On January 10, 2008, I had a very serious traffic accident. What does this have to do with gluten free living? More than you might realize. Now that the hassle is over, I understand more about myself both as a driver and as a celiac.

 A major traffic accident and a celiac diagnosis have at least one thing in common — they are both life changing, traumatic events. I was correctly judged to be responsible for the accident and was ordered to take a driving test.

 I failed the first test simply because I did not have the necessary knowledge and skills. I learned to drive more than fifty years ago in a rural area upstate New York. I must have passed a driving test but I do not remember doing so. I know that my on-the-rode driving skills have not been tested since then.  Now I was living in a large city and driving in situations that were unimaginable when I was younger. Lack of up-to-date knowledge was my major problem.

 Some of my “celiac disasters” were caused by lack of knowledge I learned the hard way that Rice Krispies were gluten toxic even though rice was my “friend”. I did not learn soon enough that most licorice and some flavored coffee syrups contained gluten..

 My second and third failures came for a much different reason. I worked with a professional driving coach and received excellent hands-on instruction. But I also became afraid. I realized that my original accident could have been much more serious. I could have been responsible for a death. I doubted my ability to learn all the new skills that I needed to pass the required test. I thought to much about the implications of not being allowed to drive for the rest of my life. These test failures can be summed up in the words “panic attack”.

 My celiac experience has been somewhat similar. I’ve had upset stomachs caused by gluten but I suspect that I’ve had many more of them were caused by the fear of gluten. I recall a member of my gluten free support group who did not attend our monthly pot lucks because she was afraid that her cooking would cause someone else pain. I’ve known celiacs who seldom if ever eat in restaurants.

 After my third failure, I was tempted to surrender my driver’s license and just give up. I’ve known celiacs who have given up: refusing to eat out, turning their back on their social life, or giving up the diet and returning to the place they were before diagnosis.

 I thank God that I did not give up, either as a celiac or as a driver. I passed test number 4, the last attempt that the law would allow me to take. I finally realized that skill was important, that persistence pays off, but that a positive attitude is what really counts. I think that is true for drivers, celiacs, computer bloggers, and just about everyone else.

 Has anyone else had a similar experience that they would be willing to share? If you have, please leave a comment at the end of this article or use the button in the middle column to send me an e-mail.

 Published 05/25/08