After months of G-Free living, my doctor told me that I could begin adding gluten back into my diet. He said that he felt I had an intolerance to gluten, but that my condition wouldn’t benefit from my diet any further and that I could eat gluten on a reduced level.
Let’s take a moment to recap: I’ve been ailing from something since September 2010. Those of you who do the math know that after my honeymoon souvenir of salmonella courtesy of Jamaica, that it has been a long 10 months. (happy newlywed life to us)
After finally kicking the salmonella to the curb (in just 3 ½ - 4 short months) I began experiencing arthritic conditions. (Insert siren noise here) I first hit up my orthopedic surgeon for some assistance. After leaving with nothing more than a wrist brace, which didn’t help much at all, I went to my primary care physician and proceeded to BEG him for some sort of relief. His answer was drugs – pain killers to be exact. With a quick “no spanks” I left with only a chip on my shoulder and a piss-poor attitude. I needed help, like NOW. I began to do research and came across a condition called Reactive Arthritis – BINGO. Needing a proper diagnosis I called rheumatologist after rheumatologist only to get answers like “the doctor can see you in 2 months…” “3 months” “6 months”. WHAT?! No stinkin’ way y’all. I finally came to my last rheumatologist on the list. With a prayer under breath I dialed the number – “the doctor can see you on Monday”. I’m there!
After numerous blood tests, uncounted amounts of cash spent on prescriptions, tests, co-pays and God knows what I had my official diagnosis… errr maybe. It was either Reactive Arthritis or Psoriatic Arthritis. I’ve got the genetic marker for both – only time and developing symptoms would make the positive diagnosis possible. We began a regimen fit to kick the Reactive Arthritis into remission and started praying it would work. Gluten-free living and pills, BIG pills, that I was to take twice a day. Swallowing the pills would be hard enough for me, but giving up my gluten. Ekkk. I wasn’t a happy camper, but the pain was killing me – literally.
As you know (if you read my ramblings around here) I went G-Free with little troubles. I tweak recipes of my faves and skipped out on some items that I could live without. Life was getting better
Fast forward to my last visit - long story short, he thinks it is Psoriatic Arthritis (hey, Phil Mickelson, we have something in common) and that the G-Free diet won’t really be a big help anymore. So, per the doctor’s orders I’ve been returning to a gluten-filled life like the rest of America… kinda.
I’ve noticed that a lot of gluten doesn’t really bother me other than making me feel a little sluggish sometimes. However, some items (Soy Sauce for example) throw me into a war zone against myself that I wouldn’t wish on the devil himself. I know to stay clear of non-g-free Chinese now but sometimes, such as last night, my own cooking sends me flailing towards the bathroom mid-meal. My insides don’t like what I’m giving and they sure know how to throw it back. (Lovely mental image of my head hanging inside a toilet rim huh?)
Now that I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place, what is a girl to do? Switch back to my g-free living causing me to give up some of my faves OR risk the mid-meal attacks?
