New Celiacer

[plittrell]

So I found out in Nov 2013 I have celiac. Though it is getting easier to handle the limitations, Some of my family and co-workers just don't get it. Cross contamination has been a huge issue for me. How do I deal without sounding like I need a pity party for one?

[notme]

(psst!  it's only july  )  (or do you know the winning lottery numbers - )  

 

cc IS a big deal!  my husband came home from hunting once and was excitedly telling the tale of his latest conquest while i was making a huge pot of spaghetti sauce.  he ripped off a piece of (gluteny bread and dipped it right into the WHOLE POT!!!  DAHHHHH!!  i was all like:  i hope you like sauce because you just made that ALL YOURS.

 

different things work to convince/educate different people.  for my kids/grandkids, i wrote a def metal song:  DON'T TOUCH MY CREAM CHEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!  AURGHHHHHHHH!!  i sing it to them if they need a reminder.

 

my buddies drink, so they need the sharpie in big letters GLUTEN FREE to remind them not to touch my stuff.  my bestie eats everything without reading that, so i get 2 packages of (for example) ham and i hide one so she doesn't stick her hand right into the whole thing as she is likely to do  i love her, but if there's 2 bags of chips, she will contaminate the brand that i can eat.  

 

everybody, after 3 years!, is getting better at it.  if they have a doubt, they ask or eat something else.  i came home one night and freaked out because somebody *moved* my jelly and we had a house full of college kids........  so, freaking out is an option lolz one good hissy fit goes a long way    i'm sure there are others on here who have good suggestions - welcome and good luck!

[bartfull]

Pretend you are your child. You wouldn't let anyone contaminate your child's food, right? And you wouldn't tolerate anyone make fun of your child or not take his disease seriously, right? Well, you just put your foot down, tell people you have a real medical need and that it should not be an issue for them whatsoever. YOU are the one who has to deal with the diet, and YOU are the one who has to deal with the consequences of contamination. If they have a problem with you bringing your own food to an event, it is THEIR problem.

 

Perhaps if you point out to them that they would never say or do those things to someone with a peanut allergy? And when they say "A peanut allergy can kill a person but a little wheat won't kill you", you can say, "No, but it'll give me what feels like a severe case of food poisoning, so unless you're willing to eat a little bit of e coli infested meat so we can be sick together, let's just drop the subject and let me take care of my own health."

[niese]

Pretend you are your child. You wouldn't let anyone contaminate your child's food, right? And you wouldn't tolerate anyone make fun of your child or not take his disease seriously, right? Well, you just put your foot down, tell people you have a real medical need and that it should not be an issue for them whatsoever. YOU are the one who has to deal with the diet, and YOU are the one who has to deal with the consequences of contamination. If they have a problem with you bringing your own food to an event, it is THEIR problem.

 

Perhaps if you point out to them that they would never say or do those things to someone with a peanut allergy? And when they say "A peanut allergy can kill a person but a little wheat won't kill you", you can say, "No, but it'll give me what feels like a severe case of food poisoning, so unless you're willing to eat a little bit of e coli infested meat so we can be sick together, let's just drop the subject and let me take care of my own health."

I like how you put it about the e coli, I will be using that line.