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                   Musings from a Longtime Member
                   ------------------------------
                         by Marcia Campbell

Remember how you felt when you finally had a diagnosis for all the
complaints you had been hauling from doctor to doctor?  Granted:  The
relief of a diagnosis was elating because you knew you were not on
your death bed...yet!  But as you left the doctor's office with your
diagnosis and a cheery "just stay on a GF diet and you'll be fine"
ringing in your ears--what do you do now?  Well, since we published
the last Shopping Guide in October, I can't tell you how glad so many
people have been to find a definitive list of GF choices to guide them
in shopping for food.  I'd like to relate some of the remarks that
have come in the mail with a check and a request for the Shopping
Guide:

   "I received your name and mailing address from Nancy Jackson,
   University of Iowa.  She told me that your celiac group is quite
   active and that you have a shopper's guide that is quite helpful."
                                  --Lynda Nelson (Fargo, North Dakota)

   "Just a short note to let you know how much I appreciate all the
   effort your group went through to put the Shopper's Guide together!
   Being a newly diagnosed celiac with lactose and fructose
   intolerances presents a major challenge for me!  However, knowing
   where to start, by using your guide, has made so much difference
   for me in how I prepare my 'few foods' left on my very restricted
   diet!!  I especially appreciated the extended listing of spices and
   herbs!  So thank you again and yes, you all should be proud of this
   Guide!"             --Lynda Nelson again, after receiving the guide

   "...I'm sure I will save hours of label reading time."
                             --Beverly Chevalier (Hamden, Connecticut)

   "My husband (the celiac) and family are greatly anticipating a trip
   to Florida to go to Disney World.  As we embark on this adventure I
   need to do some meal planning and feel you Shopping Guide would be
   of great value.  Thanks for your help.  God bless us when Celiacs
   help Celiacs."                            --Iva Ruehs (Jesup, Iowa)

   "...We sincerely appreciate all the work you people have done.  Our
   life has been made much easier because of you all."
                                     --Leigh Hornick (Iowa City, Iowa)

   "...I was thrilled to discover that the Tri-(City) Celiac Support
   Group has put together a list of gluten free products.  The other
   list I have is not very accurate and terribly inadequate.  I heard
   that your list is more comprehensive and reliable....Please thank
   your group for me for doing the work necessary to put together such
   a list.  My beautiful 3 year old celiac daughter will forever be
   grateful."                       --Mark Whitney (Chandler, Arizona)

   "I would like a gluten free shopping guide.  I'm 12 and I think it
   would be very helpful to have this guide."
                           --Christy Woodcock (Wayland, Massachusetts)

   "I recently read in the Tri-County Celiac Sprue Support Group's
   Sprue-Nik Press which I got from the Listserv on the [Inter]net,
   that you have compiled a new shopping guide....I am the Sec/Treas
   for the RI/Mass Celiac Support Group for Kids."
                                 --Kelly Leech (Lincoln, Rhode Island)

   "Betty Elofson brought a copy of your Shopping Guide back from the
   national convention.  The Lyles have done a beautiful job putting
   information together!"        --Pat Mohrbacher (Lakewood, Colorado)

You see, Celiacs are helping Celiacs!  And the Shopping Guide (which
has gone to a second printing of 100 copies since the original 275
were presented to our group in October) is one of the most important
tools we have for use in choosing GF foods.  We owe much to Jim and
Vicki Lyles for the efforts they made in writing the letters to the
manufacturers and compiling the answers into our Shopping Guide
format.  One other useful tool has been the Internet.  Jim has our
group on-line and many of the requests came through that forum.

A comment I would like to make is that the requests for the guide also
came through chapters, support groups, conferences, and individuals.
It is apparent that reliable, usable information is much needed.  As a
well-organized group we owe it to all celiacs to keep making an effort
to provide the best, most current information possible....to our group
and to all celiacs.  That also means that more than a few need to
pitch in with the hard, tedious work of writing letters to
manufacturers, compiling information and publishing what we have
learned.  When you are asked to help, please say, "Yes".  We all need
each other.  (When I say celiacs, I am also including those with
Dermatitis Herpetiformis--since a GF diet is a strict requirement for
DH'ers as well.)

Thank you to the Lyles' for a job very well done.