Adventures in Gluten (and Sugar) Freedom from a southern blogger chick!

Friday, September 7, 2007

Due diligence

...and I was right. It was one of those days. I am so down in the dumps right now I'm in the cellar.

I had a discouraging experience in cyberspace today, and I'm still so broken up about it, I need to vent. So I'm sharing with you, my dear blog readers.

Here's what happened:

First, I was feeling sucky because I'd been having some blood sugar issues all day. I'd already suggested to Jenn Watson that she take Pepto Bismol, but she's pregnant and shouldn't, so I felt badly about that misinformation. And I was hungry.

Since it was a slow day at work today (I was waiting for a meeting), I was happily reading the gluten-free blog roll and read about some coffees in Brazil that are being adulterated by corn, cereal grains, trees and bark. Recalling that I'd seen a post about decaf coffee being gluten free, I made a comment on the Celiac Disease Message Board about the post, questioning products from other countries and labeling issues.

Well folks, I was the second person to do this. A nice lady named Donnie (we call ourselves the conspiracy theorists now and have bonded over this horrible episode) saw the same thing and posted before me. And as if we'd suggested that McDonald's French fries had gluten (BIG debate issue -- I asked Donnie) and vinegar was a culprit (it's not -- it's distilled). We were slapped down. SMACKED down. FLAMED. I am still crispy and sore from being raked over the coals. The moderators all but made fun of us on the board and called us stupid. It was a message board bang (you know, like a gang bang).

To make matters worse, the moderator of this forum, who is a REAL doctor (not a worthless fake one like me) posted a mean spirited parable that was a direct attack on us. I was so hurt I started crying at my desk. I wrote the moderator and expressed my outrage with her handling of my feelings and opinions. I wrote a couple of posts in apologia, and tucked my tail and sulked.

Well, Donnie jumped in and did what I wanted to do. She stirred up the fire. And if the flames weren't bad enough, I pissed on the fire.

After Donnie posted in anger, I decided to, also, noting that we had "two dead messengers" who'd been shot for suggesting people should be wary of internationlly produced products. BAD IDEA. We got out wrists slapped again by the moderator, who said she was leaving for a camping trip and would have to deal with this later.

Take that, you village idiots. How dare you disagree and spread an urban rumor.

So now, HOURS laters, I'm feeling very bruised and wounded. I need information, and in a sense, this site is more than recipes. It's good, solid information for people like me dealing with gluten intolerance and Celiac disease. To make matters worse in my mind, this is the second time I've been flamed. I got flamed the first time I posted by the parent of two Celiac boys who called me "cavalier" in my attitude because I suggested I would go to Quiznos here and order a bread-free sub. HORRORS.

And now I'm in deep regret. I need a resource, but I don't feel like I can post on this site. And I can't stand not sharing my thoughts and opinions. I mean, I am a maven of sorts -- if you've read the Tipping Point, you know what I mean -- I do my homework, and there's a journalist still in me that investigates things. Not posting and lurking will be almost as hard as not eating gluten.

I feel like I've had an argument with a friend. And you, my friends reading this, know I try not to ever do that. I feel horrible.
Defeated. Exhausted. Depressed.

(Needing) Much love (and encouragement right now),
the fire pisser

4 comments:

Bill said...

Give me that website, and I'll give them a piece of my mind. They better stay away from my Carter. What is wrong with those stupids? Do they not know who you are??? I am livid right there with you. Don't worry about them. You still have us - yes, we eat gluten products, but we will defend you til the bitter end. And I'm speaking for the whole Colonnade gang. We love you!!!

Joy Peterson said...

We do love you...and we'll stand beside you...I'll me more than happy to post something on that site as well. I'd keep searching it, keep posting, etc. Don't let them bring you down! You did the right thing!

xlillawenx said...

:) hello!!! i just randomly ran across your site while trying to look up gluten-free products. i'm a freshman this year at gc&su, and i just wanted to say what i relief it is to find someone else around here that is GF! 2 weeks ago i was diagnosed with celiac disease and needless to say, i didn't get much of a chance to adjust before moving here for school. aside from that!- don't let those mean people bring you down!!! :) keep posting!

celticjig said...

Which board is this? I rarely check them out as everyone on there is so militant and when I first found out that I had Celiac I checked some out and quite frankly they were wrong about several things - hard liquor, modified food starch, etc. So I stopped reading them and switched to blogs. I can't be militant about being GF, I am very careful, but if I were militant, I would have to find all new friends and I just got most of mine trained - the ones who want to be anyway!
I go anywhere and order stuff without a bun, I might ask them to check their ingredients for something. At least I can go to McDonald's and Wendy's and eat the fries. It is easier to go there than normal restaurants sometimes.
Send me the post site and I will check it out too.
Finally I am catching up on my blog reading!
Ginger from the North