Visiting family

[Ivana]

How do you feel (especially those of you who (still) don't have children/family of your own, so your parents' house still feels like THE home in a way) when visiting your parents/family? For me this was one of the most upsetting things after the diagnosis. The feeling that I am not safe in my "safe haven" where I used to go to rest, regroup, feel at home, be loved. My apartment is gluten free, but of course I can't ask this of my parents too, when I visit them once in 2 months or so. My Mom is also knowledgeable about celiac and precoutions I need to take (she went through the whole de-glutening process with me in my own apartment). She bought a new set of pans, dishes, etc. and everything needed to make safe food for me and God bless her heart she tries so hard when I am there. But their kitchen is really, really tiny (like 2x3 m2), and my Dad is a big bread eater, so gluten traces are everywhere. And I think in the end we are all stressed out, me by being afraid, and they by having to be extra careful (which they don't mind!). Before, when I was on vacation, I would spend a week or so there, but now I only go for an afternoon. I still eat lunch that my Mom prepares for me (if my antibodies don't go down at first follow up I will stop that). But the feeling of a cozy home is somehow gone. Many celiacs said they cried when they went to the groceries the first time after diagnosis, upon seeing all the food now off their limits, but I went to Lidl to get away from my parents for a momet and cry (behind a mask luckily!) about this feeling of losing my "carefree" home. Did anyone else have such a feeling or am I exaggerating?

[Scott Adams]

Many people like me who have a spouse or children who are not gluten-free (my wife and son are not gluten-free, and my son now goes to college in a different state) have to deal with this feeling from time to time. Feeling safe is a huge part of what your home should be about, and if you can't feel safe, especially in your childhood home with your parents, it is difficult.

I am lucky that my wife really gets it and does a wonderful job of making mostly gluten-free dishes for our family (my daughter and I are the gluten-free ones), but since her and my son (when he visits us) do still eat gluten we're not in a 100% gluten-free house, so there are occasional moments of stress that are created by various situations that are probably very similar to those that you have now when you visit your parents.

I would try not to let it become a wedge between you and your parents, and perhaps the best thing to do is to talk with them about it. One thing I've done to deal with possible cross-contamination is to take GliadinX (disclosure, they are a sponsor here but don't pay me to post for them!), which can break down small amounts of gluten in the stomach. Perhaps a combination of something like that, combined with you helping them prepare meals for you when you are visiting, would allow you to stay with them longer and still feel safe?

[Ivana]

On 1/11/2021 at 8:56 PM, Scott Adams said:

Many people like me who have a spouse or children who are not gluten-free (my wife and son are not gluten-free, and my son now goes to college in a different state) have to deal with this feeling from time to time. Feeling safe is a huge part of what your home should be about, and if you can't feel safe, especially in your childhood home with your parents, it is difficult.

I am lucky that my wife really gets it and does a wonderful job of making mostly gluten-free dishes for our family (my daughter and I are the gluten-free ones), but since her and my son (when he visits us) do still eat gluten we're not in a 100% gluten-free house, so there are occasional moments of stress that are created by various situations that are probably very similar to those that you have now when you visit your parents.

I would try not to let it become a wedge between you and your parents, and perhaps the best thing to do is to talk with them about it. One thing I've done to deal with possible cross-contamination is to take GliadinX (disclosure, they are a sponsor here but don't pay me to post for them!), which can break down small amounts of gluten in the stomach. Perhaps a combination of something like that, combined with you helping them prepare meals for you when you are visiting, would allow you to stay with them longer and still feel safe?

Thank you Scott for your thoughtful comment. 

I already thought about Gliadin. I noticed there is some debate about it here on the forum, but if I already plan to eat at my parents' home, it wouldn't hurt to have something that might lessen the amount of gluten due to potential cross-contamination (as long as it is not harmful in other ways, and it doesn't appear to be so). I really hope further studies will show that such enzymes do indeed help break down small amounts of gluten before it can cause AI reaction. That would make our lives so much easier! (Not that I would go and eat everywhere then, but sometimes you just can't avoid it.) 

Your other suggestion is valid too. I have a kitchen control freak in my family (I won't name any names :)) so I was always very apprehensive to meddle with cooking in my parental home, but I should get over that anxiety and step up eventually!

[Scott Adams]

There is at least one newer study not on this list...but here are some studies on GliadinX:

 

• Extra-Intestinal Manifestation of Celiac Disease in Children. Nutrients 2018, 10(6), 755; doi:10.3390/nu10060755
• Efficient degradation of gluten by a prolyl endoprotease in a gastrointestinal model
• Enzymatic gluten detoxification: the proof of the pudding is in the eating!
• Highly efficient gluten degradation with a newly identified prolyl endoprotease: implications for celiac disease
• Degradation of gluten in wheat bran and bread drink by means of a proline-specific peptidase

 

[Ivana]

3 minutes ago, Scott Adams said:

There is at least one newer study not on this list...but here are some studies on GliadinX:

 

• Extra-Intestinal Manifestation of Celiac Disease in Children. Nutrients 2018, 10(6), 755; doi:10.3390/nu10060755
• Efficient degradation of gluten by a prolyl endoprotease in a gastrointestinal model
• Enzymatic gluten detoxification: the proof of the pudding is in the eating!
• Highly efficient gluten degradation with a newly identified prolyl endoprotease: implications for celiac disease
• Degradation of gluten in wheat bran and bread drink by means of a proline-specific peptidase

 

Thanks! I will take a look. I really want to be open and optimistic about such developments.