Musician with celiac, and why it's good to know about food allergies

Here's an article on musician Killick (Eric Hines) and his experiences with a celiac-disease related H. pylori gut ulcer:

killick on celiac disease and "bloodletting"

this reminded me of a recent encounter with a friend. she said "why would you WANT to know if you had celiac disease? i have a friend who's avoiding the doctor for just that reason. she doesn't want to know. it's a personal decision."

at first i agreed, but you know what? avoiding severe and potentially life threatening complications is a good reason to know about food allergies, sensitivities, and intolerance. yup.

also, having a simple solution to a medical problem is a good reason to know. as much as i bitch and moan about how hard it is to make hypoallergenic food, i am still thankful for the fact that my condition is treatable, that it doesn't require medicine (being sick did, though!), and that it DOES make me aware of how fucked up the US food system is in general! more good reasons to know!