Finally Glutened, Lol! And In My Own Home!

[Merika]

Hi,

So I haven't been on the boards as much recently. Have been busy out living life and actually feeling somewhat better :) Here is my story....

We had neighbors over for tea last weekend. After some discussion with dh, we agree on a gluten-free tea (duh...but whatever) and snacks. Of course our neighbors, who we really like but don't know very well yet, brought over a pie fresh from the farmers market. sigh....

So, I figured, ok, they're guests, and don't know about my gluten-free diet, and we'll just serve it up. And of course I don't eat any, and even made dh cut and serve.

The snacks we had out - a shared plate of pre-cut (by us) cheese and gluten-free crackers, and fruit - was delicious. And it did cross my mind that maybe I should get my own plate of stuff from the kitchen since everyone else was eating pie too, but we gave them forks and they had their own plates....

I guess I should have followed my instincts. The pie must have gotten from their licked and whatnot pie-covered fingers onto the communal crackers and cheese. I am SO GLUTENED. And ds (age 3 1/2) also got soy-ed from presumably the same source. He didn't have the pie either.

This is the first time I've been glutened in over a year I think. And my symptoms were different too. Swollen tongue, super-dry skin on hands, felt like my fingertip skin was peeling, very slight nausea, very occasional stomach cramp (like once or twice), one odd poo, 3 days of headaches, and then I became the Wicked Witch of the West (or is it East?). WOW, it was crazy. It's now 5 days later and I'm starting to feel human again.

I just want to say a big THANK YOU to all of you here, whose posts I've read over the months, and now that I've figured out I've been glutened (actually dh's initial suggestion) I know that what I've been experiencing was normal and that it will be over soon. I was seriously thinking I was getting psychotic, which is a little alarming when you're responsible for a little kid. What do you all do with yourself/your kids if you get like this too when you've been glutened?

Cheers, and stay away from the holiday party trays, lol!!!

Merika

[jknnej]

To be honest with you, the experience of being glutened is so bad for me, I don't eat at other people's homes. If I do have people over my house and we're serving food I don't go near it and I would never eat off a communal plate.

It kind of stinks but I've grown accustomed. At Thanksgiving my mom made a great tray of meats/cheeses that were gluten free but I wouldn't touch them for the very reason that other people were touching them and there were regular crackers on another tray.

Although I missed out on the tray, I didn't get sick, either. I ate my own separated food and was fine.

Once you are glutened there's not a whole lot you can do about it except take some meds to ease the suffering and wait it out. the best cure is prevention although we all get glutened sometime or another.

[Carriefaith]

This is the first time I've been glutened in over a year I think. And my symptoms were different too.

I also got different symptoms after I got gluten contamination on the diet. My new symptoms were mild to severe stomach pain, heart palpitations, chicken pox like dots on my skin and I still got most of all the other symptoms I used to get (fatigue, extreme brain fog, and various stomach "problems"). And like you, I can get these reactions from the slightest amount of gluten.

[Kasey'sMom]

Hi Merkia,

I was wondering how you folks were doing. I'm sorry you and you ds got glutened. I know it's so frustrating!!

I've just met a new group of friends and only a couple people know I have celiac disease. I've been invited to a Christmas function that's pot-luck finger foods. I've been really worried about people touching food on my "safe" platter. I'm really not sure what I'm going to do yet. I've only met the hostess once and I know I need to call and talk with her.

I got glutened for the first time this week without eating. I'm trying to rack my brain to figure out how. I went to our monthly co-op pick up and the leader has all of the invoices in her car. She popped her trunk hatch and it was covered in flour. She tried to swept some of it out with her hands and I was standing nearby. I tried to walk away but I don't know if I inhaled flour or not? She then got our invoices and handed them to me. I always try to be careful and not unload the big bags of oats, spelt etc. I guess gluten was on my paper. I also helped her with her order and I touched her cooler as well. I don't recall putting my hands in my mouth but some how I was glutened.

Since I've gone gluten-free I have weired reactions. I get lightheaded and I feel buzzed. My speech gets slured and it's hard to walk straight. After those sensations pass I get the digestive symptoms, bone pain and others. I couldn't even say the word pizza when I was glutened this week. People probably thought I had taken some weird stuff. I popped open my trunk and started pouring down tonic.

I'm so glad you two are feeling better.

[CeliaCruz]

Of course our neighbors, who we really like but don't know very well yet, brought over a pie fresh from the farmers market. sigh....

So, I figured, ok, they're guests, and don't know about my gluten-free diet, and we'll just serve it up. And of course I don't eat any, and even made dh cut and serve.

Merika, the part of that story that really resonated with me was that it was new neighbors (or neighbors you don't know yet...) I really sympathize with the fact that you didn't want to refuse their offering or act like it was radioactive and put it far far away from the other foods. It's one thing if it's a relative or a good friend and you can explain everything and they'll understand. But it's so easy to alienate a new acquaintance. The sharing of food is such a social thing. Like, it was so nice of those people to bring over a pie (how the !@#$ are they supposed to know you can't eat gluten?) and it's not really about "pie" so much as the gesture. "Hey, we like you! We want to get to know you! Share this pie with us!" I know that you're supposed to say "Thank you so much but I can't eat wheat! I have this disease blah blah blah" but it just feels so wrong. It's like someone put out their hand for a handshake and you left them hanging. That, for me, is the suckiest thing about this disease. I feel like I am forced to choose between social isolation and chronic illness.

[Merika]

Thanks for everyone's responses. My brain is clearing - I was finally able to pay the bills today, lol. But now the gluten has gone into my spine, if that makes any sense, and my joints. Everything just feels tight and kind of inflamed. Every time dh grabs me for a hug, I'm like NO Stop! LOL. Well, at least I know it will pass.

Kasey's mom: So glad to hear from you I too have been glutened by not eating. It was very mild luckily. I bet you did get it from those invoices and everything covered in flour - OMG! Hope you are too feeling better this week :)

CeliaCruz: Yeah, exactly. Good friends know better, and if they don't, I don't mind telling them thanks but no pie. I didn't even go into being celiac with these neighbors yet. Just nod, smile, say thanks, and had dh serve it up to everyone but me & ds. I'm always slightly innerly amused when this sort of thing happens - it fuels the stereotype of the skinny girl who won't eat anything, lol. I'll tell them eventually.

In the future, for when this situation crops up again, I've decided to still serve the pie, but get my own food from the kitchen or off the communal plate before it is set out, and then hands off. I may change my mind....usually the living room (where we ate cause it was too cold outside) is a gluten free zone. I'm not sure how i feel about having pie crumbs on my couch.....

Merika

[tarnalberry]

Yeah, if there's food out, and there's wheat stuff out, I assume there's contamination. Sucks, and means I've got to load up my plate before anyone else, but ah well... I try to make sure people *don't* bring anything over if it's at my place, and if they did, I'd probably put it in the living room (or away from the other room) for people to help themselves (with its own plates...)