My Insensitive Coworkers

[loco-ladi]

For starters I am "newly diagnosed" (miss diagnosed for at least 6 years that I can tell so far but thats another topic...) and just learning to deal with my "new" diet.

I am a railroad engineer and have to cart all my own food with me when I go to work. I have a Conductor who goes with me and its common practice to bring something to share with the other crewmember. I have learned to get out my "food offering" early in the trip and mention its "gluten free" (last trip was chocolate chip cookies which I need more of as they were almost good, lol) that leads to the inevitable what kind of diet are you on which I reply about my "food allergy" in as great detail as they want. this relieves me of saying no thanks alot of the times as when they hear the basics they can normally determine I will not be eating their "offering". This actually paid off numerous times recently, but as I work with alot of the same people trip after trip some have actually made a effort to bring something I can eat! It has also lead to 2 recipes 1 of which I could use and one fellow engineer heard of my problem and as we are somewhat friends actually on a recent trip to a nearby large city stopped at a health food store and brought me home a bag of "goodies".

I bring bleach wipes with me as well and have gotten in the habit of wiping down everything I will be touching, I dont know if this will help but it makes me feel better.

A fellow employee recently retired and the trainmasters (supervisors of sorts) bought him a retirement cake which they offered me a piece of, my reply was, sure I'll take a piece as long as you promise to give me the day off for being sick, they decline the day off, I decline the piece of cake!

My husband does his best to eat foods I can't while at work or when I am gone and does his best not to mention when he went out for chinese food as that used to be my favorite.

Right now my biggest issue is buying the food! we do not have anything locally that will even special order things I can eat and the closest healthfood store is 60 miles away and has a total of 2 four foot shelves for me to chose from. I have started looking online for more choices and hopefully better prices! Any suggestions would be welcome.

Lynn