Argh. Need To Vent.

[BrianV]

I'm recently diagnosed with celiacs, and due to some financial set backs my wife and I live with her parents, and 2 of her siblings. It's very frustrating because they really don't seem to care that I need to stay gluten free. I've tried to keep my food separate but they get in to it, use my peanut butter, and they even managed to cross contaminate my bottle of squeeze mayo (by squeezing out too much, then removing the cap, and putting the excess back in. Any tips on not going insane? Despite how I try to explain to them Celiac disease, they just don't understand cross contamination, and just how sick I feel when I ingest gluten. Despite that, I've been very careful, and I don't eat anything I have the slightest doubt about, and I'm coming up on a month and feeling quite a bit better with only a few set backs here and there. I can say, when I do slip up I really do notice now. Now that I'm feeling better it makes me feel so much more ill when I do goof.

Any way, I'm loving these forums, and thanks to everybody who's contributed because it's definitely made starting out a lot easier.

-Brian

[kareng]

I think you know you & the wife should get it together & move out. Doesn't sound like you really want to be there.

But until that gets straightened out -

How about a "dorm" refrigerator and a locking "camp" box for your room. Many of the small fridges have a way to put a lock on them. You could keep your PB & Mayo safe that way.

You are in thier house, so they really don't have to follow your rules. There may be some issue of old habits and forgetting. OR they may just not like you too much or not be nice people. Good luck.

One more thing: Remember this when you have kids.

[hexon]

If you put all of your items in a paper bag and put them in the fridge they will probably be too lazy to take the bag out and rummage through it to use things. In addition they'll use the stuff in plain sight before they think about checking out what's in the bag. Just write your name on it, or something fun like "stool specimen." I had an interesting time dealing with roommates in college eating my food, and I was almost to the point of putting laxatives in some stuff. I soon realized if I bought stuff like soy milk or other "weird" stuff they wouldn't mess with it.

[sharilee]

I am sorry your family is not being more understanding. Have you tried labeling your foods with your name? Also maybe give them some literature on cross contamination, if they are not listening to you but they will get it when they read it in writing. Hang in there in the mean time and we are here if you need to vent.

[BrianV]

Thanks guys, I just had a really stressful day. I do live in their house rent free, and I am working on getting things back on track. Wife and I both lost our jobs at the same time, found out she was pregnant, and BOTH of our cars broke down. We're on the fast track to getting out of here, which is nice, and I dream of a little gluten free cooking space of my own and we've been working hard towards it. This diagnosis is probably a good thing, because it's more motivation to get the *bleep* out of here!

Thanks for the ideas too! I'm going to work on a few of them, and today I decided to put in some shelving in our bedroom where I can safely store my stuff. I wouldn't be so angry with them eating so much of my stuff, but the gluten free stuff I get for "quick meals" for work are typically pretty expensive. Being a bit of a newbie Celiac I've not experimented as of yet with baking, but I am also working on making some meals, using a 'foodsaver' to vacuum seal so I can make a bunch of stuff, freeze it up and reduce my costs on that. I used to consider myself a bit of a foodie, and I thought this condition was going to be the end of my gluttonous lifestyle, but it's just kind of a start of my gluttonous but glutenless lifestyle.

[kareng]

and I dream of a little gluten free cooking space of my own

That made me smile. The all- American Dream.....a house with a gluten free cooking space!

[Takala]

You can bake gluten free in the microwave and make yourselves some really nice baking soda/vinegar leavened mini loaves very quickly. Ceramic dishes work really well, such as mini casseroles or ramekins, mugs, soup/cereal bowls. I like to measure out ingredients for more than one at a time, and put the 2nd set of dry ingredients in a ziplock baggie or in a clean covered bowl in the refrigerator, ready for the liquids to be added.

Bun in a cup with Pamela's mix, see this thread

By using a 2 cup size microwavable bowl and 3/4 cup of any dry mix that is adapted, you can make 2 servings of gluten free bread. This style of baking, depending on what you use for flours, like nut meals, frequently does not need xanthan gum or other binders because the egg sets it up.

[llama3]

I thought this condition was going to be the end of my gluttonous lifestyle, but it's just kind of a start of my gluttonous but glutenless lifestyle.

That made me smile. The all- American Dream.....a house with a gluten free cooking space!

You guys are funny.

[surgtechkim]

I just registered with this web site. Have read a few different posts. WOW!!! I'm really not alone. I found out last week that I had celiac disease. Not coping well at all. I had a 25lb weight loss since last May...22nd to be exact. I was working in the hospital when the EF5 tornado hit. I mentioned this because I really thought my weight loss was just stress and depression from that event. Eating habits are horrible. Never felt good after eating so I would have a few crackers tie me over for a couple of days. I've never been overweight so losing 25lbs puts me in a size 3 or 5 jeans. How do you get over that hurdle of depression when 1st diagnosed? Of course that was the icing on the cake for me. Still in that post traumatic phase from the tornado...and now this.