Gluten is the devil.

I keep writing this post over and over, but every time it comes out sounding like I am a giant jerk that complains too much. I can't help it. I'm kind of outspoken, and I'm passionate about this topic. Also, I ramble a lot. The previous two posts were like 6000 words.  I'll try to summarize the points I keep trying to make.

• Gluten is bad. If Nick has it, he gets very, very ill.
• It doesn't have to be a gluten ingredient. Gluten cross contamination is just as bad as gluten ingredients.
• Don't you dare tell me that we can eat out but we have to be careful. I know that, but until a 100% gluten free restaurant opens up, the cross contamination issues in restaurant kitchens give Nick about a 30% chance of not having a reaction.
• Trader Joe's has tons of gluten free options, but about half of them have notes on the back about the food being processed in a factory with wheat--which makes the gluten free label moot. 
• Do you know anyone severely allergic to peanuts? It's similar to that. If you brush some butter on your toast, then put the knife in the butter again for more, you have contaminated the butter. Just the smallest amount can leave Nick ill for 48 hours. 
• We made split pea soup from scratch, but forgot to wash the split peas really well before cooking, and Nick had a reaction. Lesson: if possible, wash your ingredients really well. Most factories dust their machines in flour to keep things from sticking. 
• I'm actually considering paying $12/month to start a "meetup" group on meetup.com because the closest Celiac's group is 2 hours away. 

I think that about sums up what I was going for.