Petty, Silly Annoyances That You Would Never Tell Anyone Else.

[miles2go]

OK - my rant is my sister (and mother but not as much). She has been sick almost as long as I was and I have talked to her and sent her notes and offered my help. Now, about a year ago she finally gave up casein in addition to lactose, not because I suggested it but because her homeopathic (sp??) doc suggested it. Now, her doc suggested she eliminate gluten too. I found this out from my dad, not her, and he told me that she is eating spelt because it isn't wheat. Dad sent her a link to a Web site explaining that spelt is a type of wheat and should be avoided if you are gluten free so now she won't talk to him.

What I will have to do is send my mom a note about what to avoid for gluten because my sister might listen to her.

Speaking of which, my mom told me less than a month ago, that she is worried about my sister's mortality, and I pointed out that she was never worried about mine, just because I hid it well doesn't mean it wasn't there. I was on the verge of having to quit my job, not able to do my work at home either.

OK, venting done, for now but this stuff with my sister still bugs me.

Nice idea...thanks!

Aren't family politics fun? This may be of no help whatsoever, but maybe your mom is conveying her worry about your sister to you because she views you as the more responsible one and perhaps more able to talk some sense into her head for all you've lived through? Just a guess. I certainly know what it's like to be dubbed the messenger in the family, when that wasn't really my choosing.

I find it interesting that your sister's homeopathic doctor is suggesting that she try gluten-free. My homeopathic doctor, who used to be an M.D. but switched to homeopathy and whom I haven't seen in years was one of the few health-care providers that I've seen who actually wanted to listen to me talk for any length of time.

There was something on Maine Public Broadcasting Network (the radio) that I caught only part of while driving in my car that was about an M.D. who said that he actually forced himself to listen to a patient for an entire minute before saying anything. He said that this was not common practice at all among his colleagues and that he felt obliged to give his patients at least this.

And finally spelt. I was in line at the food commons recently when a woman was buying a burger with Swiss and mushrooms, no bun. When I commented that I didn't know that you could do that, she paused, and then said that she was allergic to wheat. We both paid our bills and both being on lunch break, I guess, had a brief conversation about it. She said that she was eating spelt instead of wheat, a big red flag from my nutritionist. So, while I had to rush off before, I don't know, maybe enlightening her to the concerns about spelt, I still get bugged when I think if I'd just taken those few moments more. I hope that she'll figure out what's best for her in time but sometimes, you just can't direct the whole world!