When Having Celiac Is Awesome

[Adalaide]

Usually we have our gripes. It's this or that, and in general it makes life at the very least a bit inconvenient for us. I realized tonight though that sometimes it's a small blessing in disguise. I'm getting ready for comic con this week and they don't allow any outside food... except for people with food allergies, intolerances, etc. So, instead of being out of the house for 12-16 hours a day for 3 days and being forced to buy overpriced food from vendors I get to bring all my own food without paying a fortune. Which means I can spend all the money I saved up on cool stuff! So sometimes, just sometimes, having celiac is awesome. I saw those food prices at the April con, not something I'd want to pay. A cup of coffee was $3! The food just omg. You'd have to have $75-100 to feed yourself, spend a lot of time hungry or leave and eat off site for three days.

[CajunChic]

That is a very nice perk!! I'm waiting for my perk, I know it's out there, lol.

[SMRI]

I'm hoping that the hotel I need to go to will allow my toaster oven due to medical necessity

[notme]

nobody *ever* drinks my last beer  EVER!!!!  (in fact, they never drink *any* of it, which leaves me nobody else to blame LOLOLZ)  

[Adalaide]

nobody *ever* drinks my last beer  EVER!!!!  (in fact, they never drink *any* of it, which leaves me nobody else to blame LOLOLZ)  

 

That's great, except when you need a scapegoat.

[LauraTX]

I'm hoping that the hotel I need to go to will allow my toaster oven due to medical necessity

 

Just don't tell them.  No one has to know...  Muahahahahahahahh!

 

We went to a con last year and I brought in my own lunch food, once all our friends found out I could smuggle in granola bars they had me take some in for them too, so they wouldn't have to buy expensive crap to hold them over until dinner.  On trips, I have usually been eating something I brought for lunch, and that has saved me a bunch of money.  Only have to worry about dinner.

[SMRI]

Just don't tell them.  No one has to know...  Muahahahahahahahh!

 

We went to a con last year and I brought in my own lunch food, once all our friends found out I could smuggle in granola bars they had me take some in for them too, so they wouldn't have to buy expensive crap to hold them over until dinner.  On trips, I have usually been eating something I brought for lunch, and that has saved me a bunch of money.  Only have to worry about dinner.

 

I figure the cleaning people might see it though .

[LauraTX]

I figure the cleaning people might see it though .

Stuff it back inside a bag of suitcase.  They aren't -supposed- to dig in your stuff.  But yeah if you leave it out they may say something, hehe.

[Adalaide]

If they say anything just be like oh... I didn't realize I wouldn't be allowed to have it. Blah blah celiac... blah blah ADA accommodation... blah blah but if I have to I'll just put it away til I leave. Then just put it away after it cools off after every use.

[kareng]

Put up the do not disturb sign?

[Georgia-guy]

But then you don't get more FREE soap and shampoo to take home!

[Adalaide]

But then you don't get more FREE soap and shampoo to take home!

 

Ewww... unless it's one of the more fancy hotels that stuff is usually stuff I wouldn't use. Well, wouldn't have used before I turned into a hippie that doesn't use soap or shampoo. Then again I was always prissy about my care products.

[africanqueen99]

So, do you guys ask for permission to bring in food when places state no outside food? I feel like I need to ask since my kids generally can't be accommodated at museums, children's events, etc, but it's a pain to find the right person to get permission. Maybe I just ask for forgiveness over permission...??

Eta: I'm talking about asking someone before I get there via email, not the teenager at the door collecting money.

[Adalaide]

It depends on the situation and what I'm going to. With comic con, it's right in their faqs that people with food issues can bring their own so I don't see the point in bothering anyone. Although it wasn't in their faqs in April until after I bothered someone via email and had gotten a response that bringing my own was okay. When we were going to a midnight release I stopped in early to talk to the manager because it was important to me not to run into issues that would make getting a good seat difficult when it was time for the movie. I told him I just wanted to be able to have popcorn like everyone else. (The theater serves hot dogs and so many other wheat things and is staffed by teenagers and college kids and I trust them not at all, as my daughter who works at a theater told me not to because she said nearly everyone who works at theaters cares about as much as you imagine they do about food safety and handling.) The manager was really cool about it, I don't always need food for a movie but we rarely go to the full price theater and I just wanted the "normal" experience with drinks and popcorn. If it was a museum I would ask, not because it's an outside food thing but because they may not allow food period. If their policy is simply no food, ever, in the museum then that's that. Don't bring food. If they serve food there though, then it shouldn't be an issue for you to bring your own. For the most part though, I'm an ask forgiveness kind of person. I'm really good that playing innocent, then getting indignant about how I have celiac and it isn't like I could just buy my food like a regular person and if they get pissy I'll get all ADA on them and the conversation shuts down real fast then.

[cap6]

I love this!!!  The perks of being Celiac and why it is awesome!!!

 

I have learned how to eat healthy and how to cook.  We now eat Paleo and organic and even my non-celiac partner's health has improved. 

 

If we have dinner at a friend's house sometimes my dinner looks better than what everyone else is eating (hee hee)

 

And yes, we save a lot of money when attending events!!  Whew!  More shopping money in our pockets for sure. 

I have a letter from my doctor stating that I have Celiac and must carry my own food.  Have only needed to use it a couple of times, once was when flying, but it has come in handy.   I have mentioned that I have food "allergies" when entering an event if it looks like I might have trouble and offer to show them my doctor letter but have never met with any rudeness or anything like that. 

[LauraTX]

....Maybe I just ask for forgiveness over permission...??.....

 

Yep.  Especially if there is other food around, I just take it in with me.  I have a doctors note as well, I get her to re write it at every annual exam so it has a current date.  If it is a really strict place where bags are checked and such, I just make sure I have my note on me, I don't call ahead.  Especially with kids and food allergies, I would think staff would be less intrusive than with an adult.  I always carry food in discreetly, be respectful, etc.  I have brought my own burger bun into restaurants and I never say anything, just pull it out of my purse once the waitperson walks off  

[Georgia-guy]

Haha, I love the doctor's note idea, but some of us can't get that. :-/

[LauraTX]

Haha, I love the doctor's note idea, but some of us can't get that. :-/

 

If you can't get a doctors note easily, get some of those dining cards.  With the giant red writing of what you can't have, they should be able to figure out what is going on is legitimate.  I have never had to show my doctors note yet, in a year and a half.

[Georgia-guy]

If you can't get a doctors note easily, get some of those dining cards. With the giant red writing of what you can't have, they should be able to figure out what is going on is legitimate. I have never had to show my doctors note yet, in a year and a half.

I'm not really concerned about it too much, I can throw legal threats around in most circumstances (such as a theater or con), the only time I would be worried about it would be if I were to fly.

[BlessedMommy]

Why the worry over flying?

 

Aren't people allowed to bring their own food in a carry on?

[notme]

as long as it's not peanuts (or nuts).  i notice the airlines don't give out nuts as snacks anymore.  

 

i have had no problem getting food onto the plane.  i guess they are not worried ima blow up the plane with my turkey sammich.  i did, however, get detained when i tried to 'smuggle' a bag of masa harina home from new mexico.  can't remember if they took it away or not.  turns out, they sell it at my local grocery store.  

[notme]

That's great, except when you need a scapegoat.

we were over at a friend's house sunday night, and he grabbed a redbridge instead of his oktoberfest (and put it in a bottle wrap, so, he didn't notice - he is farsighted and the bottle labels were similar) so, hahaha, he is my scapegoat!!    

 

(ironically, one of his long time nicknames is "goat boy" lololz couldn't have worked out better!!!)  

[SMRI]

Why the worry over flying?

 

Aren't people allowed to bring their own food in a carry on?

 

It depends....you can bring food on that you purchase after you go through security or anything you bring through security that meets TSA guidelines so just make sure you check those before you load up on food for flying or you may have to toss it all at security.  There are some exceptions for medical reasons but not everything is accepted even for medical reasons.

[africanqueen99]

Lordy, the last time I flew with the kids we had several lay-overs and a full day's travel.  I had an entire backpack full of Go Picnics and snacks and desserts and...  We just bought drinks once we got through TSA.  Much lighter by the end of the trip.

[Georgia-guy]

I'm not looking at flying any time soon, I prefer to drive and enjoy the scenery. But I am NOT the type to "throw food away" at security. They would have to stand there and wait while I eat every bit of it before walking through the stupid sensors. (And as far as buying food after passing through TSA, I don't trust places in the airport to begin with, plus regular food is ridiculous, I would probably have to sells soul to get a crumb of something that is gluten free.) Speaking eating every bit of food before going through security, I went to 6 flags last summer and they said I couldn't bring my still sealed bottle of soda in with me (that way they could charge $10 for a 20oz bottle), I stood there blocking the line up and guzzled down 6-20oz bottles of soda and handed the empty bottles to "security" before walking though....not the smartest choice to guzzle 6 bottle of soda and then spend the day in the heat, but they let me bring the other 6 in with me.