Here’s how a typical day goes for me when I’m in a ‘I think I was glutened at some point in the past few weeks‘ stage.
I wake up at 5.
I spend a quality hour with my iPad, a few cups of coffee and a Kind bar.
Mid-morning, I’ll grab a bowl of cereal (usually Honey Chex or Gorilla Munch.)
Then I’ll down a handful of Wheat Thins.
(Kidding…just making sure you’re still paying attention.)
So far…so good. I got my senses. My energy is ok. Feeling focused.
Then comes lunch.
And…my…entire…day…goes…to…hell.
Which is a total bummer cause…you know…my day is only half way over.
It’s like somebody injected me with a large dose of tryptophan.
Lethargy…lack of focus…stomach ache. The stuff that dreams are made of!
And then normally, I won’t eat the rest of the day. I’ll even skip dinner and get into bed by 8.
And the cycle begins the next day again.
And then one day, my health kicks in and I’m back to normal and “me and food” are best buds again.
We’re like “Starsky & Hutch”. Like “Laverne & Shirley”. Like “Hawkeye and Trapper”. Like “Gilligan and the Skipper”.
Yes…I watched WAY too much TV as a kid.
And that day will indeed come. I will pull out of this.
But until then, who wants to eat when food is the enemy?
It is amazing how much of a familiar experience what you describe is. There are also the times when you just want something to eat *now* but have run out of those processed gluten free foods you like to snack on but probably shouldnt be eating anyway…
Then, once you finish thinking(moping) about food you cant eat anymore you drag out your GF cooking gear to make yourself something to eat.
And as I read this, I’m having my second bowl of cereal of the day.
Food is totally my enemy…I have to think about and analyze every morsel that goes into my mouth…I have to think about ingredients, but more than that I have to think about how it was made and where it was made and did my children stick their hand in the cheese container with breads crumbs on it….it is such a headache and such a drag that I usually end up eating a banana….I can always rely on my friend the banana! Lol
It’s a total drag Peggy, isn’t it?
Thank g*d for the banana!!
It is indeed….but on another note, you and I must be very close in age since those are the same shows I grew up watching…in fact I still know the theme songs!!! 🙂
“The millionaire….and his wife….”
So I just discovered your blog & love it! I have many environmental, insect, and food allergies (corn, oats, tomatoes, peanuts, avocados, and peaches) and SOME kind of wheat/gluten issue. All tests have come back negative, but even trace amounts make me sick as hell. I’ve been working my way backwards through your blog over the last few days because I’m lovin’ it so much (and I’m a teacher who suddenly has some free time on her hands). 😉
Right now I’m sitting (ok, laying) on the couch, drifting off to sleep at 3:30 in the afternoon for no apparent reason. I have a serious case of the gurgles & feel just like you described above. More than anything (even more than the pain itself), I hate that I don’t know what I ate that did this! Uggghh!
I just wish my husband would read this. I swear I’m not just lazy, but food just shouldn’t make you lethargic & brain-foggy! I personally know it can, but other people don’t always believe it’s food related – and besides “I must have eaten something” is getting redundant!
Sorry, I’m done now!
Thanks and welcome Becky.
And to your point, what we have is quite redundant…
“I don’t feel well.”
“Did I get glutened?”
Blah, blah, blah.
Having a crap day…no pun intended. Laying on the couch (work from home) after lunch and just decided to google..food is the enemy. And low and behold your article pops up from two years ago. I follow you now after being diagnosed 6 months ago (with the worst case the chicago doc has ever seen)
Here you are two years later so let me ask you, has the tiredness gone away finally? Had a lot of frustration this week at the docs. GF and strict for six months with no change? If I’m sacrificing something to better my life, when will it actually better my life?
I will let you know after my nap.
Just kidding.
I will tell you this…it took my a few years to begin to heal. And that’s only after I dropped most of the processed gfree crap from my diet…and give up dairy, soy and corn too (mostly).
Be patient. Your body has been thru hell and it will take time to get back to “normal”. Stay the course and you should be fine.
I know you have many comments of gratitude for verbalizing the unfamiliar experience of many. But even after all of the blogs, articles, and testimonies I’ve read this my first time hearing that I am not the only one who actually loses a desire to eat anything at all.
I have friends with other allergy, GI issues, and even gluten/corn issues and I’m always confused at how they don’t feel horror, apathy, or anger towards foods. Maybe I’m just more emotional and have a misplaced unhealthy schema. Either way, I tend to boycott food as well until I realize that my fatigue is from hunger and not gluten. Haha, oops!