Brainless Neurologist

[rdunbar]

I went to a lecture/ meeting of a gluten free group where i live in marin, california. the presentation was by Shiela Wagner, who was great!! i learned some new things, and was pretty impressed.

i also met a few people with celiac like myself, including someone newly diagnosed who needed some basic pointers ( i've tried to direct him here a few times).

so, on the whole, it was a positive experience, but...

there was a lady sitting there taking in the lecture eating a big burrito wrapped in a flour tortilla!

at first, i was confused, but then realized that she was a health care provider.

after the lecture, she approached me, and had some bs line, and she gave me her card.

it was pretty obviuos she was just there to network, and get business, and i felt really mad and offended that she would bring gluten into a room full of people to whom it is a poisin! I know i'm heavily biased, as i've had nothing but nightmare experiences with docs/derms/acupunturists/naturopaths... and have heard of myriad more.

i already have to make so many sacrifices to try to avoid gluten, and give up a lot of anything resembling a social life; now, i can't even go to a gluten free meeting and get away from it!!

I geuss i should be happy that she is even interested in learning about gluten, and it's effects, as there are so many who flat out deny it still.

but isn't that just bizarre that she would be so stupid, and insensative??

[mushroom]

Well, I suppose at least you could say that she was aware that she was unaware, which could be part of the reason she was there. Give her the benefit of the doubt so to speak But really, would you take a bottle of booze to an AA meeting?

[kareng]

I think I would have stared at her for a few minutes until she noticed. Then I would have said, real friendly like, "Ooooh! That tortilla looks almost like a gluteny one! What brand is it? Or I didn't know Chipolte had gluten-free tortillas!". When she said it wasn't gluten-free, I would have looked shocked and said, " You do realize you are in a meeting of people with medical diagnosis's that can't eat that thing? Even the stray crumbs can be harmful to us.". Then I would say that I need to stay away from her crumbs and move. I would probably say all this rather loudly so others could here.

[rosetapper23]

I agree....and I'll bet she didn't wash her hands before she started handing out her business cards. Cc, here we come! I wonder how many people felt ill afterwards and couldn't figure out why....

I live in Martinez and am a member of the Marin GIG, but I haven't been able to make any of the meetings yet. I really wanted to go to Wagner's talk, but I was recovering from cancer surgery. I was so bummed! Maybe I'll be able to make the next one. I'm glad that the talk was worth going to, though I have to admit that I would have been mad, too, if I'd seen someone in my midst chowing down a flour burrito. I wonder if the Marin group's invitations should request that attendees refrain from bringing gluten to the meetings (I would think that's a real "duh" concept to most people, but perhaps it needs to be actually stated somewhere).

[rdunbar]

I agree....and I'll bet she didn't wash her hands before she started handing out her business cards. Cc, here we come! I wonder how many people felt ill afterwards and couldn't figure out why....

I live in Martinez and am a member of the Marin GIG, but I haven't been able to make any of the meetings yet. I really wanted to go to Wagner's talk, but I was recovering from cancer surgery. I was so bummed! Maybe I'll be able to make the next one. I'm glad that the talk was worth going to, though I have to admit that I would have been mad, too, if I'd seen someone in my midst chowing down a flour burrito. I wonder if the Marin group's invitations should request that attendees refrain from bringing gluten to the meetings (I would think that's a real "duh" concept to most people, but perhaps it needs to be actually stated somewhere).

ya, the orginizers were really nice. I learned that cyrex labs is now doing testing for more than just IgG, and IgA, but for an array of related antibodies, gliadins 15, 17, 33, glutenin, gluteomorpins, ect... the more limited tests could explain false negatives.

also about wheat deamadization, which is pretty scary, what they do to wheat chemically to make it into a polymer. as if it was'nt scary enough!!

hope you make it to another one! and hope your recovery goes well!!

[kwylee]

This is one of those scenarios where the behavior of another supposedly intelligent human is so ludicrous, it precludes conjuring any emotion toward them, especially the particularly wasteful drain of anger. Truly rude for someone to chomp on a burrito (even a gluten free one) during a lecture. Talk about crumbs of irony contaminating those fateful business cards!!!!

[thleensd]

Absurd. She definitely needs a little gluten-free etiquette lesson!

I'm fascinated by this:

>also about wheat deamadization, which is pretty scary, what they do to wheat chemically to make it into a polymer. as if it was'nt scary enough!!

What's the deal with that?

[cap6]

That was beyond rude. Na-na-na Look what I can eat and you can't.

[rdunbar]

That was beyond rude. Na-na-na Look what I can eat and you can't.

for me, it was more like, "let me bring some poisin oak into a room full of people who react like crazy to poisin oak".

"I can do what I want, after all, I is a doctor."

like someone said in another thread recently, there's no cure for stupid.

[rdunbar]

Absurd. She definitely needs a little gluten-free etiquette lesson!

I sent her an angry email , saying I was offended, and she responded that she wanted to talk about it on the phone. she asked me to be respectful. lol.

isn't that too much?? she brings gluten along, then does'nt apologize, and she asks me to be respectful.

I agree that she needs an etiquette lesson, but I declined from the conversation. I just don't have the energy, especially since there was no apology, or sense of responsibility from her for her actions.

I mean, how hard is it to type "oops". or "sorry"???

It just makes me wonder "what's next?" if i talk to this doctor.

I don't need the stress, i need to heal. I hope she learns, somehow, but i fear that some ppl might be too smart for their own (and everyone else's) good.

[IrishHeart]

for me, it was more like, "let me bring some poisin oak into a room full of people who react like crazy to poisin oak".

"I can do what I want, after all, I is a doctor."

like someone said in another thread recently, there's no cure for stupid.

I am never surprised by what so-called educated "doctors" say or do anymore....I cannot even work up a... HUH??

...but really, I would have shouted loudly ...ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THAT??? OMG there's POISON IN THE ROOM!! :lol:

Man, gluten is like kryptonite to us....!

[thleensd]

I sent her an angry email , saying I was offended, and she responded that she wanted to talk about it on the phone. she asked me to be respectful. lol.

isn't that too much?? she brings gluten along, then does'nt apologize, and she asks me to be respectful.

I agree that she needs an etiquette lesson, but I declined from the conversation. I just don't have the energy, especially since there was no apology, or sense of responsibility from her for her actions.

I mean, how hard is it to type "oops". or "sorry"???

It just makes me wonder "what's next?" if i talk to this doctor.

I don't need the stress, i need to heal. I hope she learns, somehow, but i fear that some ppl might be too smart for their own (and everyone else's) good.

I'll talk to her!!!!

[IrishHeart]

I'll talk to her!!!!

:lol: Can I be there for THAT call?