It’s been a busy week, so a mish-mosh of lessons learned…
So I haven’t posted much, mostly because a huge pain flare-up in my hands really limited my ability to type. Now I’m starting to learn how to use Dragon Naturally Speaking voice recognition software, with big hopes that I will be able to get up to speed and maybe even work faster, hands-free.
It made me think about the gluten-free thing, though, and wonder if it’s helping any in the pain department. I’m not jumping ship yet, but I’m wondering. And trying to be patient. 
Meanwhile, I ate out a lot this weekend and think I did pretty well. At a middle eastern restaurant, there were many options for me - so that was a real treat. (Not to mention the whole reason I was going out that night, but that’s another tale.) I’m getting better with ordering and asking questions, and with all the reading I’ve been doing I’m getting better acquainted with “no-no” ingredients, and it feels great.
I also tried Anheuser-Busch’s Redbridge gluten-free beer, and it’s yummy! I like it a lot more than the other brand I tried earlier this month, and it sounds like some bars are starting to carry it.
And…I learned a good lesson about letting my guard down. I gnoshed with some neighbors last night, who were kind enough to offer up some leftovers from their previous day’s BBQ. I chomped into a tasty salmon-spinach-feta goodie from the grill, and was about to have another bite when I thought, hey, I should really double-check the ingredients. Of course: breadcrumbs. The label even said “with gluten protein.” If I had celiac disease, I would have really been upset (and really sick). As it was, I realized that I have to be ever-vigilant, and not always trust it when folks say something is gluten-free. They’ll do their best, but it’s up to me to check labels, and as I read on one web site, “when in doubt, leave it out.”
So overall, things are going well. I’m learning! I have the feeling I always will be if I choose to make this a long-term lifestyle choice.