Describe Your Worst Glutening! :o

[Guest Doll]

What was your absolute *worst* glutening? Bonus for a funny story...in my opinion, laughter IS the best medicine.

I guess I should add my own:

1.) About 1.5 years ago the FH and I went to Rae and Jerry's Steakhouse in Winnipeg for a meal (do NOT go there!). I called ahead of time and was told that the chef would prepare a meal for me no problem. I stressed my "gluten allergy", no spices, and all that jazz. Practically danced on my head. The waiter seemed to get it, but you never can REALLY tell. After a few bites, I looked at my fiance with THE look. Uh-oh....the FH is trained well and knows *exactly* what that means! I turned down my insulin pump, chugged some Coke, let him have 3 bites more of his steak, and we were out the door. The whole car ride home I remember my fiance saying, "squeeze honey, squeeze!". I was worried about ruining my new pants, and he was worried about ruining his seats! Lol! I was in the bathroom for HOURS sick as a dog. And since my place was small, my fiance (who was just my bf at the time), had to hear every last sound! Basically, I would scream in pain, get sick, and stick my A$$ in the tub. Repeat. 6 times. It was horrible! But funny to look back on now.

2.) The FH and I were staying at a hotel in Saskatoon (The Delta Bessborough if anyone cares). We came out here to check out my soon to be new home and celebrate our anniversary at the same time. We elected to stay at a nice hotel for one night and usually the "better" (Read: the hotels that rape and pillage your wallets) hotels are able to feed me. Unfortunately, a wedding was also going on that night and had completely taken over their Tappinyaki Asian restaurant where I was told I could eat. Private party only. Soooo....the old (young) man and I decided to venture out walking and find a restaurant. We found an Asian restaurant nearby that assured us that they could provide plain rice and veggies glazed with cornstarch. Soon after....you can guess the rest! OMG, after we *ran* back to the hotel, I was in the bathroom for 30 minutes. When I came out, poor FH had to go too. I told him he might want to wait and to NOT go in there! A FULL 20 minutes later, he did. He was choking and making all kinds of retching noises inside the bathroom, and I thought he was making fun of me! I started laughing (while curled up in the bed) and told him to stop. Problem was, he wasn't joking! That bathroom was a "Danger Zone" I swear! Lol! My fiance kept saying, "that poor, poor maid". We were sure she walked in to our bathroom and quit! Lol!

3.) My worst ALMOST glutening: I went to Applebees in Winnipeg (Regent). Called and spoke with the manager TWICE, and was assured that gluten-free was a non-issue. He did seem to understand the gluten-free diet. When I came in that night, I stressed all the usual to the waiter, plain potato, plain steak, plain veggies. I was told they we going to make everything in a clean pan just for me. All of their veggies had sauce, so I was told they were steaming some. Well, after all of those pains so I can chow down, the waiter brings out my plain meal with....2 slices of *garlic toast* on top. So ironic I almost fell over laughing right out of the booth. When I pointed out the obvious, the waiter was *so* embarrassed (poor guy). He comp'd me a free glass of wine and my meal was free (the manager came out and had a new one made for me). Yes it did suck to be sitting there hungry watching everyone inhale their nachos, but at least I *didn't* get sick. Could be worse, and good for a laugh. Sometimes I wonder about my luck. God must have a sense of humour....

I hope no one thinks I mean to imply that glutening is funny. It's not, and it can be dangerous for some of us (moi included). Just wanted people to be able to share, vent, or have a good laugh!

[NoGluGirl]

Dear Doll,

My worst glutening happened earlier this year. A local candy company said many of their items were gluten-free. Apparently not. I got horribly nauseated like usual, then started shaking all over after breaking out in a sweat, had a sudden need for a bowel movement, and I shook so hard my hands went numb! This was horrible, but at least I got a Promethazine down fast enough before I began getting the heaves, like had happened in other glutenings!

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[Guhlia]

Dear Doll,

My worst glutening happened earlier this year. A local candy company said many of their items were gluten-free. Apparently not. I got horribly nauseated like usual, then started shaking all over after breaking out in a sweat, had a sudden need for a bowel movement, and I shook so hard my hands went numb! This was horrible, but at least I got a Promethazine down fast enough before I began getting the heaves, like had happened in other glutenings!

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

Do we dare to ask what candy company?

[gfgypsyqueen]

My worst glutening came after about a year on the gluten-free diet. We were traveling and going to meet some old friends for dinner. Rather than try to find food and explain Celiacs and be a real pain in the ass at an old friends house I thought it would be easier to go out to eat. I picked the restaurant. I called and spoke to the manager. I arranged my meal before I ever arrived in town. That should have been one of the safest meals ever. We met for dinner. I had a great meal. And about an hour after I ate a started to get sick. My poor husband, who at this point still didn't really get the need to be so strict on the diet got a lesson that night. Driving back to the hotel, I nearly passed out, vommitted, shaking chills, he constantly had to stop the car. He was actually scared. So that night, a good year into this gluten-free life style, he finally learned how serious the reactions can be and the whole next week he got little reminders of how awful a reaction really is for me to endure. So in the end, I had my last meal at one of my favorite old restaurants from years ago, and my husband got the reality check of how bad it is for me to get ANY gluten.

[hathor]

I'm afraid my worst glutening wasn't funny. It happened too recently for that.

I went to Maggiano's, known for their availability of gluten-free pasta. I tell the waiter I want a gluten-free meal, plus I have other food allergies (not technically, but the word "allergy" gets their attention better ). I talk to the chef and he later brings out my dish. Yes, I think, he managed to come up with a sauce without dairy or meat!

I'm sitting there in a booth so I can look out over the crowd. After a number of bites of my pasta (mm, mm, good), there is no one interesting walking by so I look at my husband His pasta looks like mine.

I stop eating and call the waiter over. "Um, are you sure this is gluten-free pasta?" He leaves, he comes back quickly and takes the pasta away. The chef comes & apologizes. Well, he was so fixated on dairy-free it seems, that the gluten-free part was forgotten. I get the right dish. The manager comes & apologizes. He gives us his card, says he will contact his insurance company to take care of any "complications," and gives us our meal for free. (He refused to give us a check, even though my husband wanted to pay for his meal and the wine. We did leave a nice tip for the waiter based on what we thought that bill would have been, because it wasn't his fault.)

I don't want to get into the nasty details of what I went through after that. I feel bad with itty traces of gluten. My dang hair gel was glutening me there for a bit until I read the label and switched to something else. And here I had eaten a cup or so of regular pasta.

Maybe in a few months I will find amusement in the seeming terror in the restaurant staff that they would get sued (or maybe that I would get explosive diarrhea on the spot ). They asked for our names & address, and my husband had handed them a business card -- and he is a lawyer.

[NoGluGirl]

Dear Guhlia,

The company was Stephen Libs. I did not find out until later that they made the candy on shared lines. They had no warning about wheat on the label, and had the ingredients listed. The day after becoming ill, I sent an e-mail, and they said they had a Celiac working there and she ate the candies safely. Shared lines is not gluten-free, no matter how small the traces of wheat or other gluten are!

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[JNBunnie1]

My worst glutening was earlier this year. I had Sam's Club rotisserie chicken that said it was allergen(wheat) free on it. Oh, yeah, sure. I had it two nights in a row and had a lot of it. I still don't remember much of the week after that, but about a day after my brain started to recover, I got lactose intolerant for the first time ever! And it was so painful I was hollering in the bathroom because it felt like my guts were being ripped out. And then, a wekk after that, I got Dermatitis Herpetiformis for the first time ever! And it was this big huge patch on my leg and belly and the only thing I could wear was spandex for two weeks. MY glutenings last for a MONTH!!!!! Should I contact the Guiness book of world records or something? Just damn...............

[Glutenfreefamily]

It has been a few years since I have been glutened but the worst one was many years ago at *multiple* truck stops while traveling with my family and my dad not ready to stop for the night on our way to driving home Yeah really sensitive parent huh!! At the time I had no clue I had celiac disease or what was wrong with me. I have been lucky though the last few years of not being glutened that Im at the point of almost forgetting what it feels like to be glutened including the seizures that come with it.

[NoGluGirl]

Dear JNBunnie1,

I know that guts being ripped out feeling! I have gotten it from other things. When I had my gallbladder in, I had it really bad. If I eat too much fat, or creamed corn I get that way. One day, I accidentally had too much garlic, but those can be avoided.

Dear Glutenfreefamily,

My parents are the same way. Some people should never have had children. I am so tired of living here. If I were well, I could be out of here! My energy level is so low, and I feel like passing out a lot of the time. Lyme could be the cause. My blood pressure is often low.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl