Shared desks and croissants

[healthysquirrel]

Hello everyone, I hope you are all feeling well.

3 months in and I am still crappy, zero energy and suddenly getting bad reactions from different foods (not gluten). Tons of muscle and joint pain. Physio 2x a week etc. I will be going back to work soon to see how it goes. I would love some logical advice. 

I change desks 3x a day, I cannot change this way of working. They are all used by at least 10 people who regularly eat gluten at the computer. It is a chaotic environment. The first week back I work 5 days and have a colonoscopy on my day off, so I will be in survival mode. I can't see myself standing on a soapbox and announcing that I'll have severe D if people eat at their desks. there are tons of people working there and everyone eats at their desks including me.

My question is, how can I properly clean computer keyboards and surfaces? Is a spray and paper towel sufficient? any spray better than another? any ecological solutions? I already have my own "main" mouse, and I would get my own keyboard, but there are 3 mice and 3 keyboards on each desk. (we use 3 computers at a time) 

My other career was as a beer brewer, so no luck on doing that instead hahahaha.

I can wash my hands a lot and hope for the best and maybe tell one person at a time to please stop eating at the desks. the editorial meeting in the morning is full of about 30 people eating croissants directly on the desk. Now I guess I have a reason to skip it or stand at the door.

thanks so much ! have a great day!  

[Ennis-TX]

Can't really clean them off well, my suggestion is get food service vinyl gloves that fit tight. I get 10x boxes of 100 gloves for $26 and use them when handling stuff I might be allergic to (corn) outside of my house. I got them for chef work and catering but have found them to be a life saver elsewhere and cleaning up stuff that could trigger a reaction.

Other options, walmart has USB Wireless Mouse and Keyboard sets that are plug and play, IE plug the dongle in at the computer usb when you sit down and use it instead and take it with you. Then you can claim "I feel more comfortable with this type of keyboard" instead of the whole paranoid germaphobe.  I got one when I replaced my keyboard years ago, love, feels like a laptop keyboard with smaller strikes then the older one I had, flatter and easier to type on. Unsure if they would mess with each other if you had many of them so walmart and return if they do not work in your situation. Open Original Shared Link

[healthysquirrel]

Hey Ennis_TX

Good idea about the gloves, I'll get some to clean with. 

I would love to bring my own keyboard, but I would have to bring 3 separate keyboards and 3 mice and change desks 3x a day and they would get CCd by the desk anyway right? hmmmmmm.

I am quite unsure about going in to such an environment while still feeling so ill. Especially the live TV aspect of it. It is a newsroom, so i can leave and go to the bathroom and someone can be using the phone or one of the computers I use. it is just the way it is. Open space and last minute.

A lot of us have major life changes that happen after diagnosis, knowing who our friends are (so surprising!!!), work, romance etc. It is definitely not just our diet that changes, we just have to have enough energy to keep up and then it can be a positive thing. It might be time for a look at my job situation.

Hope you are doing well! thanks for your input !

[cyclinglady]

Unless gluten is airborne (flour, particle-size), you should be able to work successfully at a desk that has had gluten-consuming people at it.  A quick wipe down (damp cloth or disposable wipe) of obvious crumbs should do the trick.  What may be the issue is that you are putting your unclean hands in your mouth.  That could definitely gluten you.  You can not get glutened by simply touching it if you have celiac disease.  Of course, you could have an allergy to wheat in addition to celiac disease, and in that case, just touching it could cause a reaction (IgE type) that cause hives, swelling, itching, etc. leading to anaphylaxis.  Just like a person with a peanut allergy.  

Working in  a brewery, bakery, pizza parlor, or farm that handles wheat, rye or barley, may not be the best work place for a person who has celiac disease.    But in an office, you should be fine.  The gloves might remind you not to put your fingers in your mouth (working in a news room could be a nail biting experience).  

Croissants are flakey, but those particles are too large to float, in my non-scientific mind.

I hope you figure out the cause of your health issues.  It might not just be celiac disease.  Be sure your GI rules out thins like Ulcerative Colitis, Microscopic Colitis, SIBO, or Crohn’s (which can impact joints).  

 

 

 

[healthysquirrel]

11 hours ago, cyclinglady said:

Unless gluten is airborne (flour, particle-size), you should be able to work successfully at a desk that has had gluten-consuming people at it.  A quick wipe down (damp cloth or disposable wipe) of obvious crumbs should do the trick.  What may be the issue is that you are putting your unclean hands in your mouth.  That could definitely gluten you.  You can not get glutened by simply touching it if you have celiac disease.  Of course, you could have an allergy to wheat in addition to celiac disease, and in that case, just touching it could cause a reaction (IgE type) that cause hives, swelling, itching, etc. leading to anaphylaxis.  Just like a person with a peanut allergy.  

Working in  a brewery, bakery, pizza parlor, or farm that handles wheat, rye or barley, may not be the best work place for a person who has celiac disease.    But in an office, you should be fine.  The gloves might remind you not to put your fingers in your mouth (working in a news room could be a nail biting experience).  

Croissants are flakey, but those particles are too large to float, in my non-scientific mind.

I hope you figure out the cause of your health issues.  It might not just be celiac disease.  Be sure your GI rules out thins like Ulcerative Colitis, Microscopic Colitis, SIBO, or Crohn’s (which can impact joints).  

 

 

 

Hello Cyclinglady. 

I will see how it goes and also buy a brush to brush off the crumbs from the keyboards or turn them over and smash them, that wont take me long. Its gross, but it works.

Good point about putting my hands in my mouth. I don't think I do it usually, but I do snack a lot and that is when it could be happening. I will now wash my hands before snacking at work. I am starting a whole new relationship with food in general. I pretty much ate constantly my entire life because I was always ravenous. Now I need to realise what is "being hungry" and what is just habit. I might be allergic to wheat or something at the office because something is giving me upper eyelid infections when I am there or maybe I was glutening myself. (anyone else have that issue) we'll see.

I suspect that because I was diagnosed recently at 45 yrs old, after decades of symptoms, that my gut is confused as F&%*. I also cannot wait for the day that I will be free from anemia. I'm tired of being a lost little zombie woman.

On a positive note, I am super lucky to live in a place that has a fresh produce market 2x a week, it help a lot with nutrition and motivation. Coming home with my cart full of fresh colourful veggies really inspires me to cook. Even the most simple foods look and taste gorgeous! 

have a nice day! 

[cyclinglady]

My iron-deficient anemia resolved within a few short months of going gluten free (per lab tests).  In my favor though, I had been living with a gluten free person for 12 years, so I avoided the classic mistakes of a Newbie.  If your anemia is not resolving, look to your diet or another illness.  I push this because I suffered from anemia my entire life.  The problem was that I had a genetic anemia which masked the iron-deficiency anemia caused by what we (including doctors) now know to be celiac disease.  

I NEVER eat without washing my hands.  The exception is a packaged cereal type bar, cheese stick or a banana consumed outside of the house.  Stay satiated longer by consuming protein and lots of fat.    Your eyelid infection could be related to bacteria.  As a person who wears contacts, I rarely rub my eyes.  In the old days, eye rubbing would pop a hard lens right out!  Wash your hands and use germie gel.  The latter for bacteria only.  Consider getting a flu shot!  In your case you sound like you are surrounded by tons of germie sloppy people!  

It does get better.  It just takes time.  ?

[healthysquirrel]

45 minutes ago, cyclinglady said:

My iron-deficient anemia resolved within a few short months of going gluten free (per lab tests).  In my favor though, I had been living with a gluten free person for 12 years, so I avoided the classic mistakes of a Newbie.  If your anemia is not resolving, look to your diet or another illness.  I push this because I suffered from anemia my entire life.  The problem was that I had a genetic anemia which masked the iron-deficiency anemia caused by what we (including doctors) now know to be celiac disease.  

I NEVER eat without washing my hands.  The exception is a packaged cereal type bar, cheese stick or a banana consumed outside of the house.  Stay satiated longer by consuming protein and lots of fat.    Your eyelid infection could be related to bacteria.  As a person who wears contacts, I rarely rub my eyes.  In the old days, eye rubbing would pop a hard lens right out!  Wash your hands and use germie gel.  The latter for bacteria only.  Consider getting a flu shot!  In your case you sound like you are surrounded by tons of germie sloppy people!  

It does get better.  It just takes time.  ?

Can I ask how many months your anemia took to resolve itself? I too have had it my entire life. I am excited to get better!
I can't even imagine what I will be like with real energy. I have some today and I feel way more calm. I know that sounds odd, but I think when we don't have real energy we often live off of adrenaline or just having responsibilities. It will be quite fun to have more "real" energy! 

What a coincidence that you happened to be living with a gluten-free person before your diagnosis!

I laughed super loudly at a café when I read the part about "germie sloppy people" as I was sat at a super crumby table.  

 

 

[Ennis-TX]

47 minutes ago, healthysquirrel said:

Can I ask how many months your anemia took to resolve itself? I too have had it my entire life. I am excited to get better!
I can't even imagine what I will be like with real energy. I have some today and I feel way more calm. I know that sounds odd, but I think when we don't have real energy we often live off of adrenaline or just having responsibilities. It will be quite fun to have more "real" energy! 

What a coincidence that you happened to be living with a gluten-free person before your diagnosis!

I laughed super loudly at a café when I read the part about "germie sloppy people" as I was sat at a super crumby table.  

 

 

Iron is best absorbed when taken with vitamin C so you can boost your absorption that way. Red meats are great source of iron, IE Beef. I do not digest meats myself and use Pea Protein for my iron (Look up Growing Naturals Pea Protein, and check the iron content) Pumpkin Seed protein is good too, and eat tones of cocoa, nuts, seeds, and other high iron plant sources along with vitamin C supplements.

As your gut heals the higher intake will not be needed so much as you will more readly absorb it from what you eat. Supplemental iron can work...but I found it often caused me stomach issues.

[healthysquirrel]

I do all those things (aside from meat because i'm a veg), but had NO IDEA about pea Protein! Thanks so much ! Great that it is a powder and not in a capsule!

I also had stomach upset from iron pills, but I found that iron orotates seem to work for me. I can't seem to take enough to compensate for my lack of iron right now that is lower than usual, so I will try pea power! thanks. 

PS I was anemic before going veg 30 years ago. 

[cyclinglady]

I was able to take iron supplements.  Within three months, my lab tests improved (2 to 24).  Hemoglobin normalized.  It was below a 7 and I was out of breath all the time.  Took lots of breaks.  I ceased the supplements after the initial three months.   With my Thalassemia, celiac disease and going through menopause, my hemoglobin dropped drastically (I refused blood transfusions).  Thirty day periods can do you in.  My celiac disease was caught because I was still anemic after I ceased menstruating for about four months.  I went in for a colonoscopy (cancer screening) because ALL my friends were getting one ?.  My GI took one look at my chart and ordered a celiac blood panel.  The rest is history.  

[Ennis-TX]

1 minute ago, healthysquirrel said:

I do all those things (aside from meat because i'm a veg), but had NO IDEA about pea Protein! Thanks so much ! Great that it is a powder and not in a capsule!

I also had stomach upset from iron pills, but I found that iron orotates seem to work for me. I can't seem to take enough to compensate for my lack of iron right now that is lower than usual, so I will try pea power! thanks. 

PS I was anemic before going veg 30 years ago. 

Your welcome, btw I was at the dentist today and I saw something, they use disposable covers over the keyboards in the rooms. Unsure how it effects vigorous typing but something to look into.

Yeah I can not digest animal fats well or tough meats, so I eat mostly vegan aside from eggs, crab, fish, and I do take some bone broth powders. But I can not eat actual, beef, pork, chicken, or turkey as they sort of just float and rot or pass though undigested. My iron levels used to be like 2-7...so I know the feeling. I took to the protein powders for the high iron.

[cyclinglady]

Ennis, I like that idea about the plastic keyboard covers.  Excellent!  

[healthysquirrel]

YES! Great idea Ennis_TX!!!!
Cycling lady. I also am going through menopause during diagnosis etc. I may have written about this already, but I took a med school class recently and in late june I saw a slide of the villi in our intestines I said "i definitely do not have those" to a classmate and then fell asleep at my desk. A while later, I went to the doctors and insisted that my anemia was not due to being a woman and not due to being veg and insisted that I had no villi. I was right. So after 20 years of pain, I diagnosed myself after almost a year of a medical class and I passed my exam. Looking back I have no idea how I passed, being in such bad shape and so busy, but I learned so much and can now practice Sophrology (relaxation technique) and my clients can deduct it from their medical insurance. I just need to get up enough energy to do something about it. For now, I wont quit my day job, but I would really like to help newly diagnosed celiacs as well as help people in general. 

Glad you both figured out what was going on with your health! Sorry to hear you went through all that. I'm starting to realise that time will help and I just have to be patient (and of course check for other issues). My hair is coming back, I just noticed that today. that is always a good sign!