Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • 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

Saying "no Thank You" Vs "i Can't Eat That"

jensey

By jensey
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

jensey Apprentice
jensey
Posted

I have found one of the hardest parts in dealing with people who are unaware of celiac is expressing that you will take care of your own food needs in an effort to be certain you remain GLUTEN FREE.

I have celiac and I also have sensitivities to many other foods. As such my food choices are extremely limited. I have tried telling people "I have celiac disease" and going through the whole explanation process. I have also tried just saying "no, thank you" when offered foods from others. It seems that neither is any easier. When you explain the celiac it's simple but people can't grasp it and if I say "no thank you" they oft times say "oh but you must try this!"

This is not a post that warrants a reply. It is in fact an observation about another aspect of socially coping with this disease. Mine is more than just gluten in that I cannot tolerate dairy or many raw vegetables, but none the less it is frustrating to have to explain yourself every time some one offers you food.

Oft times "No, thank you" suffices. In situations where that isn't enough I have been replying with "I have food allergies, but thank you for asking/offering/thinking of me."

I rarely want to get into a conversation about all the foods I cannot eat, but I am aware that teaching people about celiac is important. With that in mind sometimes I just want to go to a party and hang out, not be an advocate or teacher. I don't mind teaching people, but it just feels like the only thing I ever talk about is my food allergies and when people say "oh that must be really hard", or "oh I can't imagine" it places focus on the negative aspects of this disease when all I am trying to do is move past that part of it, and accept the healing my body is doing living gluten free.

Here's hoping "No, thank you" will eventually suffice!

Good luck and good healing to all!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


srall Contributor
srall
Posted

I've discovered this too.

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted

I don't have celiac but I do have multiple food allergies, diabetes and gastroparesis. That means my food choices are limited. It bugs me when people go out of their way to make something or buy something they think I can eat. Most of the time I can not. Then it bugs me further when they insist that I just try it.

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 barb simkin's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      8

      celiac, chocolate and alcohol

      So, you had both and endoscopy with biopsy and a colonoscopy. That helps me understand what you were trying to communicate. No, no! It never occurred to me that you were trying to mislead me. It's just that we get a lot of posters on the forum who are misinformed about what celiac disease is and how it is diagnosed so I need some clarification from you which...
    2. barb simkin
      - barb simkin replied to barb simkin's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      8

      celiac, chocolate and alcohol

      I had both the genetic genes for celiac. My gastroenologist advised he also took a biopsy during one of my colonoscopies and endoscopy and advised I had celiac disease, along with stomach ulcers from my esophagus stomach down to my small bowel. I was shown the ulcers on the catscan and endoscopy report. I also had polyps in 3 places throughout my large...
    3. trents
      - trents replied to barb simkin's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      8

      celiac, chocolate and alcohol

      So, I'm a little confused here. I understand you to say that you have not been officially diagnosed with celiac disease. Is this correct? You have had genetic testing done to check for the potential for developing celiac disease and that was positive. Is this correct? I think you meant to type "gluten sensitivity" but you typed "gluten insensitivity...
    4. pweidema
      - pweidema commented on Scott Adams's article in Autumn 2025 Issue
      1

      The Unexpected Gluten Traps in International Snacks: What Not to Bring Back From Vacation

      Very informative. Thank you!
    5. barb simkin
      - barb simkin replied to barb simkin's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      8

      celiac, chocolate and alcohol

      I did nor read the chocolate pkg as it was of fered to me and I ate 2 pcs. I do know that only very dark chocolate and and a very few others are gluten free. Most alcohols contain gluten. I have several yrs of not knowing my celiac condition as docs would not do the test. After looking on the internet about my sufferings I insisted on the gene trsting...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,332
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Roxy79
    Newest Member
    Roxy79
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      celiac, chocolate and alcohol

      By trents · Posted

      So, you had both and endoscopy with biopsy and a colonoscopy. That helps me understand what you were trying to communicate. No, no! It never occurred to me that you were trying to mislead me. It's just that we get a lot of posters on the forum who are misinformed about what celiac disease is and how it is diagnosed so I need some clarification from you which you were so gracious to give.
    • barb simkin
      celiac, chocolate and alcohol

      By barb simkin · Posted

      I had both the genetic genes for celiac.  My gastroenologist advised he also took a biopsy during one of my colonoscopies and endoscopy and advised I had celiac disease, along with stomach ulcers from my esophagus stomach down to my small bowel. I was shown the ulcers on the catscan and endoscopy report.  I also had polyps in 3 places throughout my large bowel. I was on a strict diet for months following.  I am sorry if I didnt define how I was diagnosed with celiac disease.  I am sorry if you think I was misleading you. I also had to pay $150.00 for the genetic testing.
    • trents
      celiac, chocolate and alcohol

      By trents · Posted

      So, I'm a little confused here. I understand you to say that you have not been officially diagnosed with celiac disease. Is this correct?  You have had genetic testing done to check for the potential for developing celiac disease and that was positive. Is this correct? I think you meant to type "gluten sensitivity" but you typed "gluten insensitivity". Just so we are clear about the terminology, there is celiac disease and there is NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity). They are not the same but they have overlapping symptoms. Celiac disease causes damage to the small bowel lining but NCGS does not. NCGS is often referred to in short form as gluten sensitivity. However, people often use the terms celiac disease and gluten sensitivity interchangeably so it can be unclear which disease they are referring to. Genetic testing cannot be used to diagnose celiac disease but it can be used to establish the potential to develop active celiac disease. About 40% of the general population has one or both of  the genes that have been most strongly connected with the potential to develop active celiac disease but only about 1% of the population actually develops active celiac disease. This makes the genetic test useful for ruling out celiac disease but not for diagnosing it. A colonoscopy cannot be used to diagnose celiac disease because it doesn't permit the scope to go up into the small bowel where celiac disease does the damage. They use an endoscopy ("upper GI) for checking the small bowel lining for celiac damage.
    • barb simkin
      celiac, chocolate and alcohol

      By barb simkin · Posted

      I did nor read the chocolate pkg as it was of fered to me and I ate 2 pcs. I do know that only very dark chocolate and and a very few others are gluten free. Most alcohols contain gluten. I have several yrs of not knowing my celiac condition as docs would not do the test. After looking on the internet about my sufferings I insisted on the gene trsting which showed positive for gluten insensitivity and a biopsy on my next colonoscopy that also showed positive which could not help the damage done to my small bowel. So I very rarely have a glass of wine
    • trents
      celiac, chocolate and alcohol

      By trents · Posted

      @barb simkin, are you sure the chocolate products are gluten-free and not "manufactured on equipment that also handles wheat products and tree nuts", i.e., cross-contamination? And what kind of alcoholic beverages are we talking about? Most beers are made from gluten-containing grains. Just checking.
×
×
  • Create New...