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A Friend Of Mine Who Works At A Pizza Joint Just Found Out They're Coeliac.

kellynolan82

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kellynolan82 Explorer
kellynolan82
Posted

A friend of mine works at a local pizza joint. He has had a passion for tossing dough (and did quite an impressive job of it too) and was a great worker for this pizza venue. Unfortunately (much to his dismay) he has just found out that he has coeliac disease. He got the results of his biopsy on Friday and is absolutely devastated (so are many of us... :( ).

He wants to know whether he should quit his job. I hate to say it but I think it might be a good idea to avoid any environment where flour is readily used. He has already been feeling slightly better but had *hardly* any symptoms at all. As we're all at university, his parents aren't yet aware.

This is part of his statement about his symptoms:

I currently work at a pizza joint. One afternoon, several weeks ago now, I discovered that something was not quite normal. I wasn't feeling overly unwell or anything but I noticed there was often this sensation in my lower-back that would often occur whenever I ate lots of carbohydrates. I then found it only happened when I ate wheat though. So I immediately went to the doctor and asked them if this is a sign that I might have celiac/coeliac disease. The doctor basically said that I may and seeing as though I was still eating a pretty normal diet decided to increase my gluten intake for 3 weeks. I don't have the biopsy results directly on hand at the moment but basically I was told that my villi were completely flattened (turns out that the lower-back sensation wasn't just a *sensation*. I am very tuned into my body and now that I am avoiding gluten I feel 100% back to myself (just like I was 4 months ago).
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lilu Rookie
lilu
Posted

Wow. Given the current economy and how hard jobs can be to find, that's a tough one. I think at the very least he should start wearing a mask at work to avoid inhaling flour. If it's a local place, he could talk to the owner about creating some gluten free menu options. Still, as pizza is my favorite food, I think were I in his shoes, I'd ultimately have to find other employment. It would just be too hard!

kellynolan82 Explorer
kellynolan82
Posted
  • Author

Wow. Given the current economy and how hard jobs can be to find, that's a tough one. I think at the very least he should start wearing a mask at work to avoid inhaling flour. If it's a local place, he could talk to the owner about creating some gluten free menu options. Still, as pizza is my favorite food, I think were I in his shoes, I'd ultimately have to find other employment. It would just be too hard!

I believe that's what he'll have to do too :(

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

It is going to be very hard for him to work in a place that has flour floating around. If he can find another job he should do so.

Jenniferxgfx Contributor
Jenniferxgfx
Posted

My family was worried about "crazy gluten-free food" when I went gluten-free a month or so ago, so I was trying to make their favorite rolls and stuff, and I discovered my skin condition is actually DH, and flared terribly after touching dough. I also had GI symptoms, and the GI & DH trouble happens now if I'm near raw flour or gluten items. Maybe your friend won't be as sensitive, but I wouldn't risk it. Gluten is too dangerous. :(

kellynolan82 Explorer
kellynolan82
Posted
  • Author

The pizza joint does not seem to be interested. And we're not going to push it either. He's looking at getting a new job. This is really quite a tough time for him. I continue to tell him that he's lucky he has discovered this so early on. He now moans that he wishes he had just stayed on a normal diet until he was out of university, and that he was 45 (the typical age) at diagnosis. He's handling it well though, and has been feeling extremely healthy lately so I think he's on the right track :)

Jenniferxgfx Contributor
Jenniferxgfx
Posted

I hope he realizes how lucky he is. I can't imagine how much better college would have been if I'd known. After I made it through college and started my career, I got too sick to work and am now disabled. I wish I'd been lucky enough to figure it out before I lost so much.

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weluvgators Explorer
weluvgators
Posted

Instead of "quitting his job", I think he should simply find a new one! ;) I just don't think his current job is compatible with his health condition. I found several cool jobs when I was at University, and I hope that he finds something he loves even more in his search!

And, I am now terribly sensitive to airborne gluten and would never want to subject myself to the conditions of a pizza parlor as a customer . . . much less working there for hours on end regularly! And there is always the possibility that he could figure out how to make incredible gluten free pizzas on his own and start a hugely successful business . . . I have no idea if you could possibly toss gluten free dough like they do the regular . . . somehow I doubt it, but maybe he could figure it out!

It may be helpful to remind him that those that get diagnosed in their 40's often happen to be getting the diagnosis because it was preceeded by other autoimmune diseases and complications that developed!

thleensd Enthusiast
thleensd
Posted

Health is more important. I'd urge him to look for a new, less floury job!

kellynolan82 Explorer
kellynolan82
Posted
  • Author

He's looking into a new one right now, as we speak. Unfortunately he's already missing the concept of being able to 'toss and knead' dough and he wanted to know of any gluten free bread recipes that you can 'knead'. :huh:

Would love it if any of you had some ideas on the component that helps regular dough develop it's tenderness and elasticity. Just about all gluten free bread seems to be made from a batter... :rolleyes:

love2travel Mentor
love2travel
Posted

He's looking into a new one right now, as we speak. Unfortunately he's already missing the concept of being able to 'toss and knead' dough and he wanted to know of any gluten free bread recipes that you can 'knead'. :huh:

Would love it if any of you had some ideas on the component that helps regular dough develop it's tenderness and elasticity. Just about all gluten free bread seems to be made from a batter... :rolleyes:

I can totally understand his losing his ability to feel the dough, knead it and toss it. It must be incredibly difficult for him. One of my favourite recipes is posted on here somewhere (search under my name) - you actually do sort of knead it and press into the pan rather than spread it. It is probably posted under the Recipe section. Tell your friend it is from the Culinary Institute of America's gluten-free baking book by a trustworthy trained pastry chef who really knows what he is doing.

Reba32 Rookie
Reba32
Posted

speaking as a person who was diagnosed after age 40, I would tell your friend that he's extremely lucky to have been diagnosed young! I suffered for decades with multiple misdiagnoses, infertility, depression, anxiety, etc etc ad nauseum. And even post diagnosis the fun continues because my body was so damaged I'm just falling apart and in constant pain. Just not in my gut anymore.

I worked in a pizza place for a while too, but it's so not worth ruining one's health for a job. We all know that even teh slightest tiny crumb can cause damage to a Celiac's intestine, and the more damage there is, the longer it takes to heal. If the damage continues, healing may never happen. It sucks, but seriously, there are other jobs in healthier settings. Perhaps even a gluten free pizza joint!

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