Help?

[vegiac980]

My school is going on a school trip somewhere out of my country and im nervous about going becuase im twelve and was only diagnosed a week ago. Help??

[Mango04]

My school is going on a school trip somewhere out of my country and im nervous about going becuase im twelve and was only diagnosed a week ago. Help??

Where is the trip to and for how long? Can your parents pack you some of your own food to take with you? Are your teachers aware/understanding of your situation? Are you comfortable speaking up for yourself if an adult tries to convince you to eat something you're unsure about? (If you feel well and you think you can do it, I think you should go).

[missy'smom]

Many of us here have traveled out of our home countries successfully without getting sick. Good planning is important. And we have to plan for the unexpected too.

My son is 12 and some trips are offered at school. I haven't looked into the details but thought about whether or not it would be doable. I think it depends on how organized they are and how much reponsibility the chaperones and teachers are willing to take. Have they been there before? Have they used that tour company before? Some people are good communicators and good at finding out and communicating details and others not so much. If I was planning to send my son, I would find out exactly who would be responsible and find out if they were someone we could work with. It is also important to know a little about the foods that are usually eaten in the country you are planning to go to and if you'll be eating the routine foods that they eat or if special or meals more like what we usually eat are going to be served and prepared. Some native cuisines are more gluten-free friendly than others.

Do your homework and research with your parents and then you can decide if it is an option. The best decisions are educated decisions.

[Mskedi]

Find out what your meals are going to be like -- will you be eating out? Will food be provided for you through a service? Look up any Celiac resources in the area you'll be traveling too -- some places I've considered traveling to ended up looking like gluten-free HEAVEN. Maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Definitely tell your teachers/chaperones your concerns. I'd even go so far as to make sure they each have a little handout or brochure about Celiac Disease, what you can eat, how to order food, etc. When you talk to them, do they seem like they understand? Do they seem like they care?

What it really comes down to, though, is you. Are you the type of person who can stand up for his/her needs (sorry -- don't know your gender!), or are you likely to cave in and eat something questionable because you don't want to be a bother? Are you confident in what foods need to be avoided and what foods are safe, or are you still trying to figure this whole thing out? How soon is the trip -- will you have time to prepare yourself if your answers to these questions tend to be on the "not prepared" side?

I noticed your user name is "vegiac" which is often used by vegetarians/vegans with Celiac Disease. If that, indeed, describes you, then you'd probably already be well-versed in describing what you can and cannot eat -- that could be a boon for you (it definitely helped me speak up in restaurants since I'd had 14 years of experience asking for special dishes before being diagnosed).

I can't answer your poll simply. I love traveling, so my gut answer would be to try going, but I don't know how sick you've been previous to being diagnosed, how strongly you react to glutenings, or the answers to any of the questions I asked above. Take all those things into account, think about your decision, and you'll very likely make the right choice.

Good luck.

[NorthernElf]

I'm going on a school trip at the end of May across the country with my 14 year old daughter as a chaperone. We are going for 12 days with a tour group - breakfast & supper is included. We are asking the kids to only pack 1 suitcase & I have asked to bring 2...1 smaller one full of food ! I expect to get really sick of packaged gluten-free bars & tuna & crackers. I'm also packing Motrin, Tylenol, and Pepto Bismol ! In some ways it is going to suck but on the other hand I'll get to have a fabulous trip.

I'm bringing - small tins of tuna, rice crackers, energy bars, boxes of Mesa Sunrise and individual soy milk packs...whatever else I can think of. I guess on the bright side, I'll have an extra suitcase to bring stuff back in.

Try to focus on the good stuff - food is only a small part of it.