My brain is a blankness

I not home right now. Please to be leaving a message ok thanks. http://icanhascheezburger.com.
I'm in class, waiting for it to begin. Brain is empty, to be filled by AS400 and iSeries fun times.
Ok, thx bye

"Hey...

... I didn't know Wolverine was in this movie!"
"Yeah, Hugh Jackman, he's on the cover."
"Oh, I didn't recognize him without his sideburns."

Pancake goblin says...

YES!
I tried a gluten-free pancake mix this morning (Gluten-Free Pantry's Brown Rice Waffle and Pancake (and Soda Bread) Mix by Glutino). As my husband is stuffing almost half of a pancake into his mouth he says, "I don't like them at all." Then he finishes the other two... So yeah, he likes 'em :D They're not bad! Almost like a real pancake! Especially with peanut butter and syrup on 'em...

Oh and I found out that I can't use Pam spray... grain alcohols in the ingredients... I cleared out my cupboard and will take in the various flours and mixes into work onTuesday...

Coffee update: I had a cup yesterday! No tummy ache! WOOT! It was, however, medium roast, not the extra bold of my usual... I'll work slowly toward that, but I don't want to be back to the 6 to 8 cups a day like I was... PG Tips tea = the best :D

Have a lovely holiday weekend - I'll be finishing up two projects due on Thursday, as well as other homework on top of that...

And the winner is....

(*drum roll*) - Celiac disease! No Ulcer! Still waiting on the vestibular testing...

So, because my symptoms are not typical for Celiac (hardly any really), I am a potential case study for my gastroenterologist - his "Celiac Buddy" as he put it. I'll journal about my symptoms and how they have changed, maybe do a recorded interview for the med students at UofM, send resources that I find to him. The first question out of everyone's mouth so far - "Are they paying you???" We haven't really talked about this - I'd be happy to interview or whatever to further understanding about Celiac; otherwise we need to talk.

2 weeks and counting for the vestibular testing...

Outback = AOK

So I went to dinner with friends at Outback Steakhouse because they have a *gasp* Gluten Free Menu! It tells you what to ask to have left off, and just asking for the menu signals the staff. It was pretty darn good!
It was a nice change from homework and paying bills, which is what I'm doing now...

Now you're getting it!

I'm getting used to this whole "gluten-free" thing - a lot of good products on the market (eating a delish rice-crust personal pizza right now). Then they throw in the wrench - ulcer! That's why I've been having a hard time drinking my morning coffee! I can't even drink coffee now! What next, chocolate? Cheese?

An important point, and enough whining
I'm finding out that Celiac disease is genetic. Symptoms include headaches, diarrhea, anemia, gas, fatigue, depression, osteoporosis. If you have any of these and don't know why, but have a family member with either Celiac or another auto-immune disease, I urge you to get a blood test. If the blood test is positive, then you'll get the EGD, but it might make your life a whole lot easier! I've had headaches for freakin EVER, and this might just be why! And now's a great time to find out, because there are tons of gluten-free items on the market - including a gluten-free beer by Anheuser-Busch, and this delicious rice-crust pizza I just finished. There's some bad crap out there too...

Rotton bananas?

So after waiting in the waiting room for over 30 mins(which was nicely equipped with some 'puters and the internets), I finally got called back. I get my little blue socks (woot! free socks!), and change into the gown.
Then the fun begins! As they're asking me questions ('Do you have diabetes? Do you have any dentures or a partials? Do you have any autoimmune diseases (to which I answered 'Not that I know of yet!')?'), they're poking me with the IV needle. My veins are uncooperative (I haven't had water for 2.5 - 3 hours at that point - duh!), and after some fishing around, they finally get one in my hand. Then the freakin cold sticky pads to monitor my vitals (why they have to be so cold???).
I wait for a few, crackin jokes with my hubby, when they come to get me. Say bye to hubby, then I get wheeled in the bed to the procedure room - talk about motion sickness! Ugh!
Once in the procedure room they hook me up to the machines and I wait a little longer (it's after 4 by now - my appt was at 2:30...). The doc comes in and gives me the rundown of what's gonna happen (I'd done my reading so I knew - no surprises for this girl!).
So the anesthetist (sp?) gives me some pink stuff to swallow, then adds the anesthesia to the IV (weeee!). Just before I'm out they spray the junk in my mouth to stop the gag reflex. The doc said it tastes a bit like rotten bananas. I didn't really get that flavor - more like dirty sweat socks dipped in cough syrup... something close to that. Anyway, I remember saying how gross it was, then I woke up in the "recovery room". Sweet! Love that...
A nurse comes in and asks what I'd like to drink - they've got ginger ale, I'll take it!
So I got pictures of my intestines if anyone wants to see! LOL
The doc was pretty sure I have Celiac - I'll get the results when I see my gastroenterologist next week.
Hubby took me to dinner (wasn't allowed to cook - even microwave!), so we went to Whole Foods. He loves the pizza, I got a "Chicken Fun" bowl (rice noodles, fo shizzle). After eating, we got some of my fave stuff from Whole Foods Gluten Free bakery, then went to the bookstore. I was a little light on my feet, but I was ok. But by the time we got home, I was straight to bed. Actually, I slept a good portion of the way home (granted, it's a 45 minute drive). So that's why I'm up now. I was hungry and have had a monster headache since before the EGD...

So I guess I'll take some Tylenol and get back to bed. I have to work tomorrow!

mmm yummy tube in my throat

In about 14 hours I'll be swallowing a delicious "endoscope". Yum! When I'm conscious enough to type I'll publish what i can remember :P Hopefully it will consist of "stuck IV in arm, woke up in my own bed. The end"... somehow, I doubt it - especially if it's anything like my experience getting my wisdom teeth pulled. Gotta save that story for later - bed time so I can eat before 8:30am!

Here we go...

So for my first post I'll just give the lowdown on my medical issues as of late:
Arthritis, TMJ.
Dizzyness, nausea, headaches etc. for past 3 years running - can go for weeks without it, but then months with it.
Suspected Meniere's Disease (vestibular (inner ear) disorder) - incurable but some treatments may help; need to find my "trigger"; Testing June 6. If inconclusive, MRI to rule out brain tumor near inner ear.
Suspected Celiac Disease (wheat, oat, barley and rye cannot be digested) - incurable but can control symptoms and ill-effects by not eating wheat, oat, barley or rye (gluten); blood test came back "slight" positive, upper endoscopy with biopsy to confirm - May 14.
Gallbladder ultrasound May 17.
Uterine Polyp - pelvic ultrasound showed; re-test Aug - Oct to check on it.

Feel like hell right now - need to lay down! Nothing so far helps nausea/dizzyness: prilosec, tums, pepto, ginger (lots of ginger!), ginger ale, sprite or 7-up, Zofran, Sea-Bands... Sleep might help for a bit...