups, meat muffins, grilled chicken, etc.) and then freeze individual portions to nuke later.

Here's a thought........have you tried a trial of no grains or dairy or processed foods of any kind? Even though tests show I can tolerate rice, quinoa, oats, and millet, I find that if I eat ANY grain I do not feel my optimal best. Any dairy makes me sick - I would be on the toilet within 2 hours if I ate something with buttermilk as an ingredient, for example. Also, I react to highly processed foods of any kind - like Earth Balance soy-free spread, which has 10 separate ingredients in it.

I know this sounds like a drastic diet (especially for a seasoned- and I'm sure, wonderful - baker/cook like you) but maybe a few mos. without those foods would help. The good news about a paleo trial is that you won't have to bake! Little to no baking involved with paleo. Talk about a lifestyle change! LOL.

Did you ever try the histamine blockers like Claritin and Zantac?

Hang in there, dear. I know you can eventually get to the bottom (no pun intended) of this.

Love,

Polly