Do Your Parents Think You Are Crazy?

[Lexi]

Wow - I am so frustrated! My parents just spent the weekend with my family because I was very sick, and they were trying to help out with my kids. Oh, what a big help that was! My Parents kept letting me know that they basically think I am crazy because I insist on using my own set of pans and utensils. Then my Mom will always try to cook something for me that I can't have, and I have to keep explaining EVERYTHING! They are supportive of me with Celiac Disease in itself, but they just can't seem to get all the crazy things that go along with it. I also have Candida, and they think I need to go to more Doctors to get second opinions because they have never heard of such a crazy thing. I wish there was some kind of class that family members could attend to understand the life of a Celiac. The hardest part is that I end up having a miserable time when they come to visit now. Anyone else go through this???

[oceangirl]

Yup!

My older parents can't grasp the extenuating circumstances, either. Frustrating- I don't even try anymore.

It's hard to imagine walking in someone else's moccasins, I guess...

lisa

[pennypicker]

Absolutely.

I saw my parents for the first time post-Dx right around Christmas. They didn't intend to be rude, but because of a total lack of understanding, it appeared that way. They were most confused about cc and poorly labeled products. Educating some people, especially people I've known for a long time, is very difficult for me to do. I think it's because I used to be able to eat anything I wanted with them, and now I can't and it doesn't make sense to them. Counter intuitively, people I've met post-Dx seem to be more accepting, because this is the only way they've ever seen me.

[NorthernElf]

Yeah, I guess my folks go both ways too - supportive and then...not so much.

A couple of visits ago (they live 6 hours away) my mom bough gluten-free pasta and chips and such for me, which I thought was nice. At Christmas she had a lasagna made for us to eat when we arrived - NOT gluten-free. Very frustrating since we got there at 7 and I was hungry...but I do travel with my own food. Our last meal while I was there was store bought chicken wings (not gluten-free) and frozen fries. I sat there with my salad and toasted gluten-free bread. My mom actually said I was making her feel guilty. Oh, I so bit my tongue (wanted to say that she should !!). The sad part - I think the comment was actually more about me eating a healthy meal versus a fatty one, nothing to do with gluten.

I'm spending a week with my inlaws in March - I'm bringing a lot of my own food and there is a Whole Foods near them so I will be shopping there ! My MIL is actually better with the diet than my mother.

I just think that they have fed me gluten all my life and don't get that I can't have it now - I don't live near them. My folks are also always on diets (weight loss) & I think they don't get a NECESASSARY diet at all.

FWIW, my DH was upset at my folks and their lack of support - he would never say anything directly to them (neither did I). I figure they'll get it eventually because I always eat gluten-free. DH certainly gets it - he knows what I'm like when I'm sick !!!