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

[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.

[K9karen]

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.

I saw a recipe for spaghetti squash and it looked yummy with the sauce and meatballs. Thankfully I tested negative for gluten intolerance but that won't stop me from making it! My dear departed aunt suffered for years until she was diagnosed with gluten intolerance. Her food was expensive but because she was always rail thin regardless of what and how much she ate, the diet helped her immensely and the doc encouraged her to eat.

I've known about some of your illnesses and the pain you're all in saddens me terribly. In a way, not only is this a pet website, it's made me feel closer to you all to know that I don't suffer alone. That didn't come out right, but you know what I mean. We feel for each other.

I'd banish:
My collapsing spine (more surgery probably in Sept)
Bad hips (putting off replacements)
Sightlessness in right eye
Ulcers
Procrastination
My brother's Asbergers Syndrome
Bills!