Jump to content

  • 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

Got Any Funnys From Friends/family Trying To Understand?

Chad Sines

By Chad Sines
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

Chad Sines Rising Star
Chad Sines
Posted

There are so many negative reactions for celiac on this forum from people who are just plain mean to us that I thought it would be nice to start a thread on cool, funny, or thoughtful things people do to try to help. God bless these people even thought they often get it wrong.

I find it hilarious when someone freaks when you eat a baked potato (thinking you are eating gluten) but then offers you a beer. Or a family member who offers you crackers in the chili they made with great care to avoid gluten. You have to love these people. They are trying so hard.

My mom actually went out and bought a few books to understand it. She even made some gluten-free brownies for me during a visit and had me check everything before she made them. That is the kind of support people need.

All my family was so supportive. They saw me sick for a year with little quality of life and then saw the change to "normal" once it was figured out.

I did a webinar on celiac for some medical professionals and shared my personal experience. Had so many emailing and calling about "WOW. I never realized that." Even friends who knew me at the worst mentioned they had no idea how bad it was.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


  • Replies 104
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Rebecca92 Apprentice
Rebecca92
Posted

My mom has been very supportive of my gluten free diet. She understands why I'm not comfortable eating things that don't come out of my kitchen. My eight year old niece is always asking me if certain foods are gluten free, its cute even though she doesn't understand what gluten is. I have also been blessed with a boyfriend who trys so hard to understand and doesn't eat gluten in front of me, even though I've told him he can it doesn't bother me anymore, poor guy has suffered through my experimental gluten free cooking.

GuyC Newbie
GuyC
Posted

When I was diagnosed, my 15 year old said, "Dad, I don't see the problem, you've got Snikers bars an orange soda. What more does a guy need?"

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

Chad,

That's a great pic! Click on it & go to his profile to see the person. Is it a self- portrait? :P

When I told my folks, my dad went straight to the kitchen and starting reading ingredients. He was sooo happy to find their favorite turkey hot dogs were gluten-free! Not sure why. I don't eat hot dogs much.

They are happy to try any gluten-free baked good I make. In fact they are now making 2 of the cookies I made for them. They have only not liked some flax muffins I made. Too healthy for them.

Chad Sines Rising Star
Chad Sines
Posted
  • Author

I love that pic. That is how i envision myself.

sa1937 Community Regular
sa1937
Posted

I love that picture, too...everyone really does need to click on it. The small one just doesn't do it justice! You may have a lot of visitors to your profile. :D

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

I love that pic. That is how i envision myself.

Gotta love a man with a test tube and a flask.

My hubby is a chemist. :D

I have a story that is not funny "haha" really, but funny/sweet in that she tried anyway....My first gluten-free thanksgiving last year, my sister made me a separate turkey without stuffing. How sweet right? When I was helping with the dishes, I saw only one baster. My heart sunk...She had been basting my turkey and the stuffed one ALL DAY LONG with that puppy.....ah well. She also made me a gluten-free cake as it was my birthday. I had a piece and later learned she had greased and dusted the pan with...flour. sigh. She meant well. At Christmas, my own ham was prepared, but cut with the knife that had cut the rolls...the dreaded CC is just not easily understood. :blink:

Needless to say, we're eating at home this year!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Marilyn R Community Regular
Marilyn R
Posted

I went to a familty cookout today, but ate at home first, showing up fashionably late. About a half hour after arriving, my 10 year old great niece started handing out little paper plates with cookies she'd made and brownies my sister made, along with cocktail napkins. I said, "No thanks, honey, but I appreciate it."

She returned pronto with a small container of cut fresh fruit and a napkin. My heart melted a wee bit. :)

Katrala Contributor
Katrala
Posted

My mom has been very supportive since my diagnosis. A few weeks ago we were discussing Thanksgiving and she mentioned graham crackers. I told her I couldn't have them and she said, "But it's.... graham, not wheat."

catsmeow Contributor
catsmeow
Posted

I had a BBQ a while back and one lady guest who came brought dip and wheat crackers. I kindly told her I couldn't put the crackers out because I have an airborne allergy to wheat, as well as not being able to eat any gluten. Her husband (a sweetheart) grabbed the box and started reading the ingredients. After a bit of head scratching he proudly proclaimed that there was "no gluten" listed in the ingredients and I could eat them. I was about to be nice to him and explain, but his wife butted in and laughed at him, calling him a dumb-ass, and told him that "gluten" would not be listed, that he was looking for wheat rye and barley (she knows, because I've explained it to her before). I felt sooo sorry for him. Of course, I did wonder why she, in all of her infinite wisdom had brought the wheat crackers in the first place...????? I did not ask her why...I left it alone. :blink:

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

My music teacher (and good friend) totally "gets" the gluten intolerance and he's awesome about letting me choose restaurants and so forth if we're eating out with friends. Thing is, he's absent-minded almost beyond belief. If he's snacking when I come by his apartment for a lesson, he always politely offers me food but he tends to snack on fresh-baked bread or cookies. The "would you like some?" pops out before he thinks. Then he realizes that he's just offered me something I can't eat...again. He gets the funniest expression and we laugh at his absent-mindedness. I never mind. After all, I'm there for a lesson not food.

Thumbs up for your niece, Marilyn!

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

That is, of course, part of the gluten problem, because unless you bake bread you are most unlikely to have ever walked into a market to purchase "gluten" and therefore to be aware of what it is or what it is in, and, as you say, the only time it is on the label is when it says "gluten free" which still doesn't tell your average Joe what gluten actually is :rolleyes: So many people think you are talking about 'glucose' :blink:

catsmeow Contributor
catsmeow
Posted

That is, of course, part of the gluten problem, because unless you bake bread you are most unlikely to have ever walked into a market to purchase "gluten" and therefore to be aware of what it is or what it is in, and, as you say, the only time it is on the label is when it says "gluten free" which still doesn't tell your average Joe what gluten actually is :rolleyes: So many people think you are talking about 'glucose' :blink:

That is exactly right. The only reason I knew what it was before diagnoses is because I use to low carb, and would buy "vital wheat gluten" to mix with things like almond flour to make low carb cookies and such. I usually tell people I have a wheat allergy (which is true and accurate) and can also not eat rye and barley. It's less confusing, and I am working on my family to just use the term "wheat allergy" and not the term "gluten free"

Yea "glucose" I've heard that a time or two. :P

Chad Sines Rising Star
Chad Sines
Posted
  • Author

i honestly had no clue what it was. I just thought bread..end of story. Heck, look at all the discussions we have about gluten being in shampoo and hidden in this and that. No wonder the public gets confused.

We need a Celiac awareness ribbon and have the words "Don't be an idiot to us" inscribed on it for all the jerks out there.

Roda Rising Star
Roda
Posted

I guess in some way I knew what gluten was in relation to bread baking, but never gave it any more thought than that. Until I started searching for answers to my health issues 5 1/2 years ago, I was clueless too. I had only heard of celiac disease once(I'm even an allied health professional). It was when my oldest son was around two years old and having horrible constipation issues. My MIL saw something on TV about it and thought that maybe my son had it. She was always commenting about stuff she read or saw so I really didn't take her seriously and never looked into it. Funny now how I have him gluten free even though he does not have celiac but he is gluten intolerent. I guess I have to admit MIL was on to something without realizing it... :P She is now afraid to give or feed them anything without checking with me first.

lynnelise Apprentice
lynnelise
Posted

There is a lady at work who alerts me anytime she sees something that says gluten free on the box. It's funny because most of the time it's something that is naturally gluten free but she is so excited to be helping me that I don't have the heart to tell her!

When I first went gluten free my friend hosted a Christmas party and double checked all ingredients for her recipes. She was especially concerned about this one dip that she wanted me to try. When I got to the party the dip had all gluten free ingredients....except that it was served in a bread bowl! We laugh about it now!

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

I went to a familty cookout today, but ate at home first, showing up fashionably late. About a half hour after arriving, my 10 year old great niece started handing out little paper plates with cookies she'd made and brownies my sister made, along with cocktail napkins. I said, "No thanks, honey, but I appreciate it."

She returned pronto with a small container of cut fresh fruit and a napkin. My heart melted a wee bit. :)

What a little sweetheart!!! :)

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

My music teacher (and good friend) totally "gets" the gluten intolerance and he's awesome about letting me choose restaurants and so forth if we're eating out with friends. Thing is, he's absent-minded almost beyond belief. If he's snacking when I come by his apartment for a lesson, he always politely offers me food but he tends to snack on fresh-baked bread or cookies. The "would you like some?" pops out before he thinks. Then he realizes that he's just offered me something I can't eat...again. He gets the funniest expression and we laugh at his absent-mindedness. I never mind. After all, I'm there for a lesson not food.

Thumbs up for your niece, Marilyn!

Skylark...did you ever wonder if maybe his absent-mindedness is...um, gluten-related?? I know my brain was "absent" on it. :rolleyes:

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

That is, of course, part of the gluten problem, because unless you bake bread you are most unlikely to have ever walked into a market to purchase "gluten" and therefore to be aware of what it is or what it is in, and, as you say, the only time it is on the label is when it says "gluten free" which still doesn't tell your average Joe what gluten actually is :rolleyes: So many people think you are talking about 'glucose' :blink:

I was pretty ignorant about gluten myself, despite being a baker.

In 2007, a Gluten Free Cafe and Bakery opened near us.

I joked to hubby, "What's gluten and why do we need to be free from it?" :lol:

We laughed. J. says to me "It's in flour." I felt like a dope. Oh yeah.

Then, I forgot all about it.

Little did I know that shortly after that, I started losing weight and became very, very ill and debilitated---for nearly 3 years ----before figuring out that it was GLUTEN that was trying to kill me! :blink:

And, that Gluten Free Cafe and Bakery? The first time I ate lunch there after DX, I started to cry because I knew for the first time in 3 years, I wasn't going to get sick. Now, a year later, it's my "hang out" and the owner, a celiac herself, is a friend. :)

NateJ Contributor
NateJ
Posted

A friend asked me last night, "aren't you going to eat?". I said no i already ate before I came.

He said what did you eat? Cheerios? LOL, uh no dude I cannot eat Cheerios.

He laughed after he realized what he said.

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Skylark...did you ever wonder if maybe his absent-mindedness is...um, gluten-related?? I know my brain was "absent" on it. :rolleyes:

Hmmm.... never thought of that one! He's tired a lot too.

People talking about vital wheat gluten are making me laugh. I had a bag of that stuff too. I used to bake bread a lot and a little wheat gluten would make really nice, fluffy rye or 100% whole wheat breads. It was such healthy food...only it was slowly poisoning me.

catsmeow Contributor
catsmeow
Posted

Hmmm.... never thought of that one! He's tired a lot too.

People talking about vital wheat gluten are making me laugh. I had a bag of that stuff too. I used to bake bread a lot and a little wheat gluten would make really nice, fluffy rye or 100% whole wheat breads. It was such healthy food...only it was slowly poisoning me.

Ha Ha Ha....isn't it funny how wheat use to be considered healthy by us? I remember feeling sooooo lousy and thinking I needed to eat healthier to feel better. So I would eat granola with a huge amount of wheat germ poured on top of it.....I did not realize then that I was making myself sicker!!

Chad Sines Rising Star
Chad Sines
Posted
  • Author

imagine how i felt the week i went vegan after some plant murderers suggested it would cure all ills. egads. no meat plus blech.

jswog Contributor
jswog
Posted

Skylark...did you ever wonder if maybe his absent-mindedness is...um, gluten-related?? I know my brain was "absent" on it. :rolleyes:

You know, this really drives something home to me that I've been pondering for a while now. At my last job, it was ALWAYS on Sundays when I made really big mistakes, mostly due to absent-mindedness. Sunday mornings, management always brought in doughnuts for everyone. Hmm... Connection?

mbrookes Community Regular
mbrookes
Posted

Me: I can eat anything except wheat, rye and barly.

Friend: Can you eat rice?

Me: Yes. It isn't wheat, rye or barley.

Friend: Oh. I guess a baked potato is out.

Me:ARGHHHHHHH

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. cristiana
      - cristiana replied to sha1091a's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      2

      Issues before diagnosis

      I agree, it so often overlooked! I live in the UK and I have often wondered why doctors are so reluctant to at least exclude it - my thoughts are perhaps the particular tests are expensive for the NHS, so therefore saved for people with 'obvious' symptoms. I was diagnosed in 2013 and was told immediately that my parents, sibling and children should...
    2. chrisinpa
      - chrisinpa commented on Scott Adams's article in Skin Problems and Celiac Disease
      2

      Celiac Disease and Skin Disorders: Exploring a Genetic Connection

      Maybe they can attribute certain skin conditions to either being susceptible to getting Celiac......or the other way around....but I have to ask if certain people are prone to Celiac because of genetics and some people aren't. It's kind of the same thing as what came first.....the chicken or the egg.?
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to xxnonamexx's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      3

      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

      @xxnonamexx, There's labeling on those Trubar gluten free high fiber protein bars that say: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts, milk, soy, fish, WHEAT, sesame, and other tree nuts." You may want to avoid products made in shared facilities. If you are trying to add more fiber to your diet to ease constipation, considering...
    4. trents
      - trents replied to sha1091a's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      2

      Issues before diagnosis

      Welcome to celiac.com @sha1091a! Your experience is a very common one. Celiac disease is one the most underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed medical conditions out there. The reasons are numerous. One key one is that its symptoms mimic so many other diseases. Another is ignorance on the part of the medical community with regard to the range of symptoms that celiac...
    5. trents
      - trents commented on Jefferson Adams's article in Other Diseases and Disorders Associated with Celiac Disease
      6

      Celiac Disease Patients Face Higher Risk of Systemic Lupus

      What kind of practitioner did the blood test? Was this a medical doctor, a naturopathic doctor, a GI doc? I would certainly follow up with them and ask why they advised you not to eat red meat. I mean, it could be something like they, themselves, are a vegetarian and give that advice to everyone. Have you had an endoscopy with biopsy of the small bowel...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,692
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Ali Zaib
    Newest Member
    Ali Zaib
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • cristiana
      Issues before diagnosis

      By cristiana · Posted

      I agree, it so often overlooked! I live in the UK and I have often wondered why doctors are so reluctant to at least exclude it - my thoughts are perhaps the particular tests are expensive for the NHS, so therefore saved for people with 'obvious' symptoms.  I was diagnosed in 2013 and was told immediately that my parents, sibling and children should be checked.  My parents' GP to this day has not put forward my father for testing, and my mother was never tested in her lifetime, despite the fact that they both have some interesting symptoms/family history that reflect they might have coeliac disease (Dad - extreme bloating, and his Mum clearly had autoimmune issues, albeit undiagnosed as such; Mum - osteoporosis, anxiety).  I am now my father' legal guardian and suspecting my parents may have forgotten to ask their GP for a test (which is entirely possible!) I put it to his last GP that he ought to be tested.  He looked at Dad's blood results and purely because he was not anemic said he wasn't a coeliac.  Hopefully as the awareness of Coeliac Disease spreads among the general public, people will be able to advocate for themselves.  It is hard because in the UK the NHS is very stretched, but the fallout from not being diagnosed in a timely fashion will only cost the NHS more money. Interestingly, a complete aside, I met someone recently whose son was diagnosed (I think she said he was 8).  At a recent birthday party with 8 guests, 4 boys out of the 8 had received diagnosis of Coeliac Disease, which is an astounding statistic  As far as I know, though, they had all had obvious gastric symptoms leading to their NHS diagnosis.  In my own case I had  acute onset anxiety, hypnopompic hallucinations (vivid hallucinations upon waking),  odd liver function, anxiety, headaches, ulcers and low iron but it wasn't until the gastric symptoms hit me that a GP thought to do coeliac testing, and my numbers were through the roof.  As @trents says, by the grace of God I was diagnosed, and the diet has pretty much dealt with most of those symptoms.  I have much to be grateful for. Cristiana
    • knitty kitty
      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @xxnonamexx, There's labeling on those Trubar gluten free high fiber protein bars that say: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts, milk, soy, fish, WHEAT, sesame, and other tree nuts." You may want to avoid products made in shared facilities.   If you are trying to add more fiber to your diet to ease constipation, considering eating more leafy green vegetables and cruciferous vegetables.  Not only are these high in fiber, they also are good sources of magnesium.  Many newly diagnosed are low in magnesium and B vitamins and suffer with constipation.  Thiamine Vitamin B1 and magnesium work together.  Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine has been shown to improve intestinal health.  Thiamine and magnesium are important to gastrointestinal health and function.  
    • trents
      Issues before diagnosis

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to celiac.com @sha1091a! Your experience is a very common one. Celiac disease is one the most underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed medical conditions out there. The reasons are numerous. One key one is that its symptoms mimic so many other diseases. Another is ignorance on the part of the medical community with regard to the range of symptoms that celiac disease can produce. Clinicians often are only looking for classic GI symptoms and are unaware of the many other subsystems in the body that can be damaged before classic GI symptoms manifest, if ever they do. Many celiacs are of the "silent" variety and have few if any GI symptoms while all along, damage is being done to their bodies. In my case, the original symptoms were elevated liver enzymes which I endured for 13 years before I was diagnosed with celiac disease. By the grace of God my liver was not destroyed. It is common for the onset of the disease to happen 10 years before you ever get a diagnosis. Thankfully, that is slowly changing as there has developed more awareness on the part of both the medical community and the public in the past 20 years or so. Blessings!
    • knitty kitty
      Dizziness after eating green beans?

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @EndlessSummer, You said you had an allergy to trees.  People with Birch Allergy can react to green beans (in the legume family) and other vegetables, as well as some fruits.  Look into Oral Allergy Syndrome which can occur at a higher rate in Celiac Disease.   Switching to a low histamine diet for a while can give your body time to rid itself of the extra histamine the body makes with Celiac disease and histamine consumed in the diet.   Vitamin C and the eight B vitamins are needed to help the body clear histamine.   Have you been checked for nutritional deficiencies?
    • sha1091a
      Issues before diagnosis

      By sha1091a · Posted

      I found out the age of 68 that I am a celiac. When I was 16, I had my gallbladder removed when I was 24 I was put on a medication because I was told I had fibromyalgia.   going to Doctor’s over many years, not one of them thought to check me out for celiac disease. I am aware that it only started being tested by bloodwork I believe in the late 90s, but still I’m kind of confused why my gallbladder my joint pain flatulent that I complained of constantly was totally ignored. Is it not something that is taught to our medical system? It wasn’t a Doctor Who asked for the test to be done. I asked for it because of something I had read and my test came back positive. My number was quite high.Are there other people out here that had this kind of problems and they were ignored? 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.