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My First Holiday Season Gluten Free--stressing Out Already!

olalisa

By olalisa
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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olalisa Contributor
olalisa
Posted

Hi everyone. I was diagnosed in April and have been gluten free since. Felling so much better, I can't even tell you! I am, however, already stressing about the holidays coming up....specifically Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is easy enough to be gluten free at home, but outside of that....well you all know.

How do you handle holiday dinners? It is NOT the tradition for folks to come to my house, and I, as always, hate to draw attention to myself, (don't want everyone to think I'm just being dramatic and seeking attention) but I refuse to risk getting sick just to "keep the peace" at the holidays.

Any ideas/suggestions? I'm REALLY anxious about this, and ANYthing you suggest can only help. THANKS!

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Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted

Offer bringing a dessert, to appease the hosts, and let them know in advance about your celiac disease. Talk to them, to see if it is possible to have some plain vegetables, and to have the dressing on the side so the turkey won't be contaminated. If you have the feeling it isn't going to work out, let them know you'll be bringing your own food, because you can't risk getting sick. Be as diplomatic as possible, but don't get sick because of not saying anything, it isn't worth it.

GFBetsy Rookie
GFBetsy
Posted

And it's not terribly difficult to find turkey breasts, so if you had to cook your entire meal, at least you wouldn't be left with 20 lbs. of turkey "leftovers" :lol: And if you cook it for yourself at Thanksgiving, you can save some of it (in the freezer, of course) for the family bash at Christmas time.

You can also cook apple pie filling or pumpkin pie filling in a baking dish (cover the apples) and just have baked apples or pumpkin custard instead of pie (in case those pie crusts worry you). And I have a great (yummy and easy) stuffing recipe . . . let me know if you'd like to have it.

If you are really worried about cross contamination, you could always do most of your eating at home before the family get-together starts, or else just prepare your plate at home and keep it covered (refrigerated) until it's time to eat.

I think that the anxiety over the possibilities is worse than the actual situation . . . and since you've started making your plan early, I think you'll be able to arrange things so that the holiday's themselves will be easier than you fear.

Good luck!

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    • trents
      celiac, chocolate and alcohol

      By trents · Posted

      So, you had both and endoscopy with biopsy and a colonoscopy. That helps me understand what you were trying to communicate. No, no! It never occurred to me that you were trying to mislead me. It's just that we get a lot of posters on the forum who are misinformed about what celiac disease is and how it is diagnosed so I need some clarification from you which you were so gracious to give.
    • barb simkin
      celiac, chocolate and alcohol

      By barb simkin · Posted

      I had both the genetic genes for celiac.  My gastroenologist advised he also took a biopsy during one of my colonoscopies and endoscopy and advised I had celiac disease, along with stomach ulcers from my esophagus stomach down to my small bowel. I was shown the ulcers on the catscan and endoscopy report.  I also had polyps in 3 places throughout my large bowel. I was on a strict diet for months following.  I am sorry if I didnt define how I was diagnosed with celiac disease.  I am sorry if you think I was misleading you. I also had to pay $150.00 for the genetic testing.
    • trents
      celiac, chocolate and alcohol

      By trents · Posted

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    • barb simkin
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      By barb simkin · Posted

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    • trents
      celiac, chocolate and alcohol

      By trents · Posted

      @barb simkin, are you sure the chocolate products are gluten-free and not "manufactured on equipment that also handles wheat products and tree nuts", i.e., cross-contamination? And what kind of alcoholic beverages are we talking about? Most beers are made from gluten-containing grains. Just checking.
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