Gotta Laugh

[bigbird16]

My folks live several states away and were visiting me this past weekend. I had to laugh throughout the weekend. I'm still laughing. Neither is free of any food (though they should be). My dad and I talk about food a lot. He was actually the one who suggested I might have a problem with wheat and started me on my journey to becoming gluten-free. So we were talking about a joint in Pittsburgh that serves the best Reubens. A little wistfully I said it was too bad Reubens are off my menu (gluten and dairy and don't tolerate even Daiya cheese for some reason). "You can just pick it off the bread!" said he.

They wanted so badly to take me to their hotel to eat. I wasn't hungry, as I'd made a huge salad with ham for lunch and only eaten it a couple hours prior. The restaurant and the server made me leary, so I just had tea. My mom kept offering me the meat from her turkey sandwich, and when that didn't work, she said I should have dessert. It was all cheescake and ice cream sorts of things. I said, "Mom, I can't have dairy." "Why not?" "It makes me sick." Just this year we spent a week and a half at my Grandfather's house, and I cooked nearly every meal for her. I made sure to tell her that it was all gluten, dairy, and soy free. She lost 13 pounds on my cooking (a good thing). The one meal we went out for, the restaurant put butter on my veggies and I spent the night violently ill after eating two bites. Sigh. lol It's kinda funny and a little sad that she doesn't get it, and she's a nurse. I've verbally explained over and over, as well as written via e-mail all about gluten and it's evil friends dairy and soy. It seems that if she ignores it long enough, it (my picky eating) will go away.

What really gets me, is that both of them could stand to do an elimination diet. I suspect that both have problems with dairy and/or gluten. Dad complained about the dermatitis on his skin. I kept thinking, "Get off the dairy, and it'll go away." But I said, "You should let me cook all of your meals for a week and see how you feel." He also kept talking about how when he ate bread, he felt all gummed up and his lap band would protest. Well, that gumminess is gluten! (I told him so.) I left them with Dana Korn's gluten-free dummies book and a bag of Udi's bread. I said to my dad that I could almost guarantee 100% that this bread wouldn't gum him up. With the book, I asked them to read it and apply what it says to dairy and soy for me, too. Dad sees the improvements in my life and gets that I don't eat the same way anymore, but just doesn't understand how he could benefit, too. Mom is simply sweetly oblivious. Love 'em both.

[RL2011]

Remember the saying: "Ignorance is bliss and knowledge is a burden". You cannot change anyone's attitude toward learning unless they want to learn. I grew up with parents that sound much like yours.

[Roda]

Been going through something similar with my father. At least your's took the book so there is hope. I've given up with my family. I know my brother has celiac and strongly suspect my dad! For me there is no use beating a dead horse...