People....

[Kaleab]

Hello, 

I am a new member, I am 15 years old. Anyways, what do you do with people that don't understand? That think you do it for attention? Today in school somebody in school said something just terrible, telling me it was all for att. and that I should suck it up (other words were used) and go on with life. Thanks :-)

 

Btw, anybody get irritable for the next month or have weird stomach things happening after stopping gluten? Bc/ it has been 6 wks and I did have some funky things go on. 

[CathyO]

I'm 60 and get the same kind of nonsense from other adults ...

Sometimes people are afraid of things they don't understand and instead of trying to understand, they act like bullies.

The first few months are hard. Adjusting your body, and adjusting your brain and how to think about food. Some withdrawal symptoms will happen, but once you're past that, you'll feel so much better.

[CathyO]

This site might help you come up with ways to talk to your friends.

Open Original Shared Link

[Kaleab]

Thanks CathyO! I see how instead of understanding they would take another route. Will definitely use the site, to talk to them!! 

[gilligan]

I have that same problem with another family member that has celiac!  I'm told all the time how I go overboard in my thinking, and there's no reason why I can't eat at restaurants as long as I don't order something like a sandwich or french toast.  

[CathyO]

It's hard for people to comprehend cross contamination. I've demonstrated how easy it can be.

Bowls of water lined up, labeled different things. Like "gluten-free soup" and "gluten-free sauce" and so on.

I take a small piece of gluten-free bread, and we pretend it's bread with gluten. I drop it in the pretend soup, and the bread dissolves. I ask if that soup is still gluten free ... Nope.

I take a spoon and ladle that contaminated soup into an empty bowl ... And let a bunch drip on the counter and get some in the pretend gluten-free sauce. Is that sauce gluten-free now? Nope.

I take a sponge and wipe the liquid off the counter. Is that sponge gluten free or contaminated?

Bread crumbs in a toaster. Bread bits on the butter and in the jelly.

Cross contamination is so easy to happen, even with the best intentions.

Until people see for themselves, they can't imagine it being so easy.

[Kaleab]

I have that same problem with another family member that has celiac!  I'm told all the time how I go overboard in my thinking, and there's no reason why I can't eat at restaurants as long as I don't order something like a sandwich or french toast. 

That's terrible & rude. 

[Kaleab]

It's hard for people to comprehend cross contamination. I've demonstrated how easy it can be.

Bowls of water lined up, labeled different things. Like "gluten-free soup" and "gluten-free sauce" and so on.

I take a small piece of gluten-free bread, and we pretend it's bread with gluten. I drop it in the pretend soup, and the bread dissolves. I ask if that soup is still gluten free ... Nope.

I take a spoon and ladle that contaminated soup into an empty bowl ... And let a bunch drip on the counter and get some in the pretend gluten-free sauce. Is that sauce gluten-free now? Nope.

I take a sponge and wipe the liquid off the counter. Is that sponge gluten free or contaminated?

Bread crumbs in a toaster. Bread bits on the butter and in the jelly.

Cross contamination is so easy to happen, even with the best intentions.

Until people see for themselves, they can't imagine it being so easy.

Wow, I might try this with some people. Thanks Cathy!

[CathyO]

Kaleab, it could be a science project.

One person was really stubborn, insisting it wasn't that big a deal.

I asked them if I poured an ounce of gasoline in their bowl of soup, would that be something they'd want to eat.

No! It would make me sick. That's dangerous.

Same with gluten for a celiac. While I might not look sick on the outside, on the inside my intestines are being damaged and my other organs are being affected. Just like drinking a poison. It's just that gluten isn't a poison to everyone, just us lucky few.

[Kaleab]

"Lucky..." I wish. Thanks again!! 

[CathyO]

Lucky was supposed to be read in a sarcastic font.

;-)

[Kaleab]

Lucky was supposed to be read in a sarcastic font.

;-)

I know...haha.