Articles like this one burn me up.
For me, being gluten free is not just a fad diet. It is not all in my head. So you can roll your eyes at me all you want, but I'm not going to just eat that slice of cake because you think my health issues are annoying.
I think this has been an issue for me all my life. When I was a kid I was super skinny. In high school, I had a number of stomach problems. At that point they told me I was lactose intolerant. I cut out dairy, and it helped. I always had fatigue. My periods were never ever regular. In college, I started to have mysterious swelling in my hands and joint pain.
It only got worse after I had my kids. I had this mysterious burning sensation in my abdomen. My hair was falling out in clumps. I went through every diagnostic test imaginable. After ruling out lots of other diseases, my doctor diagnosed me with fibromyalgia. I was put on Cymbalta, which is basically an antidepressant that is used for pain management and Hydrochlorothiazide for the swelling. They helped my symptoms, but came with their own side effects.
Then my gall bladder became an issue, maybe because of all the drugs, or maybe from my underlying issues. Once it came out, I still had symptoms. I had diarrhea every. single. day. The surgeon washed his hands of me and my phantom gall bladder, so I went to a gastroenterologist instead. This wise man said he suspected my issue may be with gluten. I was skeptical. I mean, I'm Italian. How could you ask me to give up pasta? He convinced me to give it a shot for 2 weeks. If I felt better great, if not, we'd investigate some more.
So reluctantly, I cut out gluten. It didn't take 2 weeks for me to be convinced. It only took 48 hours. Suddenly, the burning in my abdomen that I had been living with was magically gone. The swelling in my hands abated. The aches in my knees, that I had attributed to my advancing age and too much weight, suddenly disappeared. All this pain that I had been just living with as my baseline normal didn't have to be.
I did the blood test to see if I had Celiacs. It came back negative. I haven't done the endoscope or the liver biopsy that they suggest for a more definitive diagnosis. I figure I feel better, the results are not going to change my mind or my diet, so why bother? Ain't nobody got time for that! The problem is that if you don't have Celiacs, some people will tell you it is all in your head. I guarantee you it is not. A little gluten and I am running to the bathroom. A lot, and I throw up. (Yes I'm talking to you trendy sandwich shop girl, who rolled her eyes then gave me the wrong bread after I asked for GF). It is not in my head.
It's was not so easy at first. Gluten hides in a lot of places. Ketchup, cold cuts, soup, salad dressings are all problematic. Little by little I learned to make replacements. Now, I barely miss it. I can cook just about anything without gluten. The GF pastas are good. I make fabulous risotto. I got myself a fryer, and make my own french fries and corn dogs. You could eat at my house for several weeks and never notice the lack of gluten. Plus, I still can have bacon, wine, chocolate and cheese. What more does a girl need?
It is hard to eat out. Most places I am left to choose between steak and a baked potato, or plain chicken and a baked potato. Thankfully there are more and more places expanding their menus. It seems that gluten free salad dressing is becoming the norm in most places, so I can at least get a salad to go with my chicken.
Parties are hard. I tend to bring my own food just to be safe. What are we eating? Pizza, wings and birthday cake, oh and a sub platter. Great. I can have the celery they sent with the wings, but probably not the blue cheese dressing. Tip - tortilla chips and salsa are an easy fix. Better yet, skip the pizza and go for a taco bar instead. Queso is a bonus(see above remark regarding cheese). Fresh fruits and veggies are great as well. I don't expect anyone else to eat gluten free, but if you invite me somewhere, know that this is an issue for me.
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