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