Slow transformation.

I've been gluten free since November of last year about the same time my son broke his ankle, coincidentally, so I know it's been about 7 months.  I feel like a different person.   First of all, the 'brain fog' that has characterized a lot of my life is gone.  I don't have daily headaches.   I don't ache all over (fibromyalgia) and I'm not exhausted and needing a nap every day.  I did take a short nap, about 15 minutes, one day last week because the dogs had woken me up the night before and I was sleepy.  Prior to giving up gluten, naps were my life.  I planned every day around my nap.  I planned vacations around my naps.  I'd get up in the morning feeling okay, but right after lunch, I'd have brain fog, a headache and all over body pain.  The only thing that would help would be a nap.  If I had to go anywhere during my regular nap time, I had to medicate the pain with Tylenol. (I didn't feel comfortable taking it every day as much as I needed it because it can damage your liver).  My joint pains are also gone but I'm not sure if that's temporary because they've always come and gone so we'll see about that, I guess.  I hope they don't come back. 

The thing is, I'm not sure how to act now.  I don't feel confident planning a full day without knowing that I can come home and take a nap if I need to.   This is going to take some getting used to after 20 years of feeling pretty awful all the time.  

To sum up, the symptoms that are better or have completely disappeared:
brain fog
headaches (still have one occasionally but not every day)
body aches/fibromyalgia
restless legs
complete daily exhaustion by 2:00 pm/nap.
joint pains.

I don't think I'll be going back on gluten any time soon.  :-)