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

Unbelievable !

jasonD2

By jasonD2
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

jasonD2 Experienced
jasonD2
Posted

This is insane!

Ive been at a sales meeting all week. I was concerned about my options for lunch since the company ordered in for everyone, so I paid a visit to Whole Foods (near my hotel) and picked up my own stuff to bring...no big deal.

Day 1: I show up with my own food and everyone completely freaked out...oh, you brought your own lunch? whats the deal? why? huh? look at him he brought his own lunch -- well it was either that or fried rice and salsa w/ chips and cake, which is all they provided

Day 2: HEY...he brought his lunch AGAIN! why did you bring your lunch again, dude? options were sandwiches, chips and cake

Everyone made such a freakin big stink out of this for no reason. It wasnt a problem for me but clearly it was for everyone else

WTF is the big deal? this made me so uncomfortable and self conscious that i couldnt even enjoy my lunch cause of all the scrutiny

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


digmom1014 Enthusiast
digmom1014
Posted

Is this meeting with the same group of salespeople each time?

The first few times my sales group had lunch together, they asked if they were sitting by me, and then the rumor spread. I just addressed it as, "I'm allergic to wheat" and they never bother me after that.

I think sales people are supposed to go with the flow and mimic customers eating habits, since we have to take them to lunch so often.

No one ever understands when anyone passes up a FREE lunch.

I'm sorry this happened to you.

mamaw Community Regular
mamaw
Posted

People can be nasty & immature which sounds like this time they were trying to get under your skin & it apears they did just that. You let them win.

I believe this should go to a higher up so it doesn't happen again & education needs to be addressed about celiacs. To me this sounds like a boy's night out to rip on a person for fun. Not a business meeting lunch........

Usually when anyone would comment to me at a business meeting I would just state that I have an autoimmune disease that I get sick when I comsume anything with wheat in it & that usually sparks more questions & then I have a chance to educate more people. Several have went & been tested & now also are gluten-free......

Now my family rides me all the time about bring gluten-free because they do not get it... but down the road they may just have to follow the diet as well so I tell them be careful what you say & do as things have a way of coming back & biting you on the A__ ___!!!!

Stick to your gluten-free lifestyle & get healthy.........You will be the winner!

blessings

mamaw

UnhappyCoeliac Enthusiast
UnhappyCoeliac
Posted

Stay strong bud, eat your lunch, ignore them, there problem your looking out for yourself and thats what important.

PS: with those sort of options Im picturing overweight balding executives, cakes and chips for lunch lol. It sounds like they are the problem... they sound tubby or unhealthy at the least.

Just say your on a health kick man. I use the excuse all the time honestly... I have eggs and fruit/ salad for lunch most days, or gluten free chicken anyone questions me... I simply say body building...Or I want to slim my face out. No need to bring up gluten(as most wont understand the disease in a the few secs you explain it to them) I think just general health, let the tubbys eat their cake :lol::D

home-based-mom Contributor
home-based-mom
Posted

Instead of wilting under the scrutiny (or testosterone-laden bullying) try answering with:

"Hey, guys, I'm glad you asked. :D Let me tell you about the millions, yes millions of people in this country get sick eating just this very kind of food because they are either allergic to it or their bodies have an autoimmune response to it."

Take it from there. You are in sales, right? Make it a sales pitch! ;)

Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted
Instead of wilting under the scrutiny (or testosterone-laden bullying) try answering with:

"Hey, guys, I'm glad you asked. :D Let me tell you about the millions, yes millions of people in this country get sick eating just this very kind of food because they are either allergic to it or their bodies have an autoimmune response to it."

Take it from there. You are in sales, right? Make it a sales pitch! ;)

:lol: :lol:

At the very least they'll be so annoyed at having to listen to a sales pitch, they'll never ask you again!

mommida Enthusiast
mommida
Posted

Here in the Detroit area they just covered a story about WORMS.

:blink: Worms from pork products that have invaded peoples BRAINS!!!!!!!!!! :blink:

Most of this type of infection is in third world countries, but the southwest United States is having an alarming increase.

Then they showed the surgeon pulling this monster worm out of this woman's BRAIN. :wacko: After the first tug it bulged up like a balloon! (They explained that happens because the pressure holding it compressed was released.)

They blamed it on poor hygeine of food prep "professionals". They wrapped up the story about how much faith and trust we have that people wash their hands and the food we eat are safe and clean.

Now, if I was in a foul mood, I would have showed them the video of this. After they had their nice free lunch, of course. :P

These insecure people need to get a life. But sometimes they can be a lot of fun to mess with.

Seriously, I think I'm scarred for life after seeing that.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


gadgetgirl Newbie
gadgetgirl
Posted

Sorry to hear of your experience. My experience is usually the opposite "Hey, where did you get that - that looks really good!". It happened again this week at the annual employee appreciation (can you say PIZZA?) party. I made up my own gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free pizza and had the kitchen staff bake it for me (I even provided the pan to avoid CC).

I had to use my fork to keep people from trying to swipe my pizza. :lol:

As a side note, I've been a very picky eater all my life so I've developed a very thick skin about people making comments about what is on my plate.

flagbabyds Collaborator
flagbabyds
Posted

whenever i'm in this situation and just annoyed i fidge the facts sometimes and be like, 'well if i eat what you're eating, i'll die, and you'll be blamed, now you don't want that, do you?'

it pisses people off sometimes but you know, it gets the point accross and they stop bothering you and make sure that you don't eat any gluten after that cause they're kidna scared...

it seems to work for me especially with people my age, casue a lot of people don't understand celiac...

--M

Welda Johnson Newbie
Welda Johnson
Posted

I love the responses to your blog! At age 64 I've had a lot of years to get used to peoples' sometimes rude, sometimes just uninformed comments, but believe me, reading the responses you got has given me a whole new outlook on how to explain to people just why I have brought my own food. I'm with jestgar that you should just put your salesmanship talents to work full force, and sweep them away with the thought that they proabably have Celiac too. I think most people got so tired of me trying to explain why I was trying all these innovative recipes and new foods, that they finally just withdrew any comments they might have had. Now I see them straining to see what I brought this time, and what I'm going to eat, as opposed to what they are eating each and every day.

I'm wishing you smooth sailing and hoping that you have the perfect response whenever anyone gives you "the business" about what you're eating, or why you've brought your own food. It gets better everyday. Welda

Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,549
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Blough
    Newest Member
    Blough
    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

    • 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.
    • Beverage
      Diagnosed celiac for 1-2 months ago and everything makes me bloated.

      By Beverage · Posted

      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
×
×
  • 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.