Gluten Allergy Symptoms
My gluten allergy symptoms did not appear all at once that much is certain. I was actually becoming accustomed to a very many of the things when I realized that certain feelings were just not going away. So I made an appointment with my general practioner to find out if I could be gluten intolerant. I realized that it was possible that I could have any number of afflictions, but I was scared of being sensitive. What I found out really changed my life in ways I never could have thought possible. I learned that I was, in fact, gluten intolerant and that I would have to give up gluten and do on a restricted diet. This was easy enough to accept at first, however I knew that just changing my diet would not get rid of the gluten allergy symptoms. I knew I would need to take a more proactive role in my recovery.
Things started off well enough. I felt like some of the symptoms were starting to go away quickly after I started on my gluten free diet which was difficult enough to maintain for the first few weeks. I have to say that I never really believed that I was a big carb person. Now my daughter is a big carb person but that’s a story for another post. All I really thought was that I liked bread a little but I didn’t think it would be too difficult to give up, especially if it would alleviate all those damn gluten allergy symptoms. Little did I know I was in for a shock.
It turned out that I really have a strong attachment to grains and cereals. I never realized that just be eliminating gluten from my diet, I would also have to eliminate so many of the foods that I am just flat out used to eating. (That would be the toughest part!) Because I really always thought that if I was having these incredibly difficult gluten allergy symptoms that I would be willing to do what it took to get rid of them and I knew that meant starting a gluten free life. And, to be honest, I was excited about it all at first, I thought why not live as a healthier me. But I didn’t know it would be so hard, even if it is easier on my intestines. 
Well, the first few days went pretty good. I was diminishing with the gluten related allergy symptoms and starting to feel much better day in day out. But things got tough pretty soon thereafter when my wife ordered a pizza for her, the kids, a few of the neighborhood kids, and our babysitter. So, I’m sitting there on a gosh darn gluten free diet and they are eating all these carbs and everything and just basically inhaling gluten and not having any problems with it. Well I got mad!
I thought and I know this sounds a little hokey but I was upset I said, “Why me, God?” Ya know. I am the one who was suffering from the gluten allergy and was having all these problems. Now I’m starting to get rid of the gluten intolerance symptoms and I have to sit there and watch my entire family (and half the neighboorhood) eat pizza that I bought while I just sit there and watch. I was more than I could take, I’m sitting there with a bunch of gluten free products that taste okay at best while they are snacking on Dominos. Really I felt like, “The Nerve!”
Anyway, that day ended soon enough and I started to think that I wouldn’t always suffer with gluten intolerance afterall. What if the doctor had been wrong. I guess I just started to blame a lot of people because I had always thought that no matter what at least I had my health. But with this gluten intolerance, I simply did not. And it was frustrating. Frustrating as heck! Afterall three months ago I’m like, “what is gluten?” and today I’m not enjoying a crispy, fresh pizza with my wife and kids because I am living a gluten free life. It really was one of those moments for me. I thought what am I doing here! Why can’t God just let me live my life like everyone else. I was really upset. So, I finally talked to Sarah and we made a decision that we would avoid wheat products as a family for a while while I adjusted to a diet that was gluten free. The gluten allergy symptoms were beginning to go away as I stayed with my gluten free diet and I realized that I simply felt much better eating gluten free products. I did not suffer with those darn gluten intolerance symptoms in the middle of the night like I had been so often before. In a way it was refreshing to think that just because I couldn’t eat a pizza with my wife and kids that did not mean that I couldn’t behave sensibly ya know.
In the end I learned a lot in the first few months after doing something about my gluten allergy symptoms. I realized that not everything in the world has to be about me - which was a huge realization because let’s face it we all can be sort of self centered from time to time. I realized that my gluten sensitivity is not a punishment from God because I don’t believe God works with food. I think he sticks to other things.
But the main thing that happened was I stayed on my gluten free diet and got rid of these crazy gluten allergy symptoms which was a good thing. Now, next on my list is to be looking at all the ways that I drive my wife crazy with nagging about food and blaming things on my gluten allergy symptoms. I know that that will be an awakening of sorts for me.