celiac Advice needed

[Drewy]

I've been trying my best to keep my gluten-free food from my dad and brother's gluten food but it's like they don't care. I just had what was supposed to be gluten free tacos but I'm curled up in pain. This isn't the first time either. I've stopped eating meals I haven't prepared because I'm scared I'll eat gluten and I'm scared my family doesn't care. They want to eat what they've always eaten and they don't want to even try and make the switch. I don't know what to do. Does anyone have any advice?

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, Drewy!

So help me understand about the Tacos and "trying to keep my gluten free food from my dad and brothers gluten food."

When you say, "keep my gluten free food" from them, do you mean they take your gluten free food items and then use them to make meals that also us gluten things? So, for instance, they would make taco meet or salsa that contained gluten but use your gluten free taco shells to put that stuff in?

May we ask your age?

May we assume you are not the one who is usually fixing the meals in the house?

[Drewy]

Yes, but I also have separated gluten-free and gluten foods in the kitchen but they don't seem to respect it. Especially my brother. We have two jam jars one with a large red sticker and one large green one. 

Red is gluten, Green is gluten-free. It's the same with yogurt. He'll intentionally put granola in my yogurt and mix it then dump it out and leave contaminated yogurt in my container and I eat it and have a reaction. Then there's my father, he's better but he doesn't read ingredients or gluten-free scanner apps till after it gives me a reaction 

I'm 17. I can cook my own meals but I go to school 3 days a week, and work 4 days a week. 

No I'm not usually the one making meals but lately I've been staying up late to make myself gluten-free meals 

[trents]

Okay, so two issue here:

1. Your brother is creating CC (Cross Contamination) problems by using your gluten free food items and mixing into them gluten containing food. I would suggest you consider keeping your gluten free food items in your bedroom instead of the kitchen. Consider getting a small fridge that will fit in your bedroom for things that need refrigeration.

2. Your dad is not giving proper attention to avoiding gluten containing ingredients when he prepares meals for the family. Do you think he has a good understanding of what gluten is and where it is found in mainline food products? Is he doing this out of carelessness or ignorance? Most people do not have a good understanding of where gluten is found in the food supply. Even those with celiac disease find there is a considerable learning curve involved to this. I mean, who would ever suspect that wheat is an ingredient in soy sauce and in most canned tomato soups, even some chocolate syrups and pancake syrups? Is your dad open to being educated about sources of gluten?

Do you think your family members understand that celiac disease is not an allergy but is an autoimmune disorder that can permanently damage your body over time if gluten is not avoided?

I think you may need to struggle with this until you are in a position to move out of your family home into your own dwelling where you have complete control over what you eat. I also want you to know that you are not alone in this problem. On this forum, we have had a number of threads started by young people in your same situation.

[Drewy]

Thank you, I'll talk to my doctor and dietitian for some resources they could read. I only have a few months until I can move in with my mother who is a lot more cautious about it.

[trents]

But there will still probably be times when you will get together with your brother and father in their home when food will be involved. You need to think through how you will handle that. In the meantime, separate your stuff from their stuff and keep it under lock and key if necessary.

[Drewy]

Thank you