My mom told me she is being tested for celiac’s disease a few weeks ago. I didn’t know a lot about celiacs so I went to Google to learn more and discovered something very interesting.

All the utterly random things I have been seeing neurologists for since I turned twelve are side effects of celiac’s disease.

Migraines, carpal tunnel like symptoms, seizures, bone and joint pain, fatigue, tooth discoloration, abdominal pain.

So, given that I have had over a dozen MRI’s because of my migraines in addition to a wash of other tests and an incorrect epilepsy diagnosis I thought I might try and see if I have a gluten allergy. I had two choices, call my doctor and schedule an endoscopy or stop eating it and see how I feel. I chose the second.

I am in week number three and I am feeling a great deal better. My joints have stopped hurting, my headaches are less frequent and rarely approach the level of a migraine, my weird little thumb seizure appears less frequently. I have more energy and am sleeping better too, though that may have more to do with the fact that I can’t eat 95% of the crap available to me every day and am eating more healthily than it has to do with gluten. All I know is that I feel better all over, and not eating gluten has done what twenty-two years of medical science couldn’t.

The downside is a real pain in the ass diet. Gluten is in virtually everything. The upside is better health, and I am guessing a great weight loss plan and I can’t eat most fast foods, junk foods, and restaurant meals. I was really down when I figured out I can’t drink beer. I love to go to the Cheeky Monk and toss back a few belgian brews so I was really bummed when I first started. Happily I discovered Argonauts, a nearby liquor store, carries a wide variety of gluten free beer, including three belgian ale’s with solid flavors.

So, I raise a glass of Green’s Gluten Free ale and toast a future free of pain and gluten.