Hi :)

[ilan]

Hi Everyone,


I wanted to introduce myself. I'm a 24 year old male with HFI, I was diagnosed after being extremely ill as an infant and have been on a (perhaps too) strict HFI diet ever since.

Currently I live in Toronto, Ontario but I'm about to move back to Calgary, Alberta for law school.

I've been looking through this website and have found lots of really intriguing threads! Its so great to have a way to connect to with people who have been going through the same condition as I have. I'll try to respond in places where I think I might have something to contribute.

Personally, my largest anxiety at the moment regarding my condition relates to traveling and any advice any of you might have would be very much appreciated as I'm leaving in a few days for a month long trip to Europe and the Middle East!

I really look forward to getting to know all of you.

[Tammy]

Hi and welcome ilan
It's always nice to hear from new people and get new ideas.
As I'm sure you probably always do anyway, always use your own judment on things we say here. There are a lot of really nice, helpful people here, but thanks to Fred we have found that sometimes things we use in the states may not be the same in Canada. Bisquick is the first thing that caused us confusion. In the states, there is no sugar, but Canadian Bisquick does contain sugar. But Fred will probably also know things that we don't have.

Traveling is always a little on the scary side. We always take a lot of our own food along for snacks and such. That way I always know we have something even if it's just crackers or pretzels to scare away the hunger pains. Fred has a good story on that. Going hungry to seem polite - for a whole lot longer than I could have done it!

We were just to Europe last summer for a wedding. My daughter pretty much just stuck to plain meats and plain pasta and things I took along. What country (s) are you visiting? There are some people who pop in here sometimes from across the pond, too.

Always glad to hear from a new friend.
Tammy

[julienc]

Hi Ilan!

Glad you found this forum. I have not been diagnosed with HFI, but my dietary habits (since birth) sure point in that direction. I actually meet with a geneticist on Monday to get tested.

Regarding traveling, I echo what Tammy has said. I always bring along bags of shredded wheat and other snack items for when I need things in a pinch.

My husband and I traveled around Europe back in 2001 for approximately 2 months. I was very concerned about my food "issues" and IBS, the cause of which was largely unknown to me at that time. I knew I couldn't eat sweet foods, but I couldn't piece it all together. Anyway, I had very few problems during our travels, and my IBS was almost disappeared while we were there. I think Americans use sugar/fructose much more liberally.

I hope you have a fantastic trip!!!