Woe Is Me...just A Rant...

[NorthernElf]

Just gotta get it out...I'm a pretty roll with the punches person but sometimes this just gets to me ! My folks are up for Thanksgiving...I'm 41 and I still have parent issues, LOL. I have my kitchen segregated for my gluten free life. I have an island on wheels where all the gluten stuff goes, food labelled in the fridge, pantry, and freezer that is mine/gluten free. This is my lifestyle & they have seen what happens to me when I get sick.

Last night my generous parents offered to buy supper (take out) and the options where Chinese food or pizza. The kids (I have 3) chose chinese food. I made steamed rice. I can handle this...I made my own food. It's the attitudes that get me. We're eating and my mom is going on about how good the chinese food is...and oh, how is your food ? The stuff is spread out all over the table and everyone goes into the living room to watch a show - I get to clean it up. Dear DH came in to help and I asked him to get it out of here (the garbage) so I didn't have to smell it anymore. He took out all the chinese food containers and the whole garbage (which I Lysoled). Ugh.

DH & I have talked about this earlier - he brought it up - about how he thought it was weird that my folks weren't very supportive of my gluten-free diet. When we go down to see them they have had supper ready for us - spaghetti or something else I can't eat. Now I guess I expect this at work and so forth & bring my own food but I guess one's family should be a bit more supportive !??!?!?!? I believe I would be more supportive of my own kids...heck, I know I would.

Oh well, what's a gal to do? Visits are short term...suck it up...roll with it...thanks for letting me vent !!

[kareng]

My mom is currently mad at me that I won't go out to eat. " you can have salad, steak & baked potato". Yes I can but maybe not at that restaurant. I have tried to explain cc many times and have given up. I could go on and on but why waste this beautiful day?

[stephsteph]

It's too bad that they aren't more supportive of you, especially if they know gluten makes you sick. Maybe it's because they come from a time where people didn't talk about medical stuff, and you ate what was in front of you. Just keep doing what you're doing, and ignore them the best you can!

[curiousgirl]

It's too bad that they aren't more supportive of you, especially if they know gluten makes you sick. Maybe it's because they come from a time where people didn't talk about medical stuff, and you ate what was in front of you. Just keep doing what you're doing, and ignore them the best you can!

I think family can be the worst because we expect, or hope for their support...others, not so much. Sounds like you have a very supportive husband...lucky girl!

[MelindaLee]

Sorry they can't be more supportive. I agree, I would be too! Make sure hubby knows how much you appreciate his support.

[K8ling]

Man, that bites. ((hug))

[txplowgirl]

In a way i'm glad my dad's not here anymore because I can just see him shaking his head and going, "bulls**t, it's all in your head. Be glad you have something to eat". Oh boy. He was 1 of 11 who grew up during the great depression, they all picked cotton and ate whatever could be grown and shot. That included possum, squirrel, armadillo, snake, etc. He never let us forget it.

[Marilyn R]

Your dad loved you and would have faced anyone trying to gluten you with a big fist, once he understood the harm it causes. The two of you could have made some tasty dishes, I imagine, from whatever protein he presented. A little olive oil, garlic, onion, celery, carrots, rosemary, possum.

[K8ling]

HA! Possum!

[gf-soph]

It does suck that they aren't more supportive. I don't think you have to 'suck it up' in the sense that it doesn't matter, but you have to choose the best way to deal with the situation. If they haven't had much exposure to the diet and other issues, get them one of the books about it - sometimes it has more credibility coming from an independent source. However, if you've been gluten free for a while I think that it might be fruitless to expect more of them. When deciding how much it matters I would look at how they act in general. If they are otherwise loving and understanding, then maybe they are the sort of people who find it hard to understand certain illnesses. If there are other issues about them being inconsiderate or hurtful then it might be part of a bigger picture.

Also on a basic level even if they did get more understanding I wouldn't trust them to prepare any food for me, ever. I can't imagine them ever grasping the finer points of cross contaimination for example.