Stupid things people say about your Celiac disease!

[BuddhaBar]

I'm really curious about stupid things people have said about your Celiac disease. Funny, annoying or mean things. Make a list 😀

1. "What does lactose free milk taste like"? 
I don't know. I'm not lactose intolerant and I've never mentioned anything about lactose to anyone. 

2. "You don't have to eat the crust. Just eat the filling!"
Yeah, that's a very good idea! Just eat the cheese and the pepperoni. It hasn't touched the crust!

3. "My daughter is allergic too, but to nuts"
Poor girl. Lucky me though, I don't have any allergies.

4. "Can you eat eggs? Can you eat rice? Can you eat potatoes? Can you eat fish? Can you eat nuts? Can you eat...." etc etc
Just ask me if I can eat ANYTHING without getting sick. That would save both time, energy and oxygen.

5. "Just go vegan!"
Yup, because wheat, barley and rye are actually animals.

6. "I don't eat gluten either. Gluten is not healthy. Well, I eat some gluten sometimes, but not everyday because it's not healthy"
Oh! Can we do an immune system transplant, please? Give me yours and I'll give you mine. 

7. "I would never buy anything gluten free. It's too expensive"
Yeah, but it's a very small price to pay for health! 

That's all I can remember for now. Please, do your list!




 

[Scott Adams]

We have a friend who has known me know for at least 15 years, and I've been gluten-free through the entire time. We've been over to their home over 100 times, and they have been over to ours over 100, yet, every time I eat at their home she serves things that are clearly not gluten-free, for example she'll put out wheat crackers with the cheese, and when I put out my gluten-free crackers which I always bring with me (among other gluten-free things!), she ALWAY says "really, crackers have gluten in them?"

You can pretty much substitute almost any wheat item into this exchange, it could be pizza, muffins, pancakes, you name it...it's always the big surprise to her that these things have gluten and are made with wheat. She means no harm by it, but it always amazes me that she never seems to grasp the concept of gluten-free, and what it means.

[BuddhaBar]

Ah, the people who never learn no matter how many times you tell them. Fortunately I've found a great way to deal with those people. I just tell them they don't have to bother at all and that I will deal with my disease myself. Don't bother cooking for me, I'll bring my own food. 

Dealing with some family members who feel disrespected when I don't want to eat their food, but hey post-diagnosis I had to throw away most of my own kitchen equipment because of traces of gluten. It's kinda the same thing. Has nothing to do with respect. Gluten are protein molecules. It's not like one loaf of bread is one gluten unit that's easy to avoid. 

[Scott Adams]

To continue your list:

8. ) Really, ___________ has gluten in it?! (add any obvious item here, a cake, pizza, crackers, bread, rolls, etc.)

9) Can’t you eat just a little bit, it’s really good? (add in any obvious gluten item).

 

PS - This thread might be article worthy!

 

[Scott Adams]

10) Celiac disease sounds psychosomatic to me, the gluten-free diet could be just a placebo effect. (a lawyer I worked for said this to me shortly after my diagnosis.)

[Scott Adams]

11) No gluten, I would kill myself! (yes, I’ve heard this one several times)

[Ivana]

"Maybe when you heal you can eat gluten again." 

Praising the food I liked but can't eat anymore in front of me. "OMG so good!" Then asking me: "You want to kill us now, don't you?"

But I actually try not to mind when people say such things. I was equally ignorant about celiac before my diagnosis and would have probably been the same. And I also don't think others can really grasp what it also means mentally when you are not free to eat whatever and have to be on the lookout all the time. 

(Medical workers who are as ignorant are a problem, though.) 

[paigem]

I once had someone adamantly tell me that I was just faking it to stay skinny... this person was the mother of my boyfriend at the time. 

[trents]

"Can you eat vanilla ice cream?"

[Scott Adams]

Our salads come with croutons, can't you just pull them off? (a clue you're in the wrong restaurant!)

[BuddhaBar]

Our local Dominos: "Well, we bake the gluten free pizza in the same oven as the regular pizzas so it might not be completely gluten free"

Please, remove the gluten free pizza from your menu. 

Co-worker about using the same butter: "It's only a few crumbs"

Well, the immune system reacts to one single bacteria so... 

 

[LI$A]

My older sister and I both have Celiac.  She had a stroke last year and the rehab hospital had NO MENU or even a PLAN for patients with Celiac. She had to live on cottage cheese and eggs for 3 damn weeks.  Absolutely shameful.

 

[trents]

LI$A, where do you live?

If I were you I would take this issue up with the food services department at this hospital and push them to develop gluten-free offerings for their patients. If they are not responsive to your input, I would consider an writing an oped for the local newspaper informing the public in your community that this hospital may not be safe for people with gluten disorders. There is no excuse for any healthcare facility that offers inpatient care to not address this need when so many people need to avoid gluten. It is not unusual or rare any longer. 

[Awol cast iron stomach]

On 1/10/2021 at 1:31 PM, Scott Adams said:

11) No gluten, I would kill myself! (yes, I’ve heard this one several times)

After sharing it with lunch mates everyone says I could never go without (gluten any food). The next day subconsciously everyone brings a gluten meal to lunch. 🤦

[Awol cast iron stomach]

In  addition to gluten I have other intolerances.

I am often asked "What can you eat"

Whole foods.

"Oh I shop at Whole Foods all the time"

😉

[RMJ]

A doctor saying “You probably don’t have that”.

My response:  The biopsy I had last week said that I do.

[Scott Adams]

5 hours ago, LI$A said:

My older sister and I both have Celiac.  She had a stroke last year and the rehab hospital had NO MENU or even a PLAN for patients with Celiac. She had to live on cottage cheese and eggs for 3 damn weeks.  Absolutely shameful.

 

This is literally every celiacs' worst nightmare!

[Sam85]

“Just build up your energy levels and you’ll be able to overcome this disease.” A family doctor said this to me, I’m not even sure what that meant 😳

[BuddhaBar]

7 hours ago, Sam85 said:

“Just build up your energy levels and you’ll be able to overcome this disease.” A family doctor said this to me, I’m not even sure what that meant 😳

 

[Kelly Kimball]

At a restaurant, I talked to the waitress re the "sauce" that would be on the main dish. I explained that I had an autoimmune disease and couldn't eat anything with gluten in it. I told her no wheat, barley or rye. She assured me that the "sauce" was OK. When she presented the dish, clearly covered in brown gravy, she explained that it "just had flour in it .......no wheat".

This was early in my days of learning to live Gluten Free.

[trents]

1 minute ago, Kelly Kimball said:

At a restaurant, I talked to the waitress re the "sauce" that would be on the main dish. I explained that I had an autoimmune disease and couldn't eat anything with gluten in it. I told her no wheat, barley or rye. She assured me that the "sauce" was OK. When she presented the dish, clearly covered in brown gravy, she explained that it "just had flour in it .......no wheat".

This was early in my days of learning to live Gluten Free.

Made me laugh and reminded me of a conversation I had with a big chain restaurant chef some years ago as I was preparing for a company celebration in a few days. As I discussed different non gluten menu options with him and was about to finalize a plan, I asked him about one more particular item I was interested in for the meal. "Does this have gluten in it?" I asked him. The reply, "Oh no. That's completely non dairy." 

[Juca]

"Don't worry, I disinfected everything."  said the cook, spraying a flour filled kitchen with rubbing alcohol... yes, you can "kill" gluten like that.