Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

4 Little Celiacs And A Successful Halloween!

weathertopmama

Recommended Posts

weathertopmama Rookie
weathertopmama
Posted

I was so nervous about this! We were all diagnosed a year and a half ago (or thereabouts) and last Halloween we just had a little party at home.

The boys went trick-or-treating! I drilled my husband and the 3 older boys on the rule ("DON"T EAT ANYTHING!!!"). I sent homemade gluten-free sugar cookies and tootsie pops to eat on the way if they wanted. While they were gone (I was here to pass out candy to the neighbor kids) I made a little gift bag for each boy. I overstuffed each bag with gluten-free treats that I'd hidden away.

When they got home, I interested them in something else, dumped out their pumpkin buckets into bag, and replaced the T'o'T candy with my gift bags. I'd told the boys ahead of time that I would be doing this, but I thought it might be sort of traumatic if they watched LOL. The T'o'T candy went into the bowl to pass out to the neighbors, and Dh will take the leftovers to work tomorrow. We have lots of leftover gluten-free candy for here!

They were all perfectly happy. They don't mind equal or superior substitutions, they just don't want to be left out of normal kid stuff and local cultural experiences.

A success. I just wanted to share with folks who would understand!

Amy, mama of Nate the entymologist, Jonas the pirate, Henry the fireman, and Toby the scarecrow

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Nantzie Collaborator
Nantzie
Posted

Oooohhhh... I love little scientists!!! How cute!!! This is our first gluten-free Halloween too. I'm so glad everything went so well for you guys.

I filled my kids buckets about a third of the way with stuff that I know is gluten-free because I didn't want them to feel left out or upset. I was very concerned that I didn't know the gluten-free status of a lot of the candy. I was amazed at how much my kids (4 and 2) didn't care one bit about the candy. They loved going trick or treating, but when we got home, they just wanted to play. My 2yo son ate a few pieces of candy. My 4yo daughter didn't even bother with it or even look at any of it.

At her age I was diving headfirst into the plastic pumpkin to get to the candy. I'm pretty sure there were years where my parents had to pull me out by the feet. :lol:

Nancy

Guest nini
Guest nini
Posted

this being our 3rd gluten-free Halloween, I felt more confident about simply going through her "loot" and pulling out the known "unsafe" and the questionable ones and trading those for safe candy out of our bucket at home... then she dove headfirst into the candy... Yikes... my child on sugar is not a pretty picture!!! But she was so happy to feel "normal"... we went house to house with her friend from across the street (oh to be six again)

vampella Contributor
vampella
Posted

Well we had fun T'o'Ting. would have been better if we hadn't got 6-8 inchs of snow the day before and it wasn't like -14 but we are canadian we *should be used to it*

I had got a great list of safe candies from a wonderful lady on here but we got NONE of those candies...well that's a lie we got 2 pack of starbursts LOL. I was giving out tootsie rolls so I gave Emmah (almost 4) a wack of those and I e-mailed hershey canada to see which of thier products were safe but*I may eat it by the time they get back to me* really they don't need that much junk anyway but emmah needs to fatten up so the dietician said not to worry. I will just brush her teeth after every candy binge LOL.

If anyone can give me a list of candies by hershey that are safe, I'd be forever greatful.

Glad everyone had a great halloween.

Cheri A Contributor
Cheri A
Posted

This is our 2nd gluten-free Halloween, but Carleigh's whole life has involved the trading of candy because of the other allergies.

My kids really don't care that much about the candy, just the t or ting. I let them both pick 1 piece of candy to eat last night. They had plenty of sweets with the parties at school. I still need to go through and separate it.

weathertopmama Rookie
weathertopmama
Posted
  • Author

Great stories! I agree that it mostly about the fun, not the candy. With celiac, it just feels like every time I manage to achieve something 'normal' for my boys it is a small victory :D That was fun.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,556
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Majesticrb
    Newest Member
    Majesticrb
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • ckeyser88
      Roommate search

      By ckeyser88 · Posted

      I am looking for a roomie in Chicago, Denver or Nashville! 
    • Scott Adams
      Taken Seriously

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Your post demonstrates the profound frustration and isolation that so many in the Celiac community feel, and I want to thank you for channeling that experience into advocacy. The medical gaslighting you endured for decades is an unacceptable and, sadly, a common story, and the fact that you now have to "school" your own GI specialist speaks volumes about the critical lack of consistent and updated education. Your idea to make Celiac Disease a reportable condition to public health authorities is a compelling and strategic one. This single action would force the system to formally acknowledge the prevalence and seriousness of the disease, creating a concrete dataset that could drive better research funding, shape medical school curricula, and validate the patient experience in a way that individual stories alone often cannot. It is an uphill battle, but contacting representatives, as you have done with Adam Gray, is exactly how change begins. By framing it as a public health necessity—a matter of patient safety and protection from misdiagnosis and neglect—you are building a powerful case. Your voice and your perseverance, forged through thirty years of struggle, are exactly what this community needs to ensure that no one else has to fight so hard just to be believed and properly cared for.
    • Scott Adams
      Looking for a gluten-free roomie in Denver CO

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I had no idea there is a "Louisville" in Colorado!😉 I thought it was a typo because I always think of the Kentucky city--but good luck!
    • Scott Adams
      Allergy medication: cetirizine by the HealthA2Z is it gluten free?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Navigating medication safety with Celiac disease can be incredibly stressful, especially when dealing with asthma and severe allergies on top of it. While I don't have personal experience with the HealthA2Z brand of cetirizine, your caution is absolutely warranted. The inactive ingredients in pills, known as excipients, are often where gluten can be hidden, and since the FDA does not require gluten-free labeling for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the manufacturer's word is essential. The fact that you cannot get a clear answer from Allegiant Health is a significant red flag; a company that is confident its product is gluten-free will typically have a customer service protocol to answer that exact question. In situations like this, the safest course of action is to consider this product "guilty until proven innocent" and avoid it. A better alternative would be to ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you identify a major national brand of cetirizine (like Zyrtec) whose manufacturer has a verified, publicly stated gluten-free policy for that specific medication. It's not worth the risk to your health when reliable, verifiable options are almost certainly available to you. You can search this site for USA prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      Protein or fat?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      What you're describing is indeed familiar to many in the Celiac community, especially in the early stages of healing. When the intestinal villi are damaged from Celiac disease, they struggle to properly digest and absorb fats, a condition known as bile acid malabsorption. This can cause exactly the kind of cramping and spasms you're seeing, as undigested fats can irritate the sensitive gut lining. It is highly plausible that her reactions to dairy and eggs are linked to their higher fat content rather than the proteins, especially since she tolerates lean chicken breast. The great news is that for many, this does improve with time. As her gut continues to heal on a strict gluten-free diet, her ability to produce the necessary enzymes and bile to break down fats should gradually return, allowing her to slowly tolerate a wider variety of foods. It's a slow process of healing, but your careful approach of focusing on low-fat, nutrient-dense foods like seeds and avocado is providing her system the best possible environment to recover. Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful: Thank you for sharing your story—it's a valuable insight for other parents navigating similar challenges.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.