If there was one thing you could banish from your life, what would it be?

[Nomilynn]

I'd banish my diabetes!

[Scooter's Mom]

I'd banish my diabetes!

I thought about that too... but I'm controlling mine. My migraines are not controllable...

Diabetes sucks!

[momcat]

It's between diabetes and the arthritis in both of my hands. The diabetes is pretty much under control between the insulin shots and blood tests. The problem with my hands is really starting to act up, grip strength is weakening, I keep dropping things, and at times it just hurts like.....

[davidpizzica]

I'd banish my diabetes!

Amen to that, Nomilynn!! I'd like MINE to be GONE, too!

[Twisterdog]

Assuming we are only speaking of physical ailments here, I'd banish my lifelong problem with overeating. I would LOVE to just think of and react to food like a "normal" person, for once ... eat only when I'm hungry, only enough to make me not hungry, and decently healthy choices. I would LOVE to be rid of the addiction to carbs, sugars and fats that has consumed my life since I was old enough to feed myself.

[pomtzu]

Kirsten.......
rg girlca made a very good point, and I really should have thought about it too, since my ex has celiac - also known as sprue. He was diagnosed as a child and never outgrew it, tho a lot children do. There are so many gluten-free foods now, that it is much easier to prepare meals than when we were together, and I was trying to feed him. It was quite a challenge, since he couldn't have anything with wheat, rye, oats, barley, or buckwheat, or any by-products of those. I had to read labels on everything! He couldn't even have so much as a beer, and of course most other liquors too since they are made from grain. The times he decided to go off the diet, he paid dearly, and ended up in the hospital on more than one occasion!
Has your doctor ruled celiac out?

[cassiesmom]

Clutter! and stuff I have kept far too long.
Half my weight.
My tendency to over-analyze everything and miss opportunities.
My great ability to underestimate the amount of time it takes to get from point A to point B and always arrive late.

[Alysser]

-My self-consciousness about weight, I'd love to be able to pass a mirror without looking at myself from a side view. Despite the fact that I've lost weight, I'll probably always do this. Always.
-Double Shifts at work!
-Traffic

[Kirsten]

I think it's interesting that most of us would love to get rid of health problems or at least health-related things. And yet it's only logical because it's such an essential thing. I was also wondering if I wouldn't rather ban poverty, or loneliness from my life, but then again, I could probably easily change these circumstances if I was healthier. In other words, I wouldn't be poor and lonely if I wasn't ill.


Karen, rg_girlca and pomtzu: I was tested for celiac disease/sprue a while ago and the test was negative, so I assume there's no gluten intolerance. Of course this could have changed over the last years, but I hope not. The gluten-free products over here are only available in health food shops and they are expensive, and I'm really poor now, I could never affort to buy those.

I've tried to find out which kinds of food I don't tolerate, but it's difficult - and confusing. There are days I can eat almost everything without any problems (even dairy products), but on other days, the same things are causing severe troubles. It's really frustrating. I assume (and my doctor thinks the same) that my autoimmune disease has messed up my system so badly that it became unpredictable.

[pomtzu]

Well Kirsten - as my doctors tell me - I'm their "problem child".

I'm sorry, but I've run out of ideas. I certainly do hope you can get to feeling better tho. Like I'm always saying - "I'm sick and tired of feeling sick and tired"...

[Queen of Poop]

Kirsten, I too have tested negative for celiac disease. But I do have gluten intolerance. I feel a whole lot better if I avoid anything with gluten in it. Try going gluten free for a while (at least 3 days) and see if you feel better.

[Karen]

Kirsten, you need not spend a lot to "go gluten free" - as long as you don't NEED to eat bread. Rice, rice noodles, potatoes - all are good, filling starches that have no gluten.

[Kirsten]

Kirsten, you need not spend a lot to "go gluten free" - as long as you don't NEED to eat bread. Rice, rice noodles, potatoes - all are good, filling starches that have no gluten.

Noodles are "good"? I hope so, because I cannot imagine a life without pasta!

Like I'm always saying - "I'm sick and tired of feeling sick and tired"...

Exactly!!

Kirsten, I too have tested negative for celiac disease. But I do have gluten intolerance. I feel a whole lot better if I avoid anything with gluten in it. Try going gluten free for a while (at least 3 days) and see if you feel better.

Well, yes, maybe it's worth a try. But I won't do any more tests in the near future as my intestines still haven't recovered from the last one, four weeks ago...

[pomtzu]

Noodles are "good"? I hope so, because I cannot imagine a life without pasta!
(

NO!!! Not pasta made with wheat - that's BAD. Karen said rice noodles. They do make gluten free pasta now tho.
When I was figuring out things to cook for my ex, I used to make him spaghetti squash when the rest of the family had regular spaghetti. It had the look of spaghetti, and was really quite tasty when served with spaghetti sauce and meatballs.

[Karen]

As Pomtzu said, just look for rice noodles, they come in every shape normal noodles do - skinny, fat, flat, round, etc. If they don't have them in the "pasta" section, see if you have an "asian" section in your store.