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I'm A School Teacher

Jenn624

By Jenn624
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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Jenn624 Rookie
Jenn624
Posted

It's difficult to try to explain to my students about gluten intolerance. Every time a student tries to give me a birthday treat or cookie, I tell them I can't have it because I am allergic to it.

Do you think that is a wrong approach? Should I educate them on the basics of the disease? When I tell them I am allergic to wheat and it makes me sick, is that really true? It's not necessarily an allergy, is it?

I've been upfront and straight forward with the adults in my life, but I am mostly surrounded by 10 year olds all day. I don't know how to explain my disease to them!!!

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etta694 Explorer
etta694
Posted

I have always believed in being straight up with kids. It seems they follow like little ducks and if something is presented to them as matter of fact.. that's how they take it. They will watch you to see how you deal with life and this is a great chance for you to show them... this isn't terrible, it's just different.

An idea is to thank them for their wonderful gift and since you can't eat it yourself you are going to save it for someone very special or 'someone I love'.

And yes, your body is very badly reactive or 'allergic' (if that helps them understand). I think it is good to educate and inform because some child that is standing there may end up with something or have something even now... and they want to know - it's okay to have an allergy or syndrome or disease (whatever) or to be different.

GO Jenn624!!! Kids are great!

iamsarar Rookie
iamsarar
Posted

I am a preschool teacher working with 3-5 year olds. When I was diagnosed I told my classes that I could eat gluten/wheat any more because it made me sick so I would not be eating crackers with them anymore. I had children in my class that can not drink milk so they understood about eating things that make you sick. Since then, I have had children bringing me gluten free prepackaged treats. When I had one of the children bring me a cupcake I thank them and explained again why I couldn't eat it. They asked what kind of things I could eat, I told them and the next day they brought me a whole box a gluten free fruit snacks instead! They were grinning from ear to ear, they were so happy they could give me a treat. Anyway, I say make it known, explain what it is and why. Even show them some things that you can eat. Maybe even have a taste test lesson.

eatmeat4good Enthusiast
eatmeat4good
Posted

My son has a teacher who has Celiac or gluten intolerance. She is very open about it. THe kids are very interested and it helped us because they were actually aware then when my son started being gluten free. Also the girl I order from at the Outback said her teacher tells the class about what gluten does to her and other people who are gluten intolerant. It helps to educate the next generation. Granted these are teenagers, but I think the earlier people hear about gluten intolerance, the better prepared they will be if/when they have to deal with it in their own life or the life of someone they care about. It is a really good thing to have teachers who can spread the word because Dr.'s certainly aren't doing it! Education is knowledge and knowledge is power.

I often wish my son's gradeschool teachers would have known about gluten and what it can do. They never hesitated to tell me about the benefits of ADD medications, and they weren't Dr.'s, but just imagine if they had told me what gluten could do to a kid- or if they had recognized his uncoordination as gluten ataxia, and his spaciness and ADD as being more severe after lunch. I wish all teachers would do a little lesson on it. If it really is a hidden epidemic, you would be saving a bunch of lives to teach about it or send flyers home.

Put it in words 10 year olds can understand. Allergy explains it better than anything. If they are more interested or curious and want more information, you can fill in the holes as needed.

A great big thanks to you teachers who are willing to share your gluten intolerance/Celiac symptoms with others. Those seeds will grow in more ways than you know.

JCastro Newbie
JCastro
Posted

I teach kindergarten and I just tell my kids its an allergy too and that it makes me sick. I know its an intolerance not an allergy but this is the easiest way to explain it to them (and most restaurant employees for that matter). I'm not really sure they understand what gluten is but they know I can't have it. Last year I had 2nd graders and overheard a discussion about me that ended in "well Mrs. Castro can do anything...except eat gluten". It is a favorite student quote of mine! :-)

eatmeat4good Enthusiast
eatmeat4good
Posted

That is very cute!

We CAN do anything!...except eat gluten!

That made me smile...thank you! :D

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    • knitty kitty
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @rei.b,  I understand how frustrating starting a new way of eating can be.  I tried all sorts of gluten-free processed foods and just kept feeling worse.  My health didn't improve until I started the low histamine AIP diet.  It makes a big difference.   Gluten fits into opioid receptors in our bodies.  So, removing gluten can cause withdrawal symptoms and reveals the underlying discomfort.  SIBO can cause digestive symptoms.  SIBO can prevent vitamins from being absorbed by the intestines.  Thiamine insufficiency causes Gastrointestinal Beriberi (bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea or constipation).  Thiamine is the B vitamin that runs out first because it can only be stored for two weeks.  We need more thiamine when we're sick or under emotional stress.  Gastric Beriberi is under recognised by doctors.  An Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test is more accurate than a blood test for thiamine deficiency, but the best way to see if you're low in thiamine is to take it and look for health improvement.  Don't take Thiamine Mononitrate because the body can't utilize it well.  Try Benfotiamine.  Thiamine is water soluble, nontoxic and safe even at high doses.  I thought it was crazy, too, but simple vitamins and minerals are important.  The eight B vitamins work together, so a B Complex, Benfotiamine,  magnesium and Vitamin D really helped get my body to start healing, along with the AIP diet.  Once you heal, you add foods back in, so the AIP diet is worth doing for a few months. I do hope you'll consider the AIP diet and Benfotiamine.
    • captaincrab55
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      Imemsm, Most of us have experienced discontinued, not currently available or products that suddenly become seasonal.   My biggest fear about relocating from Maryland to Florida 5 years ago, was being able to find gluten-free foods that fit my restricted diet.  I soon found out that the Win Dixie and Publix supper markets actually has 99% of their gluten-free foods tagged, next to the price.  The gluten-free tags opened up a  lot of foods that aren't actually marked gluten-free by the manufacture.  Now I only need to check for my other dietary restrictions.  Where my son lives in New Hartford, New York there's a Hannaford Supermarket that also has a gluten-free tag next to the price tag.  Hopefully you can locate a Supermarket within a reasonable travel distance that you can learn what foods to check out at a Supermarket close to you.  I have dermatitis herpetiformis too and I'm very sensitive to gluten and the three stores I named were very gluten-free friendly.  Good Luck 
    • rei.b
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By rei.b · Posted

      Okay well the info about TTG-A actually makes a lot of sense and I wish the PA had explained that to me. But yes, I would assume I would have intestinal damage from eating a lot of gluten for 32 years while having all these symptoms. As far as avoiding gluten foods - I was definitely not doing that. Bread, pasta, quesadillas (with flour tortillas) and crackers are my 4 favorite foods and I ate at least one of those things multiple times a day e.g. breakfast with eggs and toast, a cheese quesadilla for lunch, and pasta for dinner, and crackers and cheese as a before bed snack. I'm not even kidding.  I'm not really big on sugar, so I don't really do sweets. I don't have any of those conditions.  I am not sure if I have the genes or not. When the geneticist did my genetic testing for EDS this year, I didn't think to ask for him to request the celiac genes so they didn't test for them, unfortunately.  I guess another expectation I had is  that if gluten was the issue, the gluten-free diet would make me feel better, and I'm 3 months in and that hasn't been the case. I am being very careful and reading every label because I didn't want to screw this up and have to do gluten-free for longer than necessary if I end up not having celiac. I'm literally checking everything, even tea and anything else prepacked like caramel dip. Honestly its making me anxious 😅
    • knitty kitty
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      So you're saying that you think you should have severe intestinal damage since you've had the symptoms so long?   DGP IgG antibodies are produced in response to a partial gluten molecule.  This is different than what tissue transglutaminase antibodies are  produced in response to.   TTg IgA antibodies are produced in the intestines in response to gluten.  The tTg IgA antibodies attack our own cells because a structural component in our cell membranes resembles a part of gluten.  There's a correlation between the level of intestinal damage with the level of tTg antibodies produced.  You are not producing a high number of tTg IgA antibodies, so your level of tissue damage in your intestines is not very bad.  Be thankful.   There may be reasons why you are not producing a high quantity of tTg IgA antibodies.  Consuming ten grams or more of gluten a day for two weeks to two months before blood tests are done is required to get sufficient antibody production and damage to the intestines.  Some undiagnosed people tend to subconsciously avoid lots of gluten.  Cookies and cakes do not contain as much gluten as artisan breads and thick chewy pizza crust.  Anemia, diabetes and thiamine deficiency can affect IgA antibody production as well.   Do you carry genes for Celiac?  They frequently go along with EDS.
    • rei.b
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By rei.b · Posted

      I was tested for celiac at the same time, so I wasn't taking naltrexone yet. I say that, because I don't. The endoscopy showed some mild inflammation but was inconclusive as to celiac disease. They took several biopsies and that's all that was shown. I was not given a Marsh score.
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