HAVING TO DEAL WITH IGNORANCE.Have you given your "gluten-free" food at parties secretly to the dog?

[Dedegirl]

I have been on the gluten-free diet for the past 5 years after being very sick for a while until finally diagnosed with celiac.

One of the hardest things that I had to deal with was not when I went on the diet, not the looking for gluten-free products, 

but when I had to persuade some of my friends and relatives , who knew me as a foodie and eat-all person, never on a diet,

that I can no longer have ANYTHING that contains even the slightest amount of gluten! Some thought that I was just being pretentious,

some that I was on a quest for good figure and youth. But the most disturbing was when, after checking the labels of hot dogs at a birthday party 

 someone  told me to just have some and when I get the stomach pain I will know that there was gluten in it! 

It is embarrassing enough to have to refuse  food, to do all the explaining, reading labels, and on top to have to handle 

remarks of ignorant people, who have no idea of the degenerative disease and the tall in can take on the sufferer.

Another type of people are once who say, "Oh, but there is just this little bit of oats in this, they have no gluten, have they..?"

Or "it is only the vinaigrette that has it..!"--and still offer you food, that you know will make you suffer for at least 3-4 days post being nice to the hostess. 

I have had to pretend that I am eating, secretly give it to the dog, or just...chew and discretely spit it out in my napkin!

I have suffered a few times with accepting food that is gluten-free for sure and it was not, and learned my lesson.

I wonder if I should start saying that I have a deadly Gluten allergies, so restaurants and well meaning hostesses should stop offering me this just  little bit of  it in it. 

Because you do not offer just a little bit of a peanut to  someone with peanut allergy. I wonder what should be done to 

make the public more aware of this disease and not to think that if we are not rushed to the emergency room we could just have a little bit!

 

[Ennis-TX]

I sometimes debate being a ass about it and eating in dangerous places or poisoning myself to make a point....never done it. But I recall what happened last time I got straight gluten poisoning at a restaurant....I rushed home and it hit me right as I was making it in the door a hour later....lost motor control and dropped to the floor. Bit later started vomiting while unable to move on the floor gut wrenching pain going in and out of it.....was there for 6-8 hours. Fitness monitor got my heart at a avg 36bpm for that time while my friend said they thought I was dead and turned completely white. After I regained motor control it was running to the toilet for the back half of episode, then constipation, brain fog, numbness for the next week or so.... I wear medical dog tags with emergency info incase s$#& happened and never leave my house for a event without someone else to drag my body someplace safe if something happens.

But I wonder, what kind of settlement I could get out of something if I got poisoned by gluten with a so called gluten-free meal at a restaurant....and actually stuck around til I lost motor control.

In all honestly I want to punch those people that claim a little is alright or those people who think it is no big deal......hell I get scared of little kids with cookies, or that guy walking around with a cup of beer at events.....unsure if I am scared how I would react out of fear if they spilled it on me or the stuff getting on me.....bit overly paranoid I know but gluten and the way it effects scares me shitless....I would probably shoot someone if they antiqued me. (Antiquing is the act of throwing a handful of flour on  people)

[tessa25]

I had food issues long before the celiac thing and I solved the whole explaining why I can't eat something by not explaining at all. I just say I have damaged insides and bring my own food. Although I've never really come across people who would care one way or the other. Maybe it depends on where you live. Maybe people in Colorado are more accepting of others dietary choices.

If I go to a barbecue I can wrap a hot dog in aluminum foil or hamburger in aluminum foil and stick that on their grill. I can bring loaded potato skins or batter dipped chicken wings or shrimp cocktail as a dish to share with everyone. That stuff's a big hit.

[xoxorainbowbritexoxo]

I went into a Co-Op/Natural Foods store recently to order a Gluten-Free sandwich, and they rolled their eyes saying, "Is it an allergy or a preference?" I said: "Neither! It's an Autoimmune Disease!"

[TexasJen]

I have some very well meaning friends who try to make me food every time they have us over.  Usually, there is a high chance of CC and so I very sweetly thank them for making the food and then tell them that I just can't eat it due to my illness. I say things like, "I know this diet is crazy! I wish I could eat your food. It looks so good". I draw the line and don't eat anything at the party.  When you are confident in refusing their offer, they will treat it seriously most of the time. (admittedly, since I have a background in the medical world, people treat me a bit better I think than if I didn't).  I usually eat before I go. I keep a drink in my hand and tell them I'm full and I'll get something later if I"m hungry.

What I've learned over the last year of having this illness is that if you keep telling people no, they will eventually get it. People are starting to see that I won't eat their food so they are starting to not make any for me. Down side is I feel a bit left out now :(. But I don't feel guilty for them making me food I won't eat.