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Dear Friends,

First of all, I want to thank each and every one of you that responded
to my first posting!!  I received over 100 helpful replies!  I could
hardly believe that there were so many others *just like me*!  I am
trying to now be on a gf diet (notice I did not say am-for there are so
many hidden things that I am suspect of almost everything in my
kitchen), but find that it is not so easy (as all of you already know).

I went out to Whole Foods in Houston Saturday and bought many things
only to find that I reacted to several, so needless to say, the things
with corn, potatos and egg all have to go back.  I did find three cook
books (Betty H and another woman's can't remember her name) that are so
very helpful but they must be able to eat eggs, corn, potatos and dairy
and soy (all of which I can not have).  I already have the Allergy Self
Help Cook Book and pulled it back out for another reviewing.  Trouble is
you have to feel good to make much progress in organizing what you will
eat.  :)

Our new health insurance is effective as of today so will call soon to
get a blood test.  I have decided not to do the biopsy, as I see no good
reason.  I can already tell that not eating the triscuits and other
wheat products is helping me, even after only a few days!   My family is
very supportive and I know after reading many helpful things that this
just has to be the problem that I have been dealing with for so many
years. Hope those of you that are *pro* testing respect my decision.

Now, on to a few questions for you *pro's* at this.  I purchased
Arrowhead Mills Sweetened Rice cereal and a puffed Rice one as well.  It
says Wheat free on the box but I am finding by reading that it may be
deceiving.  Does anyone know about these?  I was eating Kashi!!  I know,
I know.......grains........No more, I promise!!!  I was eating it
everyday!!  With soy milk!!   What a mercy it is to finally find these
things out so I can stop eating them right away!!

  Well, I also bought Food for Life Wheat and Gluten Free Rice Pecan
Bread.  What about it?  I don't see it mentioned any where as safe?

Also, I am not sure that I can have yeast.  I think (only a guess mind
you, as I still don't know what reactions are from wheat and what are
from other things) that when I eat yeast it fills up my glands unders my
arms etc.  Anyone else have that happen?  Seems like my body makes
something to fight off what I am eating and then it overflows and
doesn't know where to go!  I ate a gluten free waffle yesterday (O-what
a mistake!!) but it had corn and potato flour in it.  I have stayed away
from corn and potatos for quiet some time as I thought they bothered me
but thought maybe it was just the wheat instead.  I was very wrong!!!
What a stomach ache, head ache, eye ache, mid life emotional crisis did
it bring forth!!! My poor children!!!  I am better today emotionally but
my gut is not in too good of shape.

For those of you that are *pro* testing, here is one of my reasons for
*not* having the biopsy.  I can't even begin to fathom putting any more
gluten in my intestines!!!  Seems to me to be a sort of suicide!!  Maybe
it takes one being as ill as I have been to be able to straightaway say
no!?  When one looks for so many years for an answer when one find it
the answer becomes precious, indeed!  And anything that would jeoprodize
getting better asap would to me be considered illogical, to say the
least.

I am sorry for such a lengthy posting.  I have not had anyone at all
that can help with all of this.  My family is wonderful but they have
not known what to do either.  My husband is out of town and when I told
him about this he was speechless!!  To think, that we finally have an
answer to this is so wonderful that everyone is breathless in our home!!

 It has been my prayer that the Lord would have mercy upon me, a
wretched sinner and grant wisdom in regard to my health.  I have a
family to take care of and love.  He is surely merciful!  I would like
to say, however, if He had not granted me this precious wisdom of celiac
He still would be and is my Wonderful God.  If I find I have cancer and
die from this very thing, who am I to complain against a Holy and
Righteous God!!   My time to be born and my time to die are in His
hands. I deserve nothing yet He gives me everything I need, when He
knows it is best!  Even the greatest affliction is a great mercy!!

We love reading puritan and reformed things of old, God has given me
strength to endure afflictions and difficulties for many years.  It is
not for myself that I have such joy in my heart over finding an answer
to my health problems, it is for my family, my very longsuffering
husband, our son of 11, our daughter of 27 and her dear husband, our
grandchildren 2 and 8 mo's our other daughter 24, her dear husband and
the new baby that is due to arrive mid March!  We have moved so many
times because I was allergic to our homes, my husband has built and
re-built over and over again.  We finally purchased a small little
abandoned home 2 years ago for him to gut and make it environmentally
safe for me as we could not find anywhere to live because I was allergic
to so many things.  In October of 98 our little home was flooded with
over 2 feet of water, God is so merciful!  None of our family perished!

Our grandbaby was sleeping in a portacrib close to the floor.  The water
rose 2 feet in the last hour before we left but our outside dog work us
up around 4 or we would have kept sleeping and our precious little
grandbaby would have drowned! God is merciful!

O, dear, here I have gone on so very long.  I better stop.  Please do
help me with my questions about the foods I have asked about.  I would
appreciate it so much.

With kind regards,
Pilgrim South
Mrs. James (Nancy) Moline
Texas
Sower's Seed
http://members.aol.com/SowersSeed/