Oh The Irony

[jkmunchkin]

So I'm sitting here at work just now and one of the editorial assistants walks up to my desk, smiles and drops off like 4 bags from Starbucks. I look at her puzzled and she just kinda smiles and says, leftover treats. Enjoy!!

Ummmm, ok clearly she doesn't know I can't eat any of them. LOL!!

I just put up a sign that says, "Starbucks sweets, help yourself" and everyone is ravaging for them.. but I just thought it was really funny and of all the people she could have given it to.

[Agent Z]

So I'm sitting here at work just now and one of the editorial assistants walks up to my desk, smiles and drops off like 4 bags from Starbucks. I look at her puzzled and she just kinda smiles and says, leftover treats. Enjoy!!

Ummmm, ok clearly she doesn't know I can't eat any of them. LOL!!

I just put up a sign that says, "Starbucks sweets, help yourself" and everyone is ravaging for them.. but I just thought it was really funny and of all the people she could have given it to.

Did she know that you had the disease? Cause if she did, that was kinda mean. If not, it's probably an honest mistake. I also think alot of people are confused with EXACTLY what we can and can't have and when and how much. Even I'm still learning (found out I had this a week ago).

But on the bright side, it should make you look nice and make you kinda popular since you had to be so generous.

[jenvan]

"Gosh, that Jillian girl, she must be on one of those "low carb" diets..."

[2kids4me]

Well, you will be popular today!

Sounds like someone trying to do something nice for someone else without realizing you couldn't eat them. It's kinda like a "Murphys Law" thing where if there was one celiac in the room, the person holding the gluten treats will find them!

I have had the same thing happen in hospitals - my daughter was recently hospitalized and they were trying to find something she could eat (she was recovering from appendectomy). One of the nurses offered to get her some hot cereal or toast, I gently reminded the nurse that she was a celaic. The nurse apologized and went about making sure all the following meals were gluten-free . Even if someone knows you are celiac - they can forget or because they dont live with it, they dont know all the ins and outs.

Enjoy your popularity, it was nice gesture for someone to randomly pick you to give some goodies to...

I would find a time to let her know you are celiac so she doesnt keep doing it and thank her for her thoughtfulness in picking you.

[jkmunchkin]

Yeah a lot of people here know I have celiac but she probably doesn't.

I don't mind at all, it was a really sweet gesture and everyone that does know has been laughing about it with me everytime they come by my desk for a treat.

[2kids4me]

I don't mind at all, it was a really sweet gesture and everyone that does know has been laughing about it with me everytime they come by my desk for a treat.

[jkmunchkin]

I hope this comes across right - it would have been an excellent opportunity to tell this person about celiac and that you appreciate her kindness but you cant eat them. Then she would know, now when she figures out why everyone is laughing (and she will) she will feel a bit stupid about not knowing and then wonder why she is the source of entertainment. When she finds out she slipped up without knowing, no one tells her and then she finds out later... I wonder what she will think of her collegues?

A common thing that is voiced is that no one knows about celiac....no one "gets it", yet when the opportunity arises to educate someone... nothing is said..

I hope you do let her know so she doesnt feel "stupid" for not knowing when "everyone that does know" chuckles while they eat

The majority of the people I work with know I have celiac. I'm not shy about it and educate people on it all the time. The way she did it was so sweet that it would have been insulting to her to tell her I couldn't eat it. I was happier to just put a sign up offering the goodies to everyone than to embarrass her and make her feel stupid. No one was laughing at her; they were laughing at the irony of the situation. We all get along really well where I work and she would never be mad that I didn't tell her at that point in time when it does at some point come up. If anything she will probably laugh at it too.

I know what you meant by this. It just wasn't the appropriate time or place to educate her on celiac.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

One of my neightbors tried to do something nice for me, since I'm recovering from shoulder surgery. He is a pharmacist, knows I have celiac, went online, found a chicken-and-rice casserole recipe, made it, proudly brought it over--and I had to ask him if he used cream of mushroom soup in it.

He did. He had no idea it had wheat starch, it never occured to him to read the label.

He also put almonds in it, and my husband is allergic to nuts! LUckily, he can handle almonds and peanuts, though he dislikes almonds.

Poor fellow, he tried so hard to be thoughtful....

[elonwy]

I got offered a donut today by a very sweet girl at work. I gently told her "I'm sorry honey I can't eat wheat, but I feel the gesture, and I'll take the love and kind thought instead". It went over very well.

Elonwy

[miles2go]

I got offered a donut last week, too, and I'm not shy at all about my wheat allergy, so I said, thanks, but no, and then another coworker asked if it was rude to be offering the gluteny goodness and I assured her that no! I love to hear about the off-limits food because I think to myself, hmmm, now I am going to bake some gluten-free stuff just like this. The other day, this thoughtful coworker was hiding her giganto chocolate-peanut butter cake.

Sometimes you just can't win for losing!

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Do you have an office bulletin board at work? How about posting some gluten-free recipes? They could make peanut butter cookies (with chocolate chips!) without having to buy anything special....

[Ashley]

I've had similar things happen. The whole world has been offered when it comes to off-limit gluten-y goodness. Especially in my first block, they live off complete junk like doughnuts. I'm not really offended at all if someone offers me something. Usually I just tell them no thank you and don't even explain I have Celiac Disease. It kinda gets old explaining it. Sometimes I have to remind my friends that I can't have whatever they're offering, it goes over well.

-Ash

[miles2go]

Do you have an office bulletin board at work? How about posting some gluten-free recipes? They could make peanut butter cookies (with chocolate chips!) without having to buy anything special....

Well, I don't really like sweets that much, anyway. I do well getting my two servings of fruit a day. That said, almost all of my coworkers are very considerate when we have food events. There is always something for me to eat - helps that I come armed with my own bread for bbqs, too. One of the first gluten-free things that I made, aside from bread, was Bette Hagman's recipe for zucchini cake. Boy, was that good!

Cake, pizza, cookies, etc. once or twice a year is enough to help me get through those gluteny commercials!

Hoda Kotb was on her health show this morning saying that most Americans eat 30% junk food. That sure is a lot...