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

9 Month Deployment

K8ling

By K8ling
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

K8ling Enthusiast
K8ling
Posted

Hey guys. My husband just found out that he will be (possibly) going on a 9 month deployment, leaving me to fend for myself. My biggest fear is I will get glutenated (BAD) and have no one here to help me with my 18 month old little boy. Any tips for dealing with this alone? I'm pretty freaked out right now.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Bobbijo6681 Apprentice
Bobbijo6681
Posted

My best suggestion is to take it one day at a time. Do your best to take care of yourself and your little one and hope for the best. Hopefully he won't have to go(fingers crossed for your family) but if he does just do the best that you can. Line up a few people that you can call for help in a crisis and just do your best. I know you are kinda new to this whole things so hopefully by the time he is ready to leave you will have a better grasp on the diet and will feel much more comfortable than you do now.

Again...remember BREATHE!!! And take one day at a time. Hope for the best, plan for the worst and see where you end up.

jenngolightly Contributor
jenngolightly
Posted

The fear of getting glutened subsides after awhile. What's great about being alone is that you can live in a strict, gluten-free household - that way, your chances of getting sick are greatly reduced. Next, figure out some safe meals and stick to them. Rice and chicken? Rice and hamburgers? Rice and ... Your baby can eat gluten-free food. You'll be fine.

Don't eat out. At least until you get the hang of this diet and are confident in yourself enough to demand for gluten-free meals. That took me a long time. I was a mouse when I went out to eat. I just asked for things that I thought might be gluten-free without making a big fuss about it. Now, I am demanding and assertive. I'm paying for it, it should be safe!

Don't eat at relative's houses unless they too have celiac. Relatives can mean well, but they don't have gluten-free cookware. They have wooden spoons, Teflon pans, plastic colanders, etc. Their gluten-free meals are cross contaminated even though they meant well. Bring your own food. Make it a pot-luck. Don't hide in your house, just bring food everywhere you go. If you have sensitive friends and family, they will understand (make sure they know ahead of time that you'll be contributing to the meal). If you have insensitive friends and family, get new friends. :-)

My husband went on deployment in Kuwait in the first gulf war. I know how worried I was. This fear of yours about gluten may be worsened by the worry for your husband... but this won't be very hard. You'll get the hang of it soon.

Good luck.

K8ling Enthusiast
K8ling
Posted
  • Author

The fear of getting glutened subsides after awhile. What's great about being alone is that you can live in a strict, gluten-free household - that way, your chances of getting sick are greatly reduced. Next, figure out some safe meals and stick to them. Rice and chicken? Rice and hamburgers? Rice and ... Your baby can eat gluten-free food. You'll be fine.

Don't eat out. At least until you get the hang of this diet and are confident in yourself enough to demand for gluten-free meals. That took me a long time. I was a mouse when I went out to eat. I just asked for things that I thought might be gluten-free without making a big fuss about it. Now, I am demanding and assertive. I'm paying for it, it should be safe!

Don't eat at relative's houses unless they too have celiac. Relatives can mean well, but they don't have gluten-free cookware. They have wooden spoons, Teflon pans, plastic colanders, etc. Their gluten-free meals are cross contaminated even though they meant well. Bring your own food. Make it a pot-luck. Don't hide in your house, just bring food everywhere you go. If you have sensitive friends and family, they will understand (make sure they know ahead of time that you'll be contributing to the meal). If you have insensitive friends and family, get new friends. :-)

My husband went on deployment in Kuwait in the first gulf war. I know how worried I was. This fear of yours about gluten may be worsened by the worry for your husband... but this won't be very hard. You'll get the hang of it soon.

Good luck.

Thanks for the advice. I am so afraid to eat out right now anyway...this will be my 7th deployment but the longest I have ever had to go through. I'm VERY overwhelmed....hopefully he won't have to go (wishful thinking).

Right now we are strictly gluten free, with the exception of the deployment "sick box" for the baby which has a few cans of chicken noodle soup and crackers in it. The fridge and freezer, as well as both cabinets got cleared out when my husband found out I was allergic to gluten.

I am lucky too that my grandmother is allergic to gluten and I have some very supportive friends who's husbands are also in the same unit, so I won't be totally alone :).

sa1937 Community Regular
sa1937
Posted

If your hubby gets deployed, do you plan to stay within the military community or "go home" wherever that will be? Military wives have a real camaraderie and take care of their own. I experienced that when my then husband went to VietNam and I stayed in Lawton, OK instead of heading home to Minneapolis. I think that made all the difference in the world to have a closely knit group of friends who shared so many experiences during that year.

Of course, this really has nothing to do with a gluten free diet but if you get together and bring your own food, I think it'll be manageable...not easy, just manageable. And you could have strict control over your gluten free kitchen.

Wishing you the best!!! biggrin.gif

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

I know your worried about it but you would really be surprised what we can do when we have to as Moms. You've gotten some great advice already so I don't have too much to add other than to say that things do get easier with time. It sounds like your doing all the right things. As a former military wife myself I know that you likely have a lot of support available if you need it. In a real pinch if you do get glutened and get very, very ill call the chaplins office if your new on base and don't know anyone yet. They could be helpful.

K8ling Enthusiast
K8ling
Posted
  • Author

Thanks, guys. I DO stay here (we own a house and I am in grad school- plus I'd probably strangle myself if I had to live with my parents again lol). I have some very good friends, unfortunately some of the wives are very catty and obnoxious. I try not to be around them very much. I go to the spouse functions, but aside from my very good friends I don't trust the rest of them not to flour me on purpose. You'd think we'd be closer but...nope...

Anyway, things are looking up, now we just play the waiting game. Thanks for all the support, and the chaplain idea, I never thought of that!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


modiddly16 Enthusiast
modiddly16
Posted

Don't take any unnecessary risks by eating out if you're really concerned. I rarely eat out as is...even if a place is "gluten-free friendly", I still tend to be a skeptic and I'm 7 years (close) gluten free. There are some days that if I'm traveling or something that I refuse to eat at all...which obviously I don't recommend haha. Just be careful....maybe take on a new hobby of cooking and see if you can become a mini Paula Dean by the time your husband gets back!! Just try to cut back on the butter...Paula loves her butter :P

K8ling Enthusiast
K8ling
Posted
  • Author

Don't take any unnecessary risks by eating out if you're really concerned. I rarely eat out as is...even if a place is "gluten-free friendly", I still tend to be a skeptic and I'm 7 years (close) gluten free. There are some days that if I'm traveling or something that I refuse to eat at all...which obviously I don't recommend haha. Just be careful....maybe take on a new hobby of cooking and see if you can become a mini Paula Dean by the time your husband gets back!! Just try to cut back on the butter...Paula loves her butter :P

EVERYTHING is better with butter :P

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. trents
      - trents replied to Scatterbrain's topic in Sports and Fitness
      2

      Feel like I’m starting over

      Were you doing any of the new home construction yourself? Drywall compounds and adhesives used in construction have been known to cause problems for some celiacs.
    2. cristiana
      - cristiana replied to Scatterbrain's topic in Sports and Fitness
      2

      Feel like I’m starting over

      Hello @Scatterbrain and welcome to the forum I am sorry to hear you have had a return of your symptoms. My first thoughts were that stress can cause IBS-like symptoms - a friend of mine has been suffering a huge amount of stress and when that happens she gets diarrhea. But you say that you haven't got any bad abdominal issues, so perhaps you...
    3. Scatterbrain
      - Scatterbrain posted a topic in Sports and Fitness
      2

      Feel like I’m starting over

      Hello, I was newly diagnosed in January of this year (2025). Since then I have been strict about staying gluten free and only cooking at home. I started feeling better in July while gradually resuming close to my normal routine of activities and athletics. September and October were extremely stressful due to a new home build being finished and moving...
    4. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams commented on Scott Adams's article in Latest Research
      3

      Study Estimates the Costs of Delayed Celiac Disease Diagnosis (+Video)

      Your story is a testament to the critical importance of an early and accurate diagnosis. It's tough to read about what you had to endure, including multiple surgeries and hospitalizations, all while the root cause—celiac disease—remained undetected for so long. Your experience highlights the consequences of medical ignorance surrounding this condition and...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Butch68's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      7

      Guinness, can you drink it?

      This is why Daura Damm can be a sponsor here--at 3ppm or less it is gluten-free, and it's doubtful that anyone with celiac disease would ever have issues with such levels. Some people may be reacting to the yeast in the beer, but I seriously doubt that such beers could trigger elevated antibodies or villi damage--the science says such levels won't trigger...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,280
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    newlife213
    Newest Member
    newlife213
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Feel like I’m starting over

      By trents · Posted

      Were you doing any of the new home construction yourself? Drywall compounds and adhesives used in construction have been known to cause problems for some celiacs.
    • cristiana
      Feel like I’m starting over

      By cristiana · Posted

      Hello @Scatterbrain and welcome to the forum I am sorry to hear you have had a return of your symptoms.  My first thoughts were that stress can cause IBS-like symptoms - a friend of mine has been suffering a huge amount of stress and when that happens she gets diarrhea.  But you say that you haven't got any bad abdominal issues, so perhaps you could share what other symptoms you are having? Cristiana  
    • Scatterbrain
      Feel like I’m starting over

      By Scatterbrain · Posted

      Hello, I was newly diagnosed in January of this year (2025).  Since then I have been strict about staying gluten free and only cooking at home.  I started feeling better in July while gradually resuming close to my normal routine of activities and athletics. September and October were extremely stressful due to a new home build being finished and moving.  My spouse and I take care of his mom who has advanced dementia and have been since 2021.  We did all the moving as well as get the other house on the market for the month of October.  Since earlier this month I feel like I did back in the early stages of my diagnosis.  Almost all of my symptoms have come back except for the bad abdominal issues.  I haven’t changed my diet or supplements since January and wonder if the stress has caused a set back? Any thoughts are helpful.  Thanks
    • Scott Adams
      Guinness, can you drink it?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      This is why Daura Damm can be a sponsor here--at 3ppm or less it is gluten-free, and it's doubtful that anyone with celiac disease would ever have issues with such levels. Some people may be reacting to the yeast in the beer, but I seriously doubt that such beers could trigger elevated antibodies or villi damage--the science says such levels won't trigger celiac disease issues.  
    • Scott Adams
      Related issues

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I have to express some significant skepticism about the drclark cleansing programs you've mentioned. The claim that a specific, three-part parasite and organ cleanse is a universal solution for chronic health issues is a major red flag, as it oversimplifies the immense complexity of the human body and conditions like Celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder, not a parasite infection. Regarding your Celiac disease, the reaction you describe, while real to you, does not necessarily confirm a diagnosis; a delayed reaction is common with various digestive issues, and a definitive diagnosis typically requires specific blood tests and an intestinal biopsy, not just a provider's acceptance of symptoms. Furthermore, your mention of approaching mayors seems to misunderstand the role of local government versus federal policy; the deduction for gluten-free food is a federal tax law, and a mayor has no jurisdiction to implement widespread Celiac screening, which is a medical and public health decision far beyond a municipal leader's purview. It sounds like you are navigating a difficult health journey, but I would strongly advise consulting with qualified medical specialists and registered dietitians over relying on unverified online cleansing programs.
×
×
  • 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.