My wife and I moved to Austin in September of 2006. We fell in love all over again. It was great, the climate was amazing, the city offered us so much outdoor living, culture, the arts... Everywhere we turned we made new incredible friends. With all our new friendships came invitations to gatherings, parties and celebrations. BYOB was a popular acronym. The only problem was everywhere we went, I was surrounded by treats that I could not enjoy.
Everything I found on the shelf in health food stores just didn't cut it. (I wasn't always allergic to wheat, so I remember what a good chocolate chip cookie tastes like). I was inspired to make some chocolate chip cookies. My cookies were an instant hit. Soon people were asking me to bake them by the dozen! Then, I noticed that local shops did not provide much gluten-free products. So, I decided to bring these chocolate chip cookies to them. The response has been amazing!
I was living in Hoboken, New Jersey, a quaint little town with a lot of amazing history (birthplace of Frank Sinatra and home of the first official organized baseball game) and a stones throw from New York City. One night, after a long, ten hour work day, a cup of coffee and a slice of pizza, I decided to go for a run. I ran my usual route, but decided this night I would push myself to run an extra three miles. My run was great. It wasn't until my return that I started to feel strange. I felt tingling in my hands and face, and an euphoria that I wasn't sure felt good or not. I thought I was experiencing a runner's high because one, I had never run so far before and two, these sensations were something I never experienced. I slowed my pace to a walk to catch my breath and once I thought I felt better, I jogged onward.
By this point I was at the top of a viaduct, this very steep and high traffic roadway on 14th street in Hoboken. When I reached the base of this intersection I sat down on a cement divider to compose myself. The next thing I remember is waking, curled up in a fetal position on the street corner with cars circling me. My first impression was I thought I was home in my comfortable bed, but in actuality I was asleep on this busy street corner at 10 p.m. Somehow, I was able to muster enough strength to stagger two blocks to a pharmacy. I thought, if I can ask for someone to call a taxi, I should be fine when I get home. Instead, when I reached the entrance I collapsed by the merchandise detector, leapt up and collapsed again, this time on the impulse buy display in front of the cashier.
As I fell down, I slurred "Can you help me?" By the cashier's surprised look, I think she thought I was drunk and out of my gourd (never mind the sweat suit, running shoes and ipod I was wearing). By some miracle of miracles, a Marine medic and a hospital nurse were each shopping and helped me to a seat and some beverages infused with electrolytes. An ambulance took me to the hospital and tested me for dehydration. According to them, I was normal. When I arrived in emergency, I was wheeled in and given an I.V. drip.
When I woke up an hour or so later, the physician said my incident was a result of dehydration and that I should take caution and plenty of fluids when I go out jogging. I didn't experience another episode like that for nearly an entire year. Ten months later, I had been jogging on a summer afternoon when I again didn't feel so well. It was unusual this time because I had water and my run was only 30 minutes. This time I was able to walk into emergency before I collapsed in the triage. The nurse was taking my vitals and asking questions when I had a seizure.
Now, I was only across the river from New York, New York, but the Doctors at this hospital were fascinated by this episode. They were so impressed that I was kept in I.C.U. under close observation. I was given a cat scan, an MRI and an E.K.G. All results returned normal. I have always been health conscious and into staying fit, so I found it amusing when I continued to set off their heart rate monitors because of my extremely low resting heart rate.
On the recommendation of an allergist, by day six, the hospital released me and gave me the allergist's information. What I finally learned is that I have a rare allergy known as exercised induced anaphalaxsis. It is extremely rare. Since then I have avoided wheat and gluten. That is not to say that life has been without incident. I have eaten a spelt cookie and had the same reaction, and ended up hospitalized. I don't care for hospital I.V. drips infused with antihistamines, nor do I enjoy jamming my epinephrin pen into my thigh to slow down the body's chemical histamine attack.
Things are different today and the choices are growing (thank goodness). So you see, you are not alone. There are those of us who share your dietary restrictions and are living proof you can live wheat-free/gluten-free and still be happy with the way foods taste.
Thank you so much for your support.
