<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Thanks to all of you who offered suggestions on how to get through surgery
gluten-free.  My surgery this morning (D & C) went well and I am on the mend.
As suggested, I took my own food for post-op snack, and the nurse kindly kept
it in the fridge.  I insisted (politely) that they verfy the GF status of all
the prescription medication they gave me.

One other thing I did which is not related to celiac, but helped my health
in general: I took a tape player and a cassette of music that I find very
meditative and healing; I told the anesthetist beforehand that I was going
to listen to it and put myself into a deep meditative state that would
slow my breathing and heart rate. I listened to it during surgery even
though I was asleep, and again in the recovery room as soon as I came to.
(My husband helped with that.) (This also helped me with my hospital
anxiety, which is left over from when I was a toddler and almost died in
the hospital during my celiac crisis.)

The anesthetist said he had to use very little sedation on me, and that I
did most of it myself. So I have probably had less anesthesia hangover
and feel better this evening than I would have otherwise. I also have had
no post-operative pain and haven't had to take any of those supposedly GF
medications that I made them check out.
Thanks again to you all.

Sherill Roberts
McMinnville, Oregon