What is it with people saying that what I have to do really isn’t so bad? Unless you’ve gone through it yourself, you just don’t get to say that.
The latest is that I think I need to try a gluten-free diet. I’ve been putting this off, but from what I’ve researched, it’s worth a try. 
Nothing else is working, after all. I figure I’ll live it up for a couple more weeks, until I see my PCP for a checkup, and then I’ll talk to her about getting a referral for a nutritionist, because I sure as hell am not doing this myself.
I was telling all of this to a friend, and she said that getting a nutritionist is good, but that really, going gluten-free isn’t all that hard. Now, we’ve been friends for ages and I love her, and I know she can be a bit know-it-all, but that’s just who she is and I accept it. But today was annoying. Going gluten-free is a big, big deal for me. I have such a restricted diet already, and this will make it harder. Cooking at home will be a pain in the ass. Even worse, going out to eat will be horrible. Yes, there are dishes at restaurants that appear to not have gluten-containing ingredients, but if they aren’t marked “gluten free” then they could be contaminated. She didn’t get it. And what about eating at other people’s homes? When I go to a party, I can avoid the bowl of chips, and I can ignore the cheese and crackers, but what about main dishes? Will I have to eat at home before every party? Ok, I do that now from time to time, just in case, but to always do it?
Now, I know there are plenty of people on gluten-free diets. I know they are successful at them. I am not saying that it can’t be done. I’m just saying that, especially at the beginning, it will be very difficult, and I resent being told that it won’t be by someone who’s never done it.
It’s like when someone tells you how to compensate for not being able to do stairs, even though they’ve never been in that position. You can’t say it’s not hard unless you’ve done it yourself, and even then you can’t assume that your experience applies to everyone else. We’re all different.
So I’m being patient, because I love my friend and I know that she only means well. She’s trying to help. But damn, it can get annoying to hear that kind of stuff.
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Chronic Rants 