The last six months, I have been having intense, shooting headaches.  They got so unpredictable and bad that I was afraid to drive a car.  The Doctor told me they were Cluster Headaches, attributed them to stress, and proceeded to prescribe an anti-seizure medication.  I really hate taking medicine as it is because many times I feel that it treats a symptom, and not a disease.  Therefore, I didn’t take the medicine (since I don’t have seizures) and proceeded to de-stress my life.  I did research into my blinding headaches, and along the way I decided to stop eating gluten.  I figured that even if the Cluster Headaches continued, at least eating less wheat products and more fruits and veggies is healthy.

My Cluster Headaches completely stopped.  Every time I try eating something with gluten, within a half hour I get another Cluster Headache.  Even one single tortilla sets it off.  I was stunned that changing my diet would have such a dramatic result.  I quickly learned that gluten (which is in Wheat, Barley, and Rye), is an ingredient in everything.  Every meal had gluten, and it’s hidden in things you would never imagine. It has been difficult to give up things I love; like bread.  (I know there is gluten free bread, but it doesn’t taste very good, and it crumbles in an instant, making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich impossible.)

My birthday is less than two weeks away, and I absolutely love cake!  Preferably chocolate cake with butter-cream frosting (because the cake exists to hold the frosting up). I have been gluten free for about a month, and in that time my Mother and I have been experimenting with gluten free baking mixes.  I have a secret for you: gluten free cake mix sucks.  Well, the one we tried did anyway.  We ended up tossing it in the bin because neither of us liked it, and that is saying a lot.  

On a side note: I had a jar of frosting, and I didn’t think to look at the label.  Why would I?  There’s no wheat in frosting!  Surprise!! There was wheat protein in this particular brand, and I didn’t think to look until after I had frosted the cake.  I was super happy about that.  

We found a gluten free bakery in our area, and on Monday we are going to try a cupcake.  We don’t want to spend a bunch of money in something I won’t like.  I have high hopes for this cupcake because in addition to cake, I LOVE CUPCAKES!  They are the perfect little (and sometimes not-so-little) pieces of cake heaven.  Of course, there is cupcake eating etiquette, and that can differ from person to person.  I always eat the bottom first because, as I said before, I love frosting.  You always save the best for last!  

I wish that I could eat gluten.  I really miss eating cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, sandwiches, croutons, soy sauce, and more. I miss cheap cookie mixes and brownie chunks in my ice cream.  On the flip side, I really enjoy being in less pain, and I have been generally feeling better.  The next step is exercising in a more frequent basis.  This is all new, and I still miss those things that have been staples in my life, but really thinking about what you are consuming is a humbling experience. 

This is a response to the wordpress daily prompt! http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/03/15/daily-prompt-pour-some-sugar-on-me/  They are a fantastic way to open up your creativity!