What should be done

[Maria101]

Not sure what topic or category to put this question in…

dr said I have eczema. I am highly sensitive to gluten and get sick. 
my question is should I put that I have a disability on a job application and if asked what it is do I have to say. 
also, should I be on any supplements or medications? Any specialist that non celiacs go to. 
any test or procedure or trials I could do. 
I find that drs are not diagnosing me properly and I’m getting annoyed. 
 At work I’m being told to clean my work area and also I am allergic to dust and pollen. Should I be working as a cashier. 

[Paula McVicker]

Good grief Maria you have been "hung out to dry" & left floating on the wind. No help, no compassion & no respect from any of the so called medical professionals. Get used to it & deal with it proactively. Even though it will be you that has to endure their disdain & wrath should you get it wrong!! Don't accept this from any of them.

Most of them couldn't survive a day without a biscuit 😂 See how more strong willed we are than them😛

If they laugh at this I challenge them to go a whole day totally gluten free - it makes them sit up & listen. If they won't take the challenge I then ask would they knowingly ingest something, eg bleach, that could do them internal damage?! Because that is what gluten does to our systems - poisons us. 

I've also been a victim of colleagues who think it's funny to put flour in my coffee, my lunch etc to see what my physical reaction is to it - just so they could get a laugh.

The laugh is on them because I find out who they are & go sit next to them & fart openly & aggressively around them 😂 & we all know how disgusting our gas is 😂😂😂 (hopefully you got a good laugh from that - revenge from a Coeliac is never sweet) I always make them pay 😂 

As to being a Cashier I couldn't advise. I myself spent many years working in restaurants, hotels etc., surrounded by many elements that could make me ill. But I came to recognize them & adapt methods to help control my exposure to them. You should do the same.

I don't mean that in a harsh way. You've already sampled the lack of available resources & been left out to dry!! Time to get your own resources.

The fact that you are here asking for help & advice proves how dedicated you are to improving your health & well being, both emotionally & physically, keep going. It's a long & bumpy road but well worth it in the end. You'll feel empowered by it all, and we are all here to help.

Be your own advocate because no one else will. Don't be silent about your needs - make them known.

Even after 60 years at this, I still need to be. But most importantly that means constantly educating colleagues & professionals about my condition. I'm still asked to bring my own food into hospital should I need to stay, even though they quite happily provide Vegetarian & Vegan food to those who have made that life choice as opposed to some one has no other choice.

Still can't believe it in this day & age, but that's what it is.

Coeliac has only recently been considered a disability - when I was growing up & working it was just viewed as an inconvenience to everyone 😕 

I always disclose my condition on applications but only once have I been asked to attend a work medical about it, and that was for a University - go figure.  It was hilarious as the Doctor couldn't fathom why I'd been sent for a medical because of Coeliac, especially as the post was a clerical one.

I knew of only one other person with Coeliac appointed to a lectureship post. He didn't have to go for a medical.

It's amazing, given today's information super- highways, that not more people know about it. But I believe that's because if it doesn't affect them they don't need to know 😕 Or because the so called professionals know next to nothing about it that they prefer it stays under the radar!!

The only Professional you need is YOU.

So get on with it - you've got this.

You live & breathe your conditions 24/7, surrounded by mass products that are harmful to your system, they don't & cannot begin to understand what it entails. Yet only you are obligated to lessen their impact - no one else could be bothered. Sad but true.

Now don't let what I just said dishearten you. It is what it is & there is plenty you can do to help yourself & those around you.

Make a list of your conditions along with any reactions you have, then list how you manage & control them. If you don't know how to do that just yet then learn & implement them into your daily routine.

I've found once you can show potential employers that you have it under control they don't want to hear anything else. They want to be exempt from any of that burden & only do the minimal required of them, by law, to accommodate your needs.

I don't disclose my Coeliac as a disability. For me it is a lifestyle I must adhere to & have managed successfully for many years without any help or intervention from anyone else & it's what you need to do as well.

If the forms have a "further information" section I use that to outline my lifestyle needs as opposed to what they perceive as disability needs. There is a difference, in their eyes at least, regardless of what the disability act discerns.

So if you want that job, know you can do that job, possibly with a few minor adaptions, then you are going to have to give them no reason to exclude you from their hiring process. Sad but true.

But on a more positive note, your journey will give you more tools, skills & abilities most other employees will never have, outside the classroom. Yours have all been learnt & adapted whilst 'on the job' so to speak.These are strong points highlight them in your applications.

Such as the  development of a strong will & determination, greater understanding of calories, nutrients & a healthy outlook on life, more empathy for those around you, a resource that can be used by others who may be feeling tired etc, & don't know why, & may only need basic nutrition advice, a wider range of resources for conversation, great research skills, great determination to succeed, better equipped to handle problem solving skills to name but a view. It's always a learning curve but these lessons can also build up your skill set for employment so don't underestimate them.

Above all never underestimate what you can do & achieve.

As for supplements etc - get a full blood work up - from these results you will have a baseline of what your body is lacking. Then you can ask yourself questions such as do I need supplements long term or short term? Can I improve my low counts with diet alone or with supplements as well in the short term.

There are a myriad of questions you need answers for, so start off simple & progress from there.

Good luck on your journey 

And remember if all else fails - Gas them😜

[Maria101]

Thank you

 

[Scott Adams]

Welcome to the forum @Maria101. Can you tell us more about your situation? Have you formally been diagnosed with celiac disease? You mentioned gluten sensitivity, but there currently aren't very good tests for that--did you have allergy tests done? Are you on a gluten-free diet?

Also, here is a recent article on the topic of job applications and celiac disease: