New Job And I Think I Glutened Myself Just Now

[eleep]

I just started a new job working as a fulltime editor at the University -- I've also got a new boyfriend -- things have been good and busy so I haven't had time to be on the forum as much (I do plan to write a news message at some point!).

However, I think I just screwed up -- haven't been glutened since I ate a piece of eel sushi in October -- and it took me three weeks to get over that. Somewhere around the holidays, my health got significantly better and everything has been great -- except....

One of the faculty members here has a communal coffeepot outside my office and pointed it out to me -- she's really nice and from Latin America and I could tell that this was a hospitality thing.

Well, I brought my own coffee in in a thermos yesterday morning -- and she offered me coffee nearly as soon as I got it unscrewed at my desk -- I felt bad, so today I came in sans coffee hoping to make up for it by drinking hers.

Well -- I poured myself a styrofoam cup, took one sip and realized that it's flavored -- I checked the coffee in the drawer -- it's Seattle's Best -- hazelnut cream -- not gluten free.

So, now, I'm worried that I'm going to be sick for another three weeks like back in October. I hate this.

Can one sip really hurt me? What can I do to ameliorate the reaction -- anything? How do I bring this up with my new colleagues -- especially since I may be about to be very grumpy and ill around them for a while.

And -- &**%$ -- this weekend my new boy and I were supposed to spend some time together -- we've both been too busy to hang out!

[CarlaB]

Erica, I'm so glad things are looking up for you ... a job and a boyfriend!! YAY!

Hopefully, with having had all this time to heal, your body will be better able to deal with a sip ... Last time I was glutened by a supplement (so a small amount), I had a little bit of stomach cramping for a couple hours ... that was ALL! I used to be ill for a couple weeks.

[eleep]

Thanks -- I hope so too, I've been so remarkably healthy lately -- it's like I never was healthy before (much to the confusion of people around me who thought I was just fine). Hopefully, this will be a minor reaction. My stepmom is already on the phone telling me not to stress out too much.

The new boyfriend is eight years younger than I am (count them....he's 29, I'm 37). This is a whole new reality to comprehend. I'd rather not have him see me sick.

Okay -- back to work -- I do need to fill people in at some point -- the Ph.D. is on hold temporarily because I need money and my department is in total chaos.

[CarlaB]

The new boyfriend is eight years younger than I am (count them....he's 29, I'm 37). This is a whole new reality to comprehend. I'd rather not have him see me sick.

Well, when you've got it, you've got it! You go girl!! You know, even 29 year old gluten intolerants get sick from gluten, so don't think your illness is an age thing.

[eleep]

Wow -- I just figured out that I've been munching on a chocolate bar with gluten for the past week or so -- so, no, the reactions aren't as bad as they used to be! I've just been kind of rundown and flu-ey. How could I have gotten so sloppy as to not check this label?

[CarlaB]

Wow -- I just figured out that I've been munching on a chocolate bar with gluten for the past week or so -- so, no, the reactions aren't as bad as they used to be! I've just been kind of rundown and flu-ey. How could I have gotten so sloppy as to not check this label?

Wow, I don't know! I am paranoid and check everything! I guess it's good that it's caused minimal problems for you.

What kind of candy bar is it?

[eleep]

It's a New Tree "Renew" dark chocolate bar (that's the blackcurrant flavor). The other flavors I'd tried (with nearly identical packaging) were all gluten free and I think I just assumed it was like the others (and I used to love this kind of chocolate and was excited to find it in Gainesville). It clearly says "Contains soy lecithin and gluten" on the label, damnit -- that was stupid.

So -- I've nibbled on 1/2 of this thing over about a week so far and mostly I'm just fluish and stressy feeling on and off -- a small amount of D., but I attributed that to eating too much cheese or something. I actually thought I _did_ have the flu, so my glutening reactions have changed significantly since October.

Really, too many new things in my life, no matter how good they are, are making me stupid.

[gbrad71]

It's a New Tree "Renew" dark chocolate bar (that's the blackcurrant flavor). The other flavors I'd tried (with nearly identical packaging) were all gluten free and I think I just assumed it was like the others (and I used to love this kind of chocolate and was excited to find it in Gainesville). It clearly says "Contains soy lecithin and gluten" on the label, damnit -- that was stupid.

So -- I've nibbled on 1/2 of this thing over about a week so far and mostly I'm just fluish and stressy feeling on and off -- a small amount of D., but I attributed that to eating too much cheese or something. I actually thought I _did_ have the flu, so my glutening reactions have changed significantly since October.

Really, too many new things in my life, no matter how good they are, are making me stupid.

I eat the M&M's dark chocolate candy all the time and it has soy lecithin in it - on the allergen warning it only says may contain peanuts - have I been eating something I should not?

Thanks,

Greg

[eleep]

No -- unless you have an issue with soy, you should be fine. My label specifically says it contains gluten -- since this is a blackcurrant flavored dark chocolate, I imagine there's barley malt or something in the flavoring.

Really, this was just a case of my own sloppiness in reading labels.