Gluten? We don't need no stinkin' gluten.
2011-02-16 15:50:29 ET

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I've been having these weird blisters pop up randomly on my chest and shoulders. My doctor thought it was a skin infection, so she gave me antibiotics and sent in a swab for some tests.
The tests came back negative, and she told me to stop taking the antibiotics and come in for another appointment.
She gave me a different antibiotic prescription and sent in a referral to a dermatologist.
He told me that the antibiotics won't do anything, because it's probably not an infection, but a skin condition.
He thinks it's one that's caused by gluten intolerance, so I may have to go on a celiac diet (no wheat, barley or rye, or derivatives thereof).
He took two skin samples and sent me in for a blood test.
The skin biopsy will take about 3 weeks, the blood test will only take a few days.

Rassedr and I have decided to start on a gluten free diet (100% for me, he can still have his sandwiches and kraft dinner) while we wait for the test results.
I appreciate his willingness to change up our diet so much, when he doesn't have to.

I've pulled almost everything out of my main cupboard that has gluten in it, and put it in a different cupboard for storage. I went shopping today for a small selection of gluten free products.

I have an unopened box of pumpkin flavoured pocky that is mocking me from the top shelf. I should probably put that away too.
In addition to pocky, if I have to go gluten free forever, I can no longer have twizzlers, malt balls or candy corn. All things I rarely indulge in, but love.
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2011-02-17 01:19:55 ET

There's a great gluten-free bakery in Kits called Pane Rizzo. Their panini are better than those with gluten, and their cookies are to die for. Matter of fact, everything there is awesome. Not sure if they do anymore, but they used to stock a lot of rice flours and other gluten free stuff for DIY baking, too.

2011-02-17 02:29:11 ET

That really sucks. I would have a really hard time doing that diet. I hope they figure out what it is and you can still have gluten. :D

2011-02-17 06:54:55 ET

iki - Thanks for the tip on that place! Maybe next time we have a family dinner coming up, I will head there to grab dessert - Rass' mom can't have gluten at all.
There is a natural food store here in New West that's been there since ... probably long before I was born, and they carry a decent amount of the necessary weird ingredients. There's also a bakery right next door to them that carries gluten free bread, but they also make regular bread, so there is risk of contamination.
Amazingly the grocery store that Rass and I frequent has an aisle with organic, gluten free, peanut free and other specialty diet stuff, so we can get things like cereal and pasta pretty easily.

Drake - it will definitely be a big adjustment. I don't really know how I feel. If it's a skin disease or a skin condition that may require treatment for the rest of my life - I'd rather have a diet change than have to take medication all the time.
I had a gluten-free day yesterday, and it wasn't bad at all. It will just mean a lot more "from scratch" cooking, which I would like to do anyways, I'm just lazy.

2011-02-17 08:52:18 ET

Thats awesome! A lot of my family is/was celiac, so I've kind of grown up with it, so to speak. Its great that the ingredients are becoming so much more readily available! My grandma used to have to bake everything for my grandfather herself, and kneading rice flour is... messy. Invest in a bread machine if you decide to go that route!
Middle Eastern and Indian shops are a bit of a godsend, too. Oh, and Pane Rizzo's pumpkin pie is AMAZING. Highly recommend it for Thanksgiving :)

2011-02-17 10:06:10 ET

It does seem to be everywhere now. I had gluten free "cheerios" for breakfast this morning!
My mother-in-law had to struggle to get diagnosed (her body was shutting down from malnutrition), and here it is a few years later, I go in for one appointment and the doctor has me tested right away.
That's awesome - I will definitely have to go to Pane Rizzo now. Rass' mom always buys a regular pumpkin pie for everyone else at Thanksgiving, but can't have any herself - it will be a nice treat!

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