first dose!

Well, even though I've had the go-ahead to eat gluten again for several days, it's been tough, tough, tough to make a start.

Sure I've missed the odd delicacy - like warm, crusty bread, smothered in melting butter and dripping with honey or marmalade; hot, spicy pizza; a sweet, buttery croissant; the flaky pastry on a freshly-heated cornish pastie - to name but a few, but after several years of training myself not to think about those things, nor dare to put them near my mouth, it was surprisingly tough to just pick something up and eat it.

Finally, though, I had to just get over it and do it. So today, I bought a pizza for my lunch. Not just any pizza, but a hot salami and pineapple pizza from one of my favourite pizzerias from 'the old days', in the Paramount Centre off Bourke St.

To eat this pizza... was an almost indescribable experience!

The crust was thick and chewy, perfectly baked; the topping was spicy, but with the sweetness of the pineapple, and a buttery after-taste that made it feel as though it was melting in my mouth.

Every mouthful was heaven!

And when I finished it... I felt fine. For about an hour.

Then I developed mild abdominal pains for most of the afternoon. I guess this could just be my system adjusting to this new / old eating sensation. I hope so, anyway. This experience is way too good to have to forgo again!