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Oh, My Aching Bones!

June 18, 2009 By 6 Comments

Yesterday was cold and wet. Out at the entrance station, the rain started just about the time I arrived at 6:45 a.m, and kept up until around noon. On my job, I have to stand out in the rain talking to people who are sitting in their cars, selling them their passes, checking ID’s, answering their questions. Yes, I knew that when I took the job, and Yes, I still love my job. But it was still cold and wet and yucky out there yesterday.

We have a wood stove out there for heat. I had a fire going while I was out there, and it did help, and provided warmth when I stood next to it in between cars. But the cold and damp has really played havoc with my old bones. Yes, I did have on a raincoat, and a plastic cover on my hat, but those didn’t help much with my hands.

Back when we had our house in Georgia, I suffered with pain in my hands and forearms in the cold winter months. But, since we have lived in mostly warm locations, I haven’t had a problem with it much since then. Last night? I was awake much of the night, with a throbbing, toothache-like pain in my hands and arms up to about half way to my elbows. I know it was from standing out there in that cold rain yesterday.

When I woke up around 3:00 a.m, I thought I might get up and cut off both arms at the elbows. The only thing that stopped me from actually doing it was the thought that after I cut off the first one, I wouldn’t be able to cut off the other one, and I would still be in pain as I slowly bled to death. Yeah. They hurt that bad.

So then, I started wondering about those extra strength pain relievers I took before I went to bed. Because I now hurt worse than I did before I took them, I started wondering if there was any wheat in them. I got up and read the ingredients label. Starch. It doesn’t say what the source of the starch is, so I googled the manufacturer’s name, and sent them an email asking what kind of starch is used to make their product. I’ll let you know when I get a response. In the meantime, I am not going to take any more of them until I find out for sure.

Filed Under: Celiac Disease, Gluten

To My Waitress

April 11, 2009 By 14 Comments

Darling, I know being a waitress is a hard job, that it is both physically and mentally exhausting. I know that when your co-workers don’t show up on a busy Saturday morning, and you are the only one working, that it can be hectic. But you know what? I really don’t want to hear how stressed you are. When you are taking my order, I am the ONLY customer you need to worry about at that exact moment.

Sweetheart,when you have customers who ask you questions about how the foods are prepared, you should pay attention. If you hear us ask if there is any wheat in a particular dish, it is NOT because we are testing you, or trying to make your life miserable. We ask those questions because we NEED to know. We shouldn’t have to tell you that if we eat even a few crumbs of wheat that we’ll have explosive diarrhea for three days, that all of our joints will ache and hurt for a week, that we’ll have a headache worse than your last hangover. All you need to know is that we asked that question, all the rest of it is TMI.

Honey, when you take my order, I would appreciate it very much if you would actually write down that I requested NO BUN on my hamburger. When you bring said hamburger to me, and it is sitting there all nice and pretty on that delicious looking bun, don’t give me any flack about asking you to bring me another one BECAUSE I CAN’T EAT WHEAT. Oh, and that thing you said to me about it being a POTATO roll? Read the ingredients label, sweetie. It still has WHEAT in it. And don’t look at ME like I’m stupid when I say that, because I HAVE BEEN READING LABELS FOR MORE YEARS THAN YOU HAVE EXISTED ON THIS PLANET!!!

And, Cutie, most of all, don’t be surprised when your tip is the bare minimum. Part of what I determine to be good service includes whether or not you actually listen to what I ask for. And part of it has to do with whether or not I can actually eat the food you set before me. I’m not talking about how the cook did his job, either. I get just as tired of telling you what I can’t eat as you are of hearing me say it.

Babydoll, I know you think that it is not your job to keep me from getting gluten on my plate, and I agree, it is not. That is MY responsibility. But since I have done the studying, and have educated myself, and know what I can and can not eat, when I relay that information to you by ordering my meal with no bread, you could at least give me the courtesy of paying attention. While my gluten intolerance is not life threatening, some food allergies can be. So, next time you get a customer who is asking lots of questions about food ingredients, pay attention. Please.

Filed Under: Gluten, Gluten Free, Life on the road