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Subject: Semantics
 
Since "gluten" is often recognized only as a reference to the protein
derivatives in wheat,maybe we should adopt the term "celiac diet' to
describe the food needed to avoid an enteropathy caused by not only the
wheat proteins-gliadins, but barley-hordeins, rye-secatins, oats-avenins.
I have noticed that most people blow off our condition as our not being
able to "eat bread". I have been served corn flakes with barley malt by
dieticians and nurses. Their response to my admonition was "you said you
could eat corn. If you can't ,don't eat it." I couldn't even laugh
because my sternum was fractured.
 
I did not get a break on the hospital bill for fasting for three days.
I was amazed at the ignorance of professionals,but, I hurt to much to
make speeches.
 
If our medical professionals are so inept, surely airline personnel must
be educated in basics. Perhaps flight attendants have no more power than
waitresses. They can forward complaints, however. If we can only get
through to the lesser beings of industry,(medical, airlines,
restaurants, food vendors>, we will have to start with them. When I
wanted my state representative to correct a problem with medicare., he
forwarded my complaint to Medicare to police themselves. Lots of
circumlocution in this world! We need patience, tenacity-a thick
skin- and a quick tongue.AMS