Wheat-free Diary

During the month of August, I made a trip to Indiana.  I had several reasons for the trip, but mainly it was because of my Dad's cancer surgery.

When I first arrived in Indiana on August 3, I was determined not to eat wheat, but my resolve weakened when I was faced with some of my favorite foods.  My cousin, Dixie, made six lemon meringue pies for the Family Reunion on Sunday.  I apologize to my body, but I couldn't resist.  I was miserable anyway.  My Dad wasn't eating and he was weak as a kitten.  It was unbearably hot for me -- 95 F. -- when I had just come from comfortable 65 - 70 F. temperatures.  I was experiencing a huge amount of stress... and okay, so I ate the pie.  No excuses!

Then on Tuesday evening, my Aunt Sheila made about 3 dozen cinnamon rolls.  I had managed to circumvent the Cinnabons in the airport, but these were lying on the counter, six inches from my hand, 5 inches, 4 inches, 3 inches, oh, just eat one!  One led to two, and then three.  I don't remember how many I ate.  Then I had a big glass of milk.  Yum!

By this time, I was pretty well miserable with hives, and I become incontinent when I eat wheat (that means I can't make it to the bathroom before I pee my pants).  How embarrassing!  And I think I am too fat for Depends.  So the morning that Aunt Sheila and Uncle Walt left for Florida, I made a decision to keep away from wheat totally from that moment on.  Besides Uncle Walt and Curtis ate all the rest of the cinnamon rolls.

I am really proud of myself because for the rest of the trip, I didn't have a morsel of wheat (unless it was hidden in some product of which I was unaware).  I began to feel better about myself, although the symptoms become raging as I go through withdrawal.  The hives get worse; the incontinence gets worse, the nose runs a marathon, and my craving for wheat becomes colossal.

I hung in there, though, and my resolve strengthened each day.  I was proud of myself and the circumstance of not eating wheat helped me not to be tempted to eat wheat.  The more I didn't eat wheat, the more I didn't want to eat wheat.  I intend to remember that feeling the next time I see a lemon meringue pie.