Not Just What You Eat But Where

[esammarie]

Three times now, since going gluten-free after the diagnosis of DH and celiac, my "plague" or DH has erupted after eating lunch at work. Each time I had a super-yummy completely gluten-free lunch: a gluten-free Applegate Farms turkey dog on Kinnikinnik gluten-free brown bread with gluten-free mustard and some fresh lettuce. Today it was a GlutenFreeda's gluten-free dairy free veggie burrito with canned organic peaches in their own juice. I was worried. What was it??? What had I eaten? I carefully heated things in the office microwave that I cleaned and then washed my hands then my stuff was heated in the packaging I had made for them in my own kitchen.

I had heated food in the microwave before..........and then I realized what it was. My keyboard!!! I usually eat lunch at my desk, often working on the computer. Have done it for years. Of course there are crumbs in the keyboard. I can see them. I tried to clean them out and wipe down the keyboard regularly but here's the thing. Most other lunches I ate with a fork or spoon. The past two lunches were finger food. Gross, I know that, too. I got a new toaster and other things but this is the same old keyboard!!!

Lessons learned: stop eating over the keyboard (it's just not a good idea no matter what I'm eating); get a new keyboard; stop eating with my fingers, even if it's a sandwich!

Kind of funny, but not really. My own sloppiness made me sick. Dumb dumb dumb. On the bright side, these new foods really taste yummy!

[angieInCA]

I had my keyboard and mouse replaced with new at work and NO ONE is allowed to touch it by orders of my boss

[ang1e0251]

You can also buy a skin for your keyboard to protect it and you.

[esammarie]

You can also buy a skin for your keyboard to protect it and you.

Oh, that's really good to know! I will look into it. Thank you so much!

[esammarie]

I had my keyboard and mouse replaced with new at work and NO ONE is allowed to touch it by orders of my boss

I am so glad to hear someone else had this experience and I love your boss's decree! Thank you so much for sharing. It really helps!

[angieInCA]

I am so glad to hear someone else had this experience and I love your boss's decree! Thank you so much for sharing. It really helps!

It helps that his son is Austic and Gluten free, he really understands the need to keep my work area clean. People walk around the office eating gluten stuff all the time and he tells them to keeep it away from my area.

[Jonbo]

It helps that his son is Austic and Gluten free, he really understands the need to keep my work area clean. People walk around the office eating gluten stuff all the time and he tells them to keeep it away from my area.

I wish my Boss was somewhat like yours. He's still yet to fully grasp my situation when he offers to bring in food for us on occasion. He's getting better about it, but considering the last Saturday I worked, he asked what I could have, and off top of head fast food wise, I wasn't sure. He said "What about Pancakes?". I just gave him this dumbfounded look and gave a sarcastic response (in a funny way) about what Pancakes are made from. But as said, he's learning but I just bring my own food every day so I don't have to bother him/others.

[angieInCA]

My work is geting ready for their Holiday Feast that they have catered for our whole company (70 employees). The office manager came to me on Thursday and asked me to help with the Menu so she could make sure there were pleanty of Gluten free options. She had already contacted the caterer and they assured her they would be very careful and make sure the gluten-free foods were truly gluten-free and they would set up the food so that the gluten-free foods had their own table to help avoid cross contamination throught serving utinsils. The only food that will have gluten is the stuffing and most desserts. They said all gravies and sauces will be thickened with corn starch.

I offered to bring in a Gluten free cake and pumpkin muffins.

I just started working there in August and since I have been there 3 other employees have come and told me that they are gluten free due to health issues. They had never said anything to the bosses before but since i have made it known about my Celiac they felt free to let their conditions known.

The result has been that the owners of the company has decided to redo our kitchen/break room with a new counter and small fridge, toaster oven and microwave all to be designated Gluten Free

[cmom]

Wow, that is awesome! Not a chance of that happening where I am...they love their doughnuts...There are a couple of people who do try to see that I have something at a pitch-in though