First Run-In With Contaminated Food

[obaketenshi]

So, my first run in with eating out. The first meal was fine, as I chose Pho, which is safe to eat. Then mead, discussed directly with one of the brewers, to verify it was gluten free.

Then the last meal. The one that made me sick. The one I feel upset about. So we go to this diner (I know, I probably brought this on myself), and I order steak and eggs, no toast. ....and it comes back with toast. When I tried to explain why it was wrong, I ended up getting into an argument with the waiter. Total breakdown on my part. Against my better judgement I eat anyway, because I can't convince her to send it back and I'm starving. The steak tastes suspect (like pancakes actually) too. I end up regretting it a few hours later, in the form of diarrhea, and now, probably 14 hours later I feel like I drank Drain-o. There was a bit this morning where I wasn't sure if I'd vomit or not. I am exhausted, and the brain fog is back in full force.

This is after about a week gluten free, and if anything its telling me that I am right about how I feel when I eat wheat. Now I'm wondering how long I will feel this kind of pain after. I know I have to be more careful now, and how much of a minefield eating out is in certain situations.

[IrishHeart]

I always say I live amongst gluten-filled landmines and my sister quipped, "you need a Kevlar vest" . yup, we do.

Sorry you got "hit". It does feel lousy to be glutened but the good news is... it will pass. We have all been there/done that and console each other on here frequently.

Wish there was a magic pill to make it stop, but the truth is, every one reacts differently and has a different recovery time. I usually take a few days to get over being "glutenized" -- as we call it in my house.

Drink a lot of water. Eat plainly and just get back on the gluten free horse.

Diners are TOUGH and probably the worst place for cross-contamination (in my opinion) as they are often busy and produce many meals quickly. The odds are you'll get toast with anything you order and they "may" recall you said "No toast!" and they pull it off the plate just before they get to your table. Croutons will be already on the pre-made salad you order and they'll pick them off. (One woman on here told us she ate a whole salad they told her was okay, only to find the crouton on the BOTTOM and yes, she was sick from it.) And the grill that makes the pancakes is the same grill surface your steak was done on. Maybe SOME diners are better equipped to handle special requests, but I am doubting they have any areas dedicated to prepping gluten-free meals.

Sorry, kiddo...shake it off, feel better, and realize some places are much better at fulfilling our requests than others.

Feel better soon!

[Skylark]

So sorry to hear that. Been there, done that too. I just got sick last week, although it was fish so I'm not sure whether it was gluten CC or food poisoning. The symptoms are pretty much the same for me. Pepto-Bismol helps my stomach but I have yet to figure out anything for the brain fog. Sometimes I feel a little better if I take some extra B vitamins.

You'll get better at the restaurants. Ordering goes like this: "Steak and eggs, no toast." Make friendly eye contact. "I have a really severe allergy to bread so please make sure the kitchen doesn't put any toast on my plate." It's frustrating, but waiters and waitresses are trained about allergies more often than celiac and they are much more likely to remember and make sure the kitchen accommodates you.

I agree with IrishHeart about diners being risky. If your steak tasted like pancakes, they probably fried it on the same griddle rather than broiling it. If I'm stuck at a diner I tend to order something like a baked potato and cottage cheese that is less likely to be CC'd. I've definitely gotten sick from hamburgers fried on a shared griddle.

[sreese68]

You may want to get yourself a dining card. They list what you can and can't eat and talk about CC. There are some by Triumph Dining that are good. They have laminated and one-time use (so your waiter doesn't have to bring it back). My favorite is this one by Cecelias Marketplace since it's color coded: Open Original Shared Link (won't let me link to the page. Just look on the right for a link to the cards) I bought a few in case I lose one.

This site lists restaurants with gluten-free options. You just put your location in. Open Original Shared Link Hopefully you can find a safer place to eat in your area.

[jenngolightly]

I agree with Skylark. I always say "allergy" when I go out to eat. This is taken very seriously because people can up and die on you if they eat something they're allergic to. It's also easier to send it back if it comes back wrong. I also make the server repeat my order to make sure it's right. I hate it when they don't write it down, that always makes me nervous. Sometimes I'll say "I'm allergic to..." and the server will say, "Oh, you have Celiac?" and they'll launch into a personal story about how they have it, or their sister has it, or someone else they know has it...

My advice is that it takes too much time to explain gluten intolerance or Celiac when you order a meal. Stick with "allergy" and you're more likely to get what you order without grief or confused looks. Oh, and don't say "gluten" because people don't know what that means. Say "wheat" or "bread" or something like that. Gluten often gets confused with glucose and people think you can't have sugar.

You'll get the hang of it soon.

[obaketenshi]

Yeah, I feel much better now, save for a headache, I don't feel like I drank Drain-o anymore O_O

Thank you so much for the links sreese, I'll look into those. I have one of those cards on my iThing, but its not very readable/I don't feel comfortable handing it to a stranger.

[IrishHeart]

Yeah, I feel much better now, save for a headache, I don't feel like I drank Drain-o anymore O_O

Yeah, a glutening is a lot like the world's worst hangover.....glad you're feeling better!

[Marie1976]

I steer clear of these types of restaurants already since I'm vegan. No bacon and eggs for me. But my mom insisted on stopping at a diner on the way back from an excursion recently and I wouldn't have ordered anything at all except that I was hungry so I got hash browns. Mistake.

[Skylark]

Hash browns are scary. Some places add a little flour so they get a nice, golden, crunchy coating.

[IrishHeart]

Hash browns are scary. Some places add a little flour so they get a nice, golden, crunchy coating.

Diners, in general, scare the beejeepers out of me now... To think, I used to eat in them before without a thought and then wonder why I felt so crappy...

[obaketenshi]

Hash browns are scary. Some places add a little flour so they get a nice, golden, crunchy coating.

Omg. I didn't know this. I had hashbrowns too! O_O Grrr.

Though I have to say I DID have a good experience going out today to Chipotle. I have started getting pretty proactive in researching a place before I go if I'm not familiar with it.