Oh Poo!

If you have been following my adventures with food, you will know that my diversion into low GI foods was not successful. Well, me and my GP are fairly certain as to why.

A few years ago we did a test for Coeliac Disease, which came back negative. However, Elizabeth did say that this did not mean I did not have it. What neither of us appreciated was that at the time of the test, I had been on a carb free diet for ages. A Coeliac test must be done whilst gluten containing foods are part of the diet. Apart from that, not all people with Coeliac disease will have a positive test anyhow.

Okay, so why bring this up? Well, I mentioned to her that had tried this low Gi food thing and how it didn't work. How I had a hypo within three days and also developed the rash on my legs, I mentioned that here, and how my voice went hoarse and I got all the symptoms of an impending cold but didn't get a cold, because I stopped eating the wheat and the rash went too. Oh and how my IBS really played up.

It seems the rash and other symptoms are common to Coeliac Disease. I mentioned that the oats did not seem to be problem. (The jury is out on oats and Celiacs according to the medical research).

Well, shows how much I know. The other day, I started to eat rye bread as part of my diet. I am unable to swim today as my bowels are sore and I have already been to the loo 6 times in 4 hours. Guess what? Rye and barley as well as wheat are no no's for Coeliacs. I did not know that. And it seems I have a much stronger reaction to Rye than wheat. Bother!

So now I know why my carb free diet has worked so well! And why within days of starting it, my bowels felt better, although I did not. It took 10 days before I stopped feeling like I was dying. After that, I never felt better and no carb was definitely for me.

So why did I let this happen recently? Two reasons. Last year when we were away, I was made to feel very uncomfortable as a guest in someone's house as the only food on offer was carb and gluten laden. I had to ask for food I could eat and then I discovered I was in a kosher house. I was both embarrassed and angry as I had made it clear beforehand that I had food issues and could not eat carbs. Anyway, I it made me feel bad. That combined with the trouble I had in Belgium in trying to find food I could eat in restaurants, just made me want to try out different foods to see if Icould make life easier.

Instead, what has happened is that I know for sure I cannot eat this stuff and have to stick to the way of eating I know is right for me and damn anyone else's opinion of it.

Okay, at least I know now. However, I am still annoyed with myself because what started this tinkering with my food was all tied up with having been made uncomfortable by a person whose approval a distant buried part of me wanted! Why I do not know. I think they just pressed certain buttons in me and that was it. I don't have any contact with them so it doesn't matter but they have stayed in my psyche, much to my annoyance. I wrote here back in September how a person had left me feeling very much lacking in their eyes and how that triggered off my getting to the core beliefs in me that were rotting my life and needed to be expunged. I am glad that happened. I got rid of that grief. Yet it still bugs me that this person clearly didn't like me from the get go, treated me badly, and still I wish they had approved of me!!! (Fortunately, I was not alone in their company so was able to check my feelings out with two others about this and they concurred with mine.)

So yet again, I end up damaging myself because of someone else's opinion! Or rather because of my deep seated reaction to it.

Most important of all, I know now that my diet is necessary for me. I have good reason to eat the way I do. And it is no one else's business anyway!

On another level, of course it pisses me off. The foods that are out of bounds I like very much! But then I like food all round anyway so it isn't as if I can only eat food I hate. I am lucky in that respect, I enjoy most foods. But like many humans, I want what I ought not to have!

The trouble is is getting others to understand it! Dear friends of mine, who know, still present me with cake to eat! And if a medical professional, knowing my food problems, presents me only with foods I have made clear i can't eat.....well you can see why this is difficult for me.

Still, it could be worse. Seriously, I know it could.

p.s. this could also explain the early onset of my joint problems and muscle problems as eating gluten when one is allergic causes damage to such, and I have been complaining of the poos, the bloat, the pain, the fatigue, the aches and pains since the early 80's and it was ignored and put down to 'stress'.