Nervous About Family Vacation... Help!

[MYSweetPea]

Hi everyone!   This is my first new post so I'll give a little history - I have been gluten free for about 3 months now. It has completely changed my life! I had really bad panic attacks & stomach pains before and now I don't have them at all! (Well, unless I get accidentally glutened.) I'm relatively new to this so I haven't gone out to eat very much. 

I'm going on a cruise to Bermuda in August and I'm really nervous! I know that the cruise line knows of my diet but I'm scared about being accidentally glutened. Also I'm going with my extended family (ALL of which don't understand ANYTHING about gluten intolerance at all) and I know they all want to eat out at least once in Bermuda.

I have done some research and have emailed different restaurants but I usually get one word answers which doesn't help me much.

Does anyone have any tips for me about being gluten free and traveling? Or even eating out while I'm in Bermuda.

 

 

[Gemini]

I came upon this website that might be of help to you:  Open Original Shared Link

 

It is good that you are doing this because you need to get back on the horse and live life and not be afraid to travel.  I have been doing this since 2005 and yes, I have been glutened a few times while traveling but it may happen, it may not.  You will become more comfortable the longer you do it.

 

Cruise lines are supposed to be good but remember to ask the important questions when speaking with waitstaff like how food is prepared and handled.  I do not go overboard with questions but let anyone know, very politely, how sick I will be if I take a hit and if you say it with a smile and your best manners, it has never failed to elicit positive responses and extra effort.  You will become an expert on this in due time but do not be afraid to speak up......even to family members.  Do not them tease you...this is serious.

 

If you feel uncomfortable about something, just order plain food at first.  A steak and potato, fish, chicken and keep it simple.  Above all, do not be afraid.  You can do this.  If the unthinkable happens and you are glutened, it will pass and you will have learned a lesson.  But if you keep it simple in the beginning and remember how things are cc'd, then you should be fine.  I also can tell you that if you eat out in Bermuda in a higher end restaurant, they usually always get it right because the chef's generally have been trained in culinary school and have more knowledge.  Bermuda is not cheap, by the way, and restaurants there should be able to handle it well.

 

Make sure to have some safe snacks in your cabin to fall back on.  Carry a protein bar with you when you sightsee but if it's hot, that might be problematic as they can get melty.  I hope the website can offer up some tasty places for you to try.  Last thing....do not go overboard on rich food.  If you are still healing and have been eating in and plainly, sometimes going crazy can end up with a tummy ache!  Pace yourself and have a blast!

[bartfull]

I went to Bermuda 40 years ago so I can't help you. But what I do remember is that there are a lot of guest houses with full kitchens that you can stay in. I imagine your family has already made reservations so unless they got a guest house you'll have to rely on restaurants.

 

The other thing I remember is that it was so humid that when the maid came in and changed the sheets evey morning they were dry, but by the time I crawled into bed at night they felt damp. Connecticut was humid, and the deep south was humid, but I have never experienced humidity like they have in Bermuda! So even though there is usually a breeze off the ocean, try to go easy. We celiacs don't do as well in heat and humidity as other folks.

 

Oh yeah, one more thing I remember. If you are swimming in the ocean and notice large fish bumping against your legs, look around and see if everyone else has gotten out of the water. I thought the fish were neat so I was trying to catch them with my hands. When I FINALLY looked up and noticed I was the ONLY person still in the water I waded back to shore. I found out those fish I was trying to catch were barracuda!!

[pricklypear1971]

Having just come back from vacation, I can tell you it's important to make an effort to eat whole foods as frequently as possible.

 

I am pretty sure I'm suffering from too much processed foods / too much low level gluten exposure after two weeks of living with gluten eaters and their gluten. I relied too much on processed foods....

 

Honestly, the cruise kitchen is probably safer than a gluteny home (no matter how clean it is). Oddly enough, I always felt better eating out (and eating a chef prepared meal) than eating in my parents' house...and yes, I used precautions.  It's just endemic.

 

You may want to order some meal/restaurant cards. I think they sell them on the celiac.com store.

[surviormom]

Just came back from vacation.  Our host had a ton of gluten food, we tried to eat out a lot and I managed to avoid the bad food as much as possible, loaded up on probiotics digestive enzymes acid aids etc. and do not feel bad.  Neither do the kids.  No one is showing the signs that I expected.  The only issues are in the bathroom, and that is mild.  How did we survive this?  Or has it just not hit yet?  I did have an awful sinus reaction the whole week, but nothing severe and one son has a rash.  Thoughts anyone?

[pricklypear1971]

I've had mild, lingering weird stuff for two weeks. I'm just 'off' - stomach a bit off, headaches, gas, now vertigo, allergies.

I never got one big hit but a low level for two weeks. Ugh.

Everyone is different. Cross your fingers.

[surviormom]

Home 4 days tummies are all good, sinuses are improving.  So, lesson, probiotics, vitamins, and enzymes helped, or we just really got lucky.    We really did try to stick to good food, but I know the kids had some gluten food, and I know, I encountered CC.  Relatives do not always understand and just want to spoil kids.