Darn It, Just Got Glutened

[T.H.]

Ugh, just got glutened, and it's been frustrating as heck!

My mother has been visiting for the week to help watch my children as I've been recovering from surgery. She's been SO helpful, and trying to be really aware about the gluten, because both myself and my kids have this. She brought gluten into the house, but kept it in one little space, away from everything, not using the same dishes or cooking anything with it, etc... She's really tried to be aware, especially as I have been reacting to other foods a lot, too, so contamination of any sort has been a real issue for us.

She even made me all these foods I can eat, to last me for the entire week. So today after she left, I got to eat the first meal, and it made me SO sick. I got sick yesterday, too, after I ate one of the meals she made, but we thought maybe I was just 'coming down with something.' This time, I hadn't eaten anything nearly all day so the reaction was REALLY obvious.

I just feel so bad, because she tried so hard, you know? And at this point, I realize that if the gluten has gotten into my food, it could be ANYWHERE, so we had to basically scrub everything in the kitchen down to make sure any gluten that got anywhere is taken care of.

I think it's time to keep gluten completely out of my house, period. I'm just so sensitive that every time anyone brings it in, I get sick from the tiniest amounts, no matter how hard we try to keep it clean and separate and uncontaminated. Just wish I didn't have to feel like the Gluten Nazi over it. My friend came over with her toddler over a while back, who brought gluten in for the little one, and I'm realizing that I got sick again right around the same time with her too. Now I'm going to have to tell her that we can have gluten free baby snacks for her here, but that having the gluten in the house is just too dangerous.

Sigh. Sometimes, there are problems with this disease that I never would have even considered before having it.

Okay, end of whining. Anyone have any ideas about how they've had to deal with this, I'd love to hear 'em!

[YoloGx]

Hi T.H., welcome to the club. I am just as sensitive. I just realized the headache I am feeling over one eye and around the left side of my nose is likely glutening too--from having finally retrieved my cats from my old apartment that my brother now lives in. He spackled holes in the walls with pre mixed plaster and never bothered to clean up the dust afterwards--dust from sanding which of course has gluten in it since the pre mix plaster invariably has glutenous starch in it. I wore a mask, but forgot to think I should have washed my cats' fur...!! They will lick themselves clean of course. But meanwhile here I am again!! I let both cats crawl up on my belly. Meanwhile my brother is offended that I would wear a mask...and says nothing can be done (about the dust that is!!). Basically he is in denial and thinks I am nuts... Easy enough for many to think unfortunately.

As far as remedies go, I have mentioned them elsewhere but will do so in part at least again (what I can remember for now). The first line of defense, take some baking soda in water. A little later, take bromelain/papain (or eat fresh pineapple and papaya), acidophilous (or yogurt), detox herbs like dandelion root, yellow dock and cleavers --if you don't have D! Walk and exercise if you can make yourself do it, roll around on a small cat or dog tennis ball on your lymphatic points, get a massage, take a hot bath or shower, drink lots of water! make yourself green vegetable smoothies using your blender, take marshmallow root, and yes rest, don't stress yourself... don't eat any sugar... time out!!

Bea

[codetalker]

Anyone have any ideas about how they've had to deal with this, ....

I've had to deal with this and regrettably now fit the profile of a gluten Nazi. The reason is that the only approach I've found is to adopt a "just say No" attitude. I never eat food prepared by family, friends or co-workers. Even worse, if someone buys something marked "gluten-free" and I'm unfamiliar with the product, I refuse to eat it until I can research it thoroughly.

There are two reasons why this approach may be the only option.

First, most people think celiac disease is an innocent food allergy along the lines of eating strawberries and breaking out in a rash. Further, they assume our "allergic" reaction (i.e. gluten response) will be proportional to our exposure to the allergen (i.e. gluten). They think it is like hayfever. Toss a handful of pollen in a hayfever sufferer's face and they will have a major allergic reaction. Hold a single grain of pollen under their nose so they inhale it, any reaction they might have (if they have a reaction at all) will be so slight, they probably will not be aware of it. This is why people find it so difficult to comprehend that a single bread crumb or a little flour dust can cause a reaction.

Second, to use a phrase from the financial crisis, people have no skin in the game. There is no consequence to them if and when we get sick. Further, our gluten reaction is never more than a concept to them. It is rarely, if ever, something tangible. Unless a celiac violates social protocols and does something gross like drag the person who glutened them into the bathroom to look at the D in the toilet bowl, the person who did the glutening will never see or experience any consequence of glutening someone. One thing that makes this even worse is that many celiacs probably are like me and are reluctant to tell people that they made us sick.

As I've posted previously, unless a glutening results in a seizure, convulsions ot a coma, people will never take this seriously. That means we have to take control and "just say No".

[K8ling]

Ugh, just got glutened, and it's been frustrating as heck!

My mother has been visiting for the week to help watch my children as I've been recovering from surgery. She's been SO helpful, and trying to be really aware about the gluten, because both myself and my kids have this. She brought gluten into the house, but kept it in one little space, away from everything, not using the same dishes or cooking anything with it, etc... She's really tried to be aware, especially as I have been reacting to other foods a lot, too, so contamination of any sort has been a real issue for us.

She even made me all these foods I can eat, to last me for the entire week. So today after she left, I got to eat the first meal, and it made me SO sick. I got sick yesterday, too, after I ate one of the meals she made, but we thought maybe I was just 'coming down with something.' This time, I hadn't eaten anything nearly all day so the reaction was REALLY obvious.

I just feel so bad, because she tried so hard, you know? And at this point, I realize that if the gluten has gotten into my food, it could be ANYWHERE, so we had to basically scrub everything in the kitchen down to make sure any gluten that got anywhere is taken care of.

I think it's time to keep gluten completely out of my house, period. I'm just so sensitive that every time anyone brings it in, I get sick from the tiniest amounts, no matter how hard we try to keep it clean and separate and uncontaminated. Just wish I didn't have to feel like the Gluten Nazi over it. My friend came over with her toddler over a while back, who brought gluten in for the little one, and I'm realizing that I got sick again right around the same time with her too. Now I'm going to have to tell her that we can have gluten free baby snacks for her here, but that having the gluten in the house is just too dangerous.

Sigh. Sometimes, there are problems with this disease that I never would have even considered before having it.

Okay, end of whining. Anyone have any ideas about how they've had to deal with this, I'd love to hear 'em!

I too had to kick people with Glutenous food out of my house. I tell everyone they are welcome to eat it outside but my kitchen has to be a safe zone. I AM a nazi about it but only out of necessity. Inconvenient? yes. Necessary evil? also yes. I was surprised that all my friends totall understood though, and now if my husband wants something I can't eat he goes OUT and eats it. I hope it gets better!!