Pittsburg Chiropractic Center

01/13/2026

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01/10/2026

01/10/2026

There’s an unspoken rulebook you get handed the day you’re diagnosed with Alpha-Gal Syndrome.

No one gives you a copy.

There’s no orientation. You just… start living by it.

I call it The Alpha-Gal Social Contract.

Rule #1: Always eat before you go anywhere involving food.
Not because you’re rude.
Because “We’ll have options” is a lie told with confidence.

Rule #2: Always bring backup food.
Even if you’re told, “Don’t worry, we planned for you.”
That sentence has ended badly too many times to trust again.

Rule #3: Always know where the exits are.
Not in a dramatic way.
Just in a “I need to leave without turning this into a medical TED Talk” way.

Rule #4: Always be ready to explain your diet…
…and then explain it again…
…and then explain why “just a little” is not a thing…
…and then smile like this is the first time you’ve ever had this conversation.

Rule #5: Never assume a label tells the whole story.
If it says “natural flavors,” your brain automatically files that under
Possible Side Quest / Possible Boss Fight.

Rule #6: Accept that food is social currency — and sometimes you’re operating in a different economy.
You’re not judging anyone else’s plate.
You’re just trying to keep yours from sending you into survival mode.

Rule #7: Learn to laugh at the absurdity.
Because if you don’t, you’ll cry in a parking lot over something that used to be considered “normal dinner.”

None of this makes you fragile.

It makes you aware.
And honestly? That awareness bleeds into the rest of life in ways I never expected.
So yeah — this is the contract I didn’t sign, but live by anyway.

If you’re dealing with AGS, what’s a rule you learned the hard way?

And if you love someone who is — welcome to the fine print.

Author- Doug Cofer

01/09/2026