restaurant cards

[cstark]

Thanks to the person who suggested the restaurant cards when going out to eat.  I should have used mine the other night when my family went to Red Lobster.  Thinking it was cross-contamination d/t waiter not quite understanding the seriousness of the situation.  Praise the Lord I had the Frankincense on hand or things would have turned completely different. Posting the website down below for those who aren't familiar with restaurant cards.  You can find the translation in pretty much any language.

Open Original Shared Link

[eeyv]

I agree! The cards are terrific. My daughter was diagnosed with Celiac (biopsy) 4 weeks ago & we haven't been brave enough to eat out yet. The cards are printed, ready & waiting, though. They are even great to drop off with play dates parents & others who may have questions & are unsure of what to ask. Tell me about how you use the Frankincense, I bought & put some into a diffuser yesterday, how else do you use it to alleviate symptoms? 

[cstark]

53 minutes ago, eeyv said:

I agree! The cards are terrific. My daughter was diagnosed with Celiac (biopsy) 4 weeks ago & we haven't been brave enough to eat out yet. The cards are printed, ready & waiting, though. They are even great to drop off with play dates parents & others who may have questions & are unsure of what to ask. Tell me about how you use the Frankincense, I bought & put some into a diffuser yesterday, how else do you use it to alleviate symptoms? 

I think it really depends where the symptoms are originating.  For me, my symptoms are more  neurological than digestive.  When I catch myself going into an episode, I put the Frankincense at the back of the neck it meets my head.  There's a small notch back there, so it's always easy for me to find.  I have the oil in a roller ball now so if my family sees me going into an episode all they have to do is roll it on.  A lot of times, I start the classic brain fog before anything else goes haywire, and this is the best time for me to put in it on.  I have found if I put it on during the brain fog, there are no physical symptoms of the episode that others can see.  However, if I put it on when I just start to twitch it lessens the degree of the twitching.

If your daughter has the muscle twitching or other neurological symptoms, it might help if she could get up and walk around because then her brain has something to concentrate on besides the reaction/episode.

[cyclinglady]

The restaurant cards are terrific, but I have only used them when traveling internationally.  That's when I a willing to risk getting glutened.    However, while at home, I prefer talking to the head chef (nice restaurant) or choosing a restaurant that has been reviewed by celiacs (not just gluten free groupies).  Every time you eat out it is a risk.  Each glutening can set you back for months (as documented via labs in my personal case).   

Playdates?  Bring your own food.  I would NEVER trust another parent to feed my child or me, if they have not had training or are a celiac.   For example, they bake gluten-free brownies for your kid.  How clean was the pan?  What about the mixing bowl?  Were they baking with gluten at the same time?  Read our Newbie 101 for some excellent tips (under the "Coping" section).  

Does this mean that you should never eat out?  No, but most of us oldies would advise not eating out until you have mastered the gluten-free diet and are feeling better.  

[eeyv]

I agree. And, I do send food from home to any trip to a friend's home etc. I had the card to my friend/host along with my adamant directions to never feed her anything that didn't come from me. :-) I should have mentioned that in my previous post. It's a way to drive home she's not gluten-free by choice, but by mandate.

[Ennis-TX]

Found Ians has a bunch of allergy cards with front and back, the backs go into detail on contamination. First found them at a gluten-free Expo but you can download and print off your own Open Original Shared Link