Big, rumbles of thunder. It's shaking my building.

This kind of baffles me, because I've never heard of anyone foregoing gluten for non-medical reasons*. And in some cases, the answer to "Is it going to kill you?" would be "YES THAT IS WHY IT'S CALLED AN ALLERGY YOU JACKASS."

I get the impression that most people who forego gluten are intolerant to it not allergic. It's not actually going to kill them, it will just make them feel bad. (Which, of course, is a totally valid reason for not eating it!)

Yeah, but, like your parenthetical says, someone eating GF has a valid reason for eating that way, and so the Annoying Doubting Person really has no grounds to question *why* the GF person is eating that way. And that means not asking "Is it going to kill you?", when it's clear from the tone of voice that they're being sarcastic.

Now, if someone is really curious, and says, "Hey, can you tell me why you eat gluten-free, I don't know anything about it?", that's one thing. And I'm glad to do it. But when someone asks, "Is it going to KILL you? Why do you always have to be different?", then I'm pretty sure they don't want to know why I eat gluten-free; they're just annoyed that I won't eat their corn bread.

my mom totally does the Random Capitalization thing in sentences and i've been trying to break her of it. sadly, i think i'm wasting my time.

Mine too. She capitalizes random words like You. Wierd.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease, not an allergy. Gluten can do some major damage to the intestine, so it's not just feeling bad, and for those who have a full blown case (like my sister & nephew, yes, it could kill them, albeit slowly).

mmm, corn bread.

Hah. I have lived in my house now for FIVE months, and...you would probably be DISGUSTED OMG!

If it makes anyone feel better, I moved into my current apartment during the holidays of 2007 and have not yet mopped the wood floors. (I do sweep, and scrub the bathroom tile.)

I don't need to see my reflection in the floor, that's what mirrors are for.

It's not actually going to kill them, it will just make them feel bad.

Left untreated, celiac disease can definitely be fatal - the long-term damage to the digestive tract makes people with celiac more susceptible to bacterial infection, and malnourished on top of that.

I've never mopped a wood floor in my life.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease, not an allergy.

And yes, this. A person with a true wheat allergy will have an immediate immune response that could be anything from mild hives to going into anaphylactic shock.

(Food allergies vary widely in their severity - I'm allergic to eggplant, it makes my mouth itch. My brother is allergic to peanuts, they make him die.)

I'm allergic to eggplant, it makes my mouth itch

This is me and coconut, but I've been describing it as making my mouth fuzzy and my tongue feel like it's coated in something, and then I can't really taste things for a while.

I am having trouble keeping up these days. I do know that lots of people need ~ma, and I'm sure if I list everyone, I'm going to miss some people. So, I'm just going to shoot a bunch of it out there to everyone, and if you don't need it, just pass it on.