So in my quest to figure out what the heck is wrong with me that this accursed nerve can’t heal, I’m now attempting to track down some possible causes of this constant inflammation that is keeping this nerve root hot.

A good friend suggested I read up on wheat and dairy allergies which can be major culprits. As I started reading, it came flooding back to me….I am allergic to wheat. It was discovered when I was 12 and undergoing allergy testing. Wheat, tomatoes, chocolate, and a fourth…I don’t recall what it was. I had terrible reactions to chocolate as a young girl, so that one was obvious. In fact I didn’t eat any chocolate for a year, and although I love it more than life itself (okay maybe not *that* much) I still limit my intake. For example, I can’t eat a candy bar, but I can have a Hershey’s mini…I can have one brownie in a day, not the pan I’d like to devour. I cannot keep chocolate covered Oreos in the house or I am in trouble, because I have no control around them…a good sit-down with those lead to migraines, wheezing, or both. However, I had never had an obvious reaction to wheat or tomatoes, so I ignored that little positive test all my life, forgetting it in time…until now. A major flare on Monday and my recollection of this allergy test had me thinking about the amazing Bruschetta I had on Saturday, followed by the huge platter of Penne in a Vodka pink sauce…not to mention the baked goods on Sunday morning from my favorite bakery…or the subs we had for dinner Sunday night. Although I don’t believe giving up wheat and tomatoes for a month will solve the entire problem, I figure it can’t hurt…how hard can it be?

So Wednesday morning was my last dose of wheat. At least it was a good one…Rosemary toast from my favorite breakfast place. And then came Thursday…and now today.

Two days in and it’s already HARD!! See, I’m a skinny thing…I’m French…Bread and cheese? Are there any other food groups? I really didn’t realize how much wheat I eat….here is a list of the things I’ve reached for and had to stop myself from eating just in the past two and a half days:

Cereal
English Muffins
Wheat germ in my yogurt
Warm buttered roll
Nutri-grain bar
Sandwich
Ritz crackers
Triscuits
Pasta
Pasta
More Pasta
Cookies
Pizza

I was so excited to realize today that Tostitos were CORN chips, that I pulled out a handful to have with my favorite salsa that we bought from a specialty store over the weekend, and then realized salsa is made from TOMATOES!!! Geesh!

This is going to be much harder than I thought. *sigh*

I just hope it’s worth it…time will tell!