I discovered that I had a message this morning when I visited the forum that has been there since December. I feel very badly for not having even visited the site because you all are such interesting people and I have enjoyed posting with all of you. Sooo many new people since I last posted as well!
One thing that has been more of an annoyance, but seems to be getting worse, so I probably need to pay attention to it, is eczema. I have always had eczema, but this winter (and it was a particularly bad winter here in Michigan) it got worse and now that we have had glimmers of spring-like weather, I thought it would go away. I have it in my ears (the most distracting and annoying), HAD it on my eyelids and my eyes were so itchy and dry all winter that I finally broke down and went to the ophthalmologist, who gave me ointment and drops which helped. I also have it in my nose and now, on my scalp. I did not think about it being part of the whole autoimmune problem until recently and now I am starting to wonder if it has something to do with something in my diet. I can have dairy, but maybe I can't any more.
Might have to try my diet without dairy. I saw a ridiculously funny cartoon in the New Yorker. It shows a couple sitting together looking at a plate of unknown food on a table. It says, "Jack Spratt could eat no fat, gluten, shellfish, soy, tomatoes, yeast, MSG, or chocolate." Jack is saying, "I can taste the gluten." The next frame says, "His wife could eat no salt, dairy, sugar, citrus, or eggs." Third frame says, "Neither of them could eat anything that wasn't kosher, artisanal, and organic." Fourth frame says, "And betwixt the two of them, they had no friends whatsoever." Jack is saying to his wife, "Why doesn't anyone like us?" She replies, "Because we are jerks."
Sometimes I feel that way, particularly when friends try to cook to what I can eat! I have told them to let it go--that it is too difficult and that I have learned to know what I can eat for the most part and I would not expect them to even venture a guess. The deal I have usually made is that if they don't worry about it, I will feel better if they are not offended when I don't eat everything--or maybe anything. It seems to work the best for me if my friends understand that I am not able to eat certain things and they will neither feel responsible or offended if I don't eat something--or even most things--that they may serve up.
