Think I'm Getting Glutened

[confusedks]

I am 17 and live at home. My brother is not gluten free, my mom is trying (not very successful) and I'm free of the things in my signature. The problem is that my mom isn't strict with my 19 1/2 year old brother about not contaminating things. I have explained it to him MANY times and I think he is using my gluten free hummus, etc. for his gluten-full breads. I am not 100% sure, but pretty sure. Today I went to make gluten-free pasta and the pan still had Kraft Mac & Cheese crumbs left in it! I have talked to my mom about being stricter with him about things, but she won't. He is the only one who uses the toaster in the house, I have to use the broiler (which requires bending over to flip things, etc. and I have a really BAD back ) My question is, do any of you have suggestions? I am desperate!

Kassandra

[Yellow Rose]

Get yourself a couple of pots and pans that only you use and keep them in your room. Also, cover your food that you put in the microwave so it doesn't get contaminated. I am the cook in this house and I had to get my own pans to cook in. We have one set for gluten foods and one set for gluten free foods. Good luck.

Yellow Rose

[cyberprof]

I agree w/Yellow Rose. Get a pot, a med-size frying pan and several microwave dishes. (I keep a few of the Corningware White dishes that come with microwave-safe lids...they have little blue vents. I bought my dishes at a grocery store or like at a Wal-Mart or Fred Meyer.)

Also, you might try getting a small dorm-sized frig for your room. If you can keep it in a closet he may not know you even have it. Keep your hummus, condiments, leftovers etc in that. If you go away to college it will come in handy there too.

Good luck!

[amberleigh]

Awww, sweetie! God bless you for having all those food intolerances and doing this mostly on your own. Your bro needs to shape up!

Anyway, I like the idea of a fridge in your room to keep the things that might get c-c'd (like hummus, butter, jelly, cream cheese, etc.). Also get a couple of your own pots/pans and keep them in your room as well. What a pain in the butt, but I suppose it's worth it for your health and peace of mind.

Will you be going away to college soon? Hopefully you'll get a nice understanding roommate and won't have to deal with the carelessness of your bro much longer. Hugs to you!

[Mom23boys]

I agree with the others.

Would your Mom let you set up your room dorm style with a little fridge, a little toaster oven and like items?? Even if you couldn't use them in there, have them safe and available to bring out.

[hurrican-drea]

Honey, I understand and relate. They make a thing called toaster bags. I've never used them but have heard of them. Great for when you have to use a dirty toaster. I think the others are right though. Pots and utensils are cross contaminated buy and keep your own seperate. Label them with a sharpie in big unmistakeable letters .

Drea

[mamaw]

sorry you are havine so much trouble trying to explain to family about this illness.... at times I think sometimes family is the worse to make understand. If its not happening to them they don't seem to care. But remember what goes around comes around!!!!

I would buy me a couple of pans & hid them in my room & do my own cooking. I know that's alot to do in a young person's schedule..

I do use the toasta bags & I use them daily. I found mine at Boscov's hidden behind the toasters. they last for 100 uses (2 bags for $7.99) sometimes they ar on sale for 20 % off.... other bags are for only 10 uses & I think they are way to pricey... I do know of other bags with 300 uses but I can't find anywhere to buy them....

good luck & stay strong... & healthy

mamaw

[jerseyangel]

I'm sorry that your family isn't more accomodating, but you can't do much to change that. You've already spoken to them, explained the situation, and asked again.

At this point, you need to "work around" them . I bought myself an inexpensive toaster at Wal Mart for about $10. Worth every penny.

I would also try and get yourself a couple pans and a cutting board. If you have condiments in a squeeze-type container, there are no worries about cross contamination with a knife.

Don't put your food down on the counter or in the microwave without a plate underneath. I also think you should use a separate kitchen towel. Instead of a sponge, I use a dish cloth which I change and launder daily.

[JNBunnie1]

I know this sounds funny, but I might even get a lock for my room after I got all that stuff to put in there. If you can't trust him to pay attention in the kitchen, i wouldn't trust him with the stuff in your room either. Other than that, keeping everything in your room is probably the best way to go. Even stuff like carrots can be contaminated if your brother gets one out with a gluteny hand, so keeping your food separate is a good idea. And its good practice for dorm living, it'll help you be healthier too!

[NoGluGirl]

Dear Kassandra,

My parents are the same way. That is why I have to take my cookware, dish towel, utensils, and anything else I need or use and put them in one of those large Rubbermaid tubs. They seal airtight, and I keep it in the living room. I got a great stainless steel set at Wal-Mart for $22.88. It has a Dutch oven, two saucepans with lids, and a skillet. Tramontina is the brand.

My father said it was my fault for leaving my pans out. You cannot put anything anywhere in this house. It is a complete mess. There is no counter space, the oven is loaded on top and inside, and if I put my pans in the other room, my mother would complain that ants would come in. The dog licks everything, which does not help matters. He eats gluten as well.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[Phyllis28]

You also might want to add a small microwave to your room. I just bought one at Target that was on sale for $30.00.

[Arpita]

That's so hard! I remember feeling so anxious about it when I used to have gluten in the house. I wasn't sure if a reaction was gluten contamination or a new food I tried. I agree with everyone else. Having your own separate kitchen and pots/pans would be best. Until you decide on that, I have another less-than-perfect suggestion. Do people in your house eat food in the fridge or cabinets that is hard to get to? In my house, everyone is too lazy to get out the things far in the back. Maybe put your food in a plastic, knotted bag and place it in the far back of the fridge. You could even knot it a special way so that you will know if anyone else opened it. Best wishes getting your parents to help you out with a fridge and pots/pans.

[NoGluGirl]

Dear Kassandra,

Something else I do is get those little dot stickers in the stationary department. I stick them on my items so everyone knows not to bother my stuff. I told them, if you see a dot, then do not touch it, because I will know! Hell hath no fury like a Celiac scorned. I also saved some jam jars or some baby food jars a while back, and thoroughly cleaned them in the dishwasher. If you know someone who has a baby, ask them to save them so you can take a little of the condiments out for yourself when they are new so you have some of your own.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[confusedks]

Thank you so much for all your replies! We will go to the store soon according to my mom in order to get me some new appliances, dishes, etc. It is really frustrating because my brother is 19 almost 20, doesn't work, go to school, drive...NOTHING!!! And my mom doesn't do anything about any of that. So, the fact that she isn't very supportive about this is not a shocker...but still ANNOYING!!!

Again thanks for everything!

Kassandra

[NoGluGirl]

Dear Kassandra,

I know what you mean. My brother is mildly handicapped, and my mother uses this as an excuse for everything he does. He is one of those who starts fights with people and knows very well what he is doing. The only thing he actually has trouble with is math and understanding money. He treats me like a hypochondriac when he comes over. His stomach issues are pretty bad, but he refused to believe he is Celiac as well. He does not want to give up Debbie Cakes. How stupid is that?

I mean, let's think about this a second. No Debbie Cakes, or intestinal cancer? I would think that is a no-brainer.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[confusedks]

NoGluGirl,

It's sounds like a no-brainer to me too! It amazes me what he is able to get away with...and if nothing else, DON'T LET HIM TOUCH MY STUFF WITH GLUTEN HANDS!!!!!!!!!!! Ugh! That seems like a no-brainer to me too. And, it's not like he's a 5 year old, he's 19 almost 20 friggin' years old!! Oh well...I can't do anything about it.

Kassandra

P.S. I have my own stickers on everything...doesn't matter. I have tried to get really angry to scare him, instead my mom yells at me!

[NoGluGirl]

Dear Kassandra,

It is the same here! My parents are very careless. The treat me like a nutcase when I get upset. They will just touch bread or crackers, then go fingering my stuff! There are so many things we must consider that other people do not. They do not have a clue what it is like for us. Even worse, they do not care that we get violently ill.

My brother is 32 years old, and when he visits, he acts like such a jerk about this. My parents do not help any, either. Plus, the house is such a mess, there is absolutely nowhere to put anything! They then blame me about them glutening my stuff! I cannot win for losing. After that, the have the nerve to gripe I need to just go out and get a job so I can have my own place. These people are real idiots. If I did not get glutened from their carelessness so often, maybe I would be well enough to do so!

The stickers help, but my parents do not always pay attention. My dad gets mad about me not trusting them. If they actually paid attention, that would be different. Most of the time, they don't. Part of it is just being lazy. People cannot blame you for things that are not your fault, but they sure do try!

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

P.S. I always thought I might have a sister somewhere. Are you sure we do not have the same parents?

[confusedks]

Lol!

P.S. I always thought I might have a sister somewhere. Are you sure we do not have the same parents?

I think so too! This is so annoying.

Kassandra

[NoGluGirl]

Dear Kassandra,

I bet we do have the same parents! I swear, it is ridiculous. We get into the dumbest fights over things. I hate it because it feels like all of this negative energy is around, and I cannot get well with it surrounding me. Do you ever feel like that?

My parents are the first to complain about the house looking like a mess, but the last to do anything to fix it. For instance, I am the only one who does dishes, cleans the fridge, or even attempts to clean up. Honestly, with my father, you would have to be an octopus to keep up with him! He will leave trash piling up half of the wall from his trash can in their bedroom! Maybe if I actually did not have to spend half the time cleaning up after him, or fixing what they screw up that I already cleaned like the countertops or the kitchen table, I might have energy for other things!

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[Guest thatchickali]

I was so excited to move out of the dorms this semester with my 2 friends into a nice nice townhome. I was finally going to have my own KITCHEN and bathroom and garage!!

I got my diagnoses 2 weeks before I moved in. I tried being in the same kitchen with them, even using all my own things, and separating the food, but I felt horrible for the first few days.

I had to go completely dorm style in my room. I hate it and am so bitter towards them but it makes me so much more comfortable.

[NoGluGirl]

I was so excited to move out of the dorms this semester with my 2 friends into a nice nice townhome. I was finally going to have my own KITCHEN and bathroom and garage!!

I got my diagnoses 2 weeks before I moved in. I tried being in the same kitchen with them, even using all my own things, and separating the food, but I felt horrible for the first few days.

I had to go completely dorm style in my room. I hate it and am so bitter towards them but it makes me so much more comfortable.

Dear thatchickali,

I know exactly what you mean! Sharing a kitchen is a terrible danger for us. I have gotten a large plastic tub to put my stuff in. That helps a lot. I keep it in the living room. Every utensil, dish towel, sponge, needs to be away from gluten fingered people. My parents have to just finger everything! I hate that!

I am so glad you got to move into a town home. I wish I were well and able to work and job and move out. Then I might be able to avoid being glutened. The misery it causes me is so horrible. I get violently ill from a microscopic speck of the crap.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[melmak5]

I recently got rid of my "gluten free kitchen sponge" because a veteran clued me in that it could have been the source of gluten.

If you think about it, if you lay the sponge on the sick/counter top or whatever, while you are flipping over a plate you are probably increasing your risk of cc.

Yes, it is very very small, but since I share a house with two gluten eaters I am trying to keep my possibilities down two a minimum.

I have switched to paper towels and dish towels. I have separate dish towels that I only use once and then they go DIRECTLY into the wash. I lay them down on the counters before I put down my cutting board (even after I have washed the counter down - because our counters are not sealed).

It might not be an issue for any of you, but for me it has made me feel safer in my home.

[confusedks]

That's a great idea. I never would have thought of the sponge as a source of gluten. But I guess we use it to clean off the counter with bread crumbs, etc. and then it would get into my dishes, etc. UGH! Thanks for the suggestion!

Kassandra

[NoGluGirl]

Dear melmak5,

I cannot use paper towels unless they are in my container with my utensils and such. My parents get gluten all over the paper towels. It is ridiculous! I keep my sponge separate so they cannot screw that up, too. You really do not have much of a choice. Sharing a kitchen with people who eat gluten is so dangerous, but completely unavoidable for some of us.

Dear Kassandra,

There are a lot of possibilities for cc. It is frustrating. You cannot think of everything. The other week, I did not realize until I read someone else's post that gluten particles can move around in the microwave. I had been heating my water for my coffee in there, and after I started covering it, I was doing a bit better.

Here is another thing you would never suspect to cause gluten to make you ill. I got glutened the other month from the soda bottle! My father pours a drink, and always lays the lid down wherever. Everything is loaded with crumbs around here. I did not think about it until later when I realized it had to be the soda cap, because not only did I know for sure the drink was gluten-free, but that I drank it when the bottle was just opened by myself, and did not get sick.

If you use the can opener, be careful. I keep a toothbrush handy for cleaning it. One part of ours goes down into the can. I clean it thoroughly everytime before using it. I sanitize the toothbrush in the dishwasher everytime I run it. My parents also finger everything, so I typically take some silverware out for myself and put it in a separate location so that I do not have to worry about getting sick from grabbing a fork or spoon they touched after fingering a piece of bread or some crackers.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[confusedks]

Oy! This is so overwhelming! I totally wish my mom would just let the whole house go gluten free!! This is such a source of anger for me, especially because of the carelessness. I can't wait to go to college and have my own, NEW gluten free stuff.

Kassandra