How Do I Get My College To Release Me From The Meal Plan?

[AKcollegestudent]

I've been glutened, broken out in hives from dairy, and had more migraines from soy this past semester than could possibly be good for anyone. And this is with the nice idiots in the campus dining services striving not to harm me. At one point, I kept a count of how long it'd been since I'd gotten glutened--it never reached more than eight days before I had to reset it.

So, after discussing it with my parents and my nutritionist at home, I came back and asked to be released from the meal plan--which is mandatory and costs several thousand dollars a year. The response: We'll consider it if you can prove it with information from your doctor.

But here's where it gets complicated: I may have gone gluten free for good (again) only eight months ago, but I did so because I was diagnosed with celiac as a child and was gluten free from 8 (or 9) until 13. I didn't repeat the testing this time because, once upon a time, I had all the tests done. But when they say "prove it" they mean I need to pull the results from those tests out. I haven't done the tests in over a decade. And due to bunch of things that were out of my control, they're results that I don't have anymore--and haven't in years.

My results were lost sometime between 1997 (when I suspect that I was first tested as an 8 year old--there's a range of 2 and a half years that it could have been) and 2001. During that time, I went through six moves, seven schools, three states, two different foster placements, and at least four parents. I don't know at what point during the in-and-out of the system that the medical paper work was lost and the diagnosis of celiac was lost--I do know that, as a 11 or 12 year old who didn't want to eat differently, I helped it along. If a new set didn't remember, I didn't remind.

But now I have no proof to get off the meal plan, and I cannot stay on it when it's leaving clear neuro issues, impacting my life, my hobbies, and my grades. I can live with the digestive issues--but the migraines, the disconnect from my body, the issues control my hands some days, I can't live with that. I don't want to. And it's not okay that my college is saying that I have to.

Please god, someone help.

[Jestgar]

Could your nutritionist provide documentation? Letters from your family?

[purple]

All my dd needed was a fax from her doc and she is gluten-free not celiac. I hope this gets worked out for you soon. Also they refunded the whole semester even though we talked to them mid Feb.

[Ahorsesoul]

If your doctor knows you are gluten free he/she should be able to write you a 'note'. There is one lady on this board who fought her college about the meal plan. I looked for the thread but couldn't find it. Hopefully she will see this and tell you her story. She was amazing.

[AndrewNYC]

You clearly have gluten sensitivity at the very least. Just get a doctor to write a note that says "my recommendation is that AKcollegestudent adhere to a strictly gluten free diet while he/she resolves certain health issues. Eating in the communal dining hall could pose a health risk to him/her at this time". Doctors do this all the time, its no big deal.

I've been glutened, broken out in hives from dairy, and had more migraines from soy this past semester than could possibly be good for anyone. And this is with the nice idiots in the campus dining services striving not to harm me. At one point, I kept a count of how long it'd been since I'd gotten glutened--it never reached more than eight days before I had to reset it.

So, after discussing it with my parents and my nutritionist at home, I came back and asked to be released from the meal plan--which is mandatory and costs several thousand dollars a year. The response: We'll consider it if you can prove it with information from your doctor.

But here's where it gets complicated: I may have gone gluten free for good (again) only eight months ago, but I did so because I was diagnosed with celiac as a child and was gluten free from 8 (or 9) until 13. I didn't repeat the testing this time because, once upon a time, I had all the tests done. But when they say "prove it" they mean I need to pull the results from those tests out. I haven't done the tests in over a decade. And due to bunch of things that were out of my control, they're results that I don't have anymore--and haven't in years.

My results were lost sometime between 1997 (when I suspect that I was first tested as an 8 year old--there's a range of 2 and a half years that it could have been) and 2001. During that time, I went through six moves, seven schools, three states, two different foster placements, and at least four parents. I don't know at what point during the in-and-out of the system that the medical paper work was lost and the diagnosis of celiac was lost--I do know that, as a 11 or 12 year old who didn't want to eat differently, I helped it along. If a new set didn't remember, I didn't remind.

But now I have no proof to get off the meal plan, and I cannot stay on it when it's leaving clear neuro issues, impacting my life, my hobbies, and my grades. I can live with the digestive issues--but the migraines, the disconnect from my body, the issues control my hands some days, I can't live with that. I don't want to. And it's not okay that my college is saying that I have to.

Please god, someone help.

[Takala]

I found the previous thread on this topic:

2 Aug 2009 by KSUmarlow04 Celiac Disease Discrimination

https://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/index.php?showtopic=60649&st=0&p=551824&#entry551824

[StacyA]

Their definition of 'prove it' is probably not as strict as you are worrying about. Just get something in writing like the other people here suggested. The college just needs to have something written down so they can't be accused by other parents/students of showing you preferential treatment.