Newly Diagnosed Away From Home

[Rebecca Madrid]

Okay, so I'm new to celiac and new to the forum. I just have a question for the other teen celiacs out there. I have been recently diagnosed after about two years of symptoms, and doctors telling me I'm just "tired" or "depressed". I am currently living in Newfoundland for University (although home is Ontario), and I'm finding myself very isolated... No pitching in on late night "Rez Special" pizza, or Wing Night at Don Cherry's, or drinking cheap-as-water pints of Black Horse at the favourite Karaoke bar. I'm finding it doesn't help the exhaustion or depression either, to constantly have to explain to the people your around what's wrong. I also can't seem to get through a meal at meal hall without someone making a comment, joke, or dirty look, at my "funny looking" bread or cereal. Just looking for someone whose been there, a reassurance I'm not as alone as I feel.

You guys must have been in a similar place at some time, how do you get through constantly feeling different??

Rebecca

[exsandohs163]

It's hard but I just keep in mind that I feel so much better now. My friend's go out for pizza and I just sit there with a drink...they always ask "Can't you just eat one slice? It can't be THAT bad!" They just don't understand what it is like . lol I am used to it now though. I get through the day by knowing what I am doing is th best thing for me.

[flagbabyds]

It takes a while to get used to everything, I was diagnosed when I was merely 20 months old and sometimes I still get frustrated with what people say and how they act around the gluten-free lifestyle. I find that when I bring my own food (or drink) places it makes it easier, even if the food is different you're still at least eating or drinking something just like everyone else. I learned from an early age just to ignore the comments about people saying how funny my food is, it's hard at first, but once you learn to just brush it off it's not that big of a deal anymore. By now my friends at college are SO used to what i'm eating every day that it doesn't even matter to them and they never comment on it.

I went through a stage in middle school whenever anyone made fun of my food I would just snap and yell at them, which didn't turn out to be very good but they did always stop making fun of my food after a while.

It's a learning process and a HUGE life adjustment. But just remember that you are feeling a lot better, and it's not worth it just to fit in to eat gluten when it screws up your body so much.

If you want to talk about gluten-free stuff shoot me an e-mail mstone@ups.edu.

--Molly

[Rebecca Madrid]

It takes a while to get used to everything, I was diagnosed when I was merely 20 months old and sometimes I still get frustrated with what people say and how they act around the gluten-free lifestyle. I find that when I bring my own food (or drink) places it makes it easier, even if the food is different you're still at least eating or drinking something just like everyone else. I learned from an early age just to ignore the comments about people saying how funny my food is, it's hard at first, but once you learn to just brush it off it's not that big of a deal anymore. By now my friends at college are SO used to what i'm eating every day that it doesn't even matter to them and they never comment on it.

I went through a stage in middle school whenever anyone made fun of my food I would just snap and yell at them, which didn't turn out to be very good but they did always stop making fun of my food after a while.

It's a learning process and a HUGE life adjustment. But just remember that you are feeling a lot better, and it's not worth it just to fit in to eat gluten when it screws up your body so much.

If you want to talk about gluten-free stuff shoot me an e-mail mstone@ups.edu.

--Molly

Thanks Molly, my biggest issue has been not being cross-contaminated at dining hall, I did have a question about skin reactions that you might be able to help me with. I seem to break out it a hive like thing if i ingest gluten, but my skin doesn't seem to react when i touch it, I work at Tim Horton's so that was a major concern. Do you have any explanation for the difference, or a site i could visit??

Thanks so much,

Rebecca