Dairy Free

[Guest gfinnebraska]

I have been gluten free for years and my family fully supports that I have celiac disease and can't have gluten. Well, recently, I have become aware that I also have to avoid dairy. Will I have to avoid it forever?!!?? I don't know. Only time will tell. WELL, I found out that some of my family members think it is "all in my head." That statement bothered me SO much that I thought, fine, I will eat dairy and test it for sure! Well, after days of being SICK... I know it isn't "in my head." How do you handle people thinking you are just "on another kick"???? Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!!

[gf4life]

I ignore them. I have found that when I try to explain to them what gluten/dairy did to me they didn't really want to know. They have already decided that it wasn't real, it is "all in my head". So who cares. It's my body and I have to take care of it.

Some people (especially family members) have started asking me questions. They still don't really get it, but they are at least trying to be understanding. Last night my in-laws came over and brought chicken sandwiches and fries from Burger King "for the kids". Well all of my kids are gluten-free and dairy free. When I told my MIL that the kids couldn't eat it she looked at me like I was crazy and asked why not?

Well then today she was asking more questions about how I was able to loose weight. She doesn't understand about the diet being lifelong, or about the consequences of a gluten accident. She still keeps thinking that it is glucose we have to avoid. I get that alot. So many people are aware of diabetes and glucose, and get it mixed up with gluten.

On a side note. I was off ALL dairy for 14 months and have recently introduced it back into my diet. I am not having any ill effects, except from some dairy products that add guar gum into the product like sour cream, cream cheese, etc. I will be letting my kids try dairy next month at their one year anniversary of being Gluten-free Casein-free. I am hoping they all tolerate it well, since being gluten-free only opens up a whole world of other foods to us!

God bless,

Mariann

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

I tell them: "It's not in my head, it's in my guts."

Kidding aside, it's very hard, to get some stubborn people (especially family members) to understand, what our problem is. If they are willing to learn, I'd try to give them all information a can. Brochures, internet-adresses, message boards, maybe something, where they can read a doctors letter or so. If they are not willing to learn, I'd first try to convince them. But if they're really stubborn, I'd try to stick to the people in my family that DO understand. And if you don't have another possibility (like a family gathering or something), bring your own food and try to ignore them.

Hugs, Stef

[Guest gfinnebraska]

Thanks ~ I just needed a "pep" talk. It is SO depressing to be the only "odd" one in the family ~ on both sides!! Well, odd with food anyway!! Heehee It is just so frustrating when they offer me things they KNOW I can't have. Sigh... patience is a virtue ~ right? Thanks again for the words of encouragement.

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

Hey, that's what we're here for, right? But hehe, my uncle-in-law dave (nickname uncle frog ), he and I are good friends. He actually gave me the walk down the isle on my wedding day, because my dad couldn't fly over, because of his pressure problem with his ears. When we made little fires on some nice summer evenings in their backyard last year he always offered me beer, oreos and these marshmallow-thingies on cookies, I forgot, what they're called in english (we don't have them in germany and I actually don't like them anyway). And after we found out I have celiac I couldn't eat most of that stuff anymore. So each time he asked I grabbed my rucksack and held the gluten-free oreos under his nose. I said: 'See this? That's mine!' When he wanted to try one, i said: 'No, you have your own. If you eat mine, what do I eat then???' And so I avoided to give him one and him finding out, that they're probably not that good as his oreos in his own opinion. Good solution for everybody.

Hugs, Stef

[celiac3270]

I can sympathize with you--

People used to think it was all in my head as well--my mom couldn't understand why I would get sick so often--little did she know I had celiac and malrotation. The doctors thought it might be that I wanted attention....ugh...but at least people know it wasn't in my head now.