Would You Like A Little Rat Poison W/ That?

[luvs2eat]

I know this happens to everyone, but it never fails to make my mouth fall open!! The father-in-law of a friend has been diagnosed w/ Celiac and has esophageal cancer (from undiagnosed Celiac and GERD, he claims... he will not acknowledge the possibility of a life-long smoking habit contributing, but I digress!)

So, my daughter and I brought some delicious gluten-free appetizers to the barbecue, a roll for his burger, and cookies. The man was beside himself at the delicious treats available to him. I took his wife's email address so we can share recipes.

His former wife, WHO HAPPENS TO BE A NURSE AT THE GASTROINTESTINAL OUTPATIENT PROCEDURE OFFICE walked in and handed him a cheesecake she made especially for him, "because I know he loves it." I asked her what the crust and topping sprinkled all over the top was made from. "Graham crackers," she announced.

I turned to the man and said, "You can't eat graham crackers." His former wife snapped at me, "He can just have a LITTLE."

I started to say "He could also have just a little rat poison with possibly better results!" But I didn't...

AARRGGHH!!!

[penguin]

His former wife? That should have been a clue for him not to eat it!

And I would have said it, and turned on my heel and left.

[eKatherine]

My own elderly father has not been tested for celiac, which I think he has. But he has a load of things he shouldn't be having, and my mother will give them to him. He is lactose intolerant, diabetic, and can't drink coffee, so she fetched him a cup of premix "cappucino" to sip on while he is waiting for his meal. Mom! She is convinced that he is not lactose intolerant, though I've known it for 25 years, that it's just the fat in the milk that bothers him.

[jennyj]

It is so annoying that people think we can have just a bite, or taste, of something. I had someone tell me that the communion cracker wouldn't hurt me. It was hard enough not to eat it without someone making me feel guilty.

[marciab]

Depending on how far along he is with his esophageal cancer, making him comfortable may be all that anyone can do. Just my thoughts ... Marcia

[DingoGirl]

People just don't seem to know or care, sometimes, about what gluten, or whatever the poison it, will do to them. I sometimes think people have to literally hit bottom and reach a particularly acute sense of misery to want to do anything about it.

I, too, would have made the rat poison comment and will use it in the future if needed.

[lightningfoot speakin words]

Clever! I will have to use that when my friends say, "Your just trying to get attention! You could definatly get away with eating just a little peice!" I hate it when people assume that you can eat it. What my dad always says to me "When you assume, you make an @$$ of u and me! tehehe!" Sorry for the french, I didn't mean it to be offensive, I just like the saying!

[ms-sillyak-screwed]

-

[tarnalberry]

Here's the problem - toxicity IS dose dependent. A truely little bit of rat poison won't kill you. And most people fundamentally realize that we deal with things that, in large quantity, are bad for us (pesticides, bleach, other harsh chemicals, pollution, etc.) but we don't die, hence "a little bit won't hurt you". But they simplify that to what *they* think a little bit is, and that's that! Hmpf! :-) In cases where I get "will just a little crumb hurt you?", I say "research studies have shown that even a crumb causes damage to the intestines; it's not a chance I'm willing to take, so I won't eat any." The point is to shift the focus on what is safe to what my choice is, because that's what matters.

[debmidge]

I vote for the life insurance angle. In marriages where there's a lot of money, sometimes the life insurance is kept in place for the spouse with an irrevocable beneficiary and it's part of the divorce settlement.

I am going to say something that might be more offensive to some than the prior post but a lot of R.N.'s aren't up to date on medical things. ...just an observation I got from dealing with them in hospitals and in my personal life. So I wouldn't be surprised if his ex is uninformed about celiac; truly uninformed or maybe she works for a Dr. who is just as uninformed.

[LKelly8]

Depending on how far along he is with his esophageal cancer, making him comfortable may be all that anyone can do. Just my thoughts ... Marcia

Yeah, if the poor guy's cancer is nearing the terminal stage she may just figure why not let him have his favorite dessert now, while he still can.

[mommida]

There is no excuse for knowingly trying to get a Celiac to eat gluten. There is gluten free cheesecake. Wouldn't a person want their last days to be as pain free as possible?

L.

[luvs2eat]

When I was first diagnosed ...and pretty much till folks here set me STRAIGHT... I was kind of embarrassed to make an "issue" of my dietary matters. I did eat things I wasn't supposed to ... scraping the filling out of a cheesecake, etc... so I wouldn't make OTHERS feel uncomfortable.

It was when a friend of mine who uses insulin to manage her diet rather than her diabetes (in other words, she eats a LOT of whatever she wants and adjusts her insulin to manage it rather than adjusting her food to make her use LESS insulin) said to me, "Can't you just have a LITTLE??" that changed my response.

I told her, "Sure... if I want just a little MOLTEN ACID shooting out of my butt."

Dunno how far along his esophageal cancer is... but I do know that eating gluten makes him sick.

[rinne]

This is what blows me away, "WHO HAPPENS TO BE A NURSE AT THE GASTROINTESTINAL OUTPATIENT PROCEDURE OFFICE". How is it that people who have the opportunity to understand, don't? He was married to her for how long? It has taken this long for a diagnosis!!!!

[taz sharratt]

His former wife? That should have been a clue for him not to eat it!

And I would have said it, and turned on my heel and left.

im with you chelse but ive gotta say i would have run when i left.

[L.A.]

Here's the problem - toxicity IS dose dependent. A truely little bit of rat poison won't kill you. And most people fundamentally realize that we deal with things that, in large quantity, are bad for us (pesticides, bleach, other harsh chemicals, pollution, etc.) but we don't die, hence "a little bit won't hurt you". But they simplify that to what *they* think a little bit is, and that's that! Hmpf! :-) In cases where I get "will just a little crumb hurt you?", I say "research studies have shown that even a crumb causes damage to the intestines; it's not a chance I'm willing to take, so I won't eat any." The point is to shift the focus on what is safe to what my choice is, because that's what matters.

...like giving an alcoholic a little sip of alcohol--it won't hurt them Perhaps if non celiacs spent the time we spend studying our bathroom decor, they would totally get it!