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Cross Contamination

jstoy

By jstoy
in Introduce Yourself / Share Stuff

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jstoy Newbie
jstoy
Posted

My daughter is 32, I live with her, I am her mother. She has Celiac and I do not. She was doing very well with her gluten free diet and feeling great. All of a sudden we have 2 new people in the house that do not understand Celiac and apparently are unconcerned. Today my daughter was extremely sick. Now I have seen one of the roommates touching bread and touching my daughters shelf we have seperated in the frig. We have our own shelves, etc. Ever since these two have moved in my daughter has been sick, mostly mild cases but today was tragic. She was crying, I am not into researching page after page to find out how to help her, I am the get the ole pepto bismo mother but she can't. I gave her a banana and some applesauce because I read it somewhere. We both do research all the time. She is researching and her eyes are closing. I feel so bad for her.

Today I seperated some cooking utencils , silverware, dish's, etc. Tomorrow I am buying her bowls, and anything she needs only for her gluten free use. We can't control others in the house. I say ship em out and this is going to happen very soon but until then, we need some help.

AFter all that, any suggestions? We try to seperate but others get into things. I'm getting very upset here watching my daughter feel like she's dying. I am not a stressful person but lately I am getting stressed to the point I think I will be sick.

I can't keep searching pages that lead to other pages, I need to ask a question and get the answer I need, does anyone know a place that will actually help us. Reading forums is not working, I do not have the time for this. She is newly diag Celiac and she needs someone to help her. Please is there anyone that is experienced enough to help or direct us to a place she can simply go to or a phone number to call and talk to someone that actually knows what she needs? Please I am at my ends here. We need help. She is so sick and I am getting so upset.

Merry Christmas and thank you for your help in advance

Dear Santa,

Please bring us an angel to guide my daughter thru Celiac and help her get back to normal.

Thank you

Caring Mother

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Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

Where are you located. There might be a suppot group in your area.

You won't find a better site for information about Celiac then here. Please take some time to read some posts. It has been a lifesaver for me when no one around me knew anything about what they said I had.

jstoy Newbie
jstoy
Posted
  • Author

Hi Thank you for responding so quickly. We are in Manchester, New Hampshire. We have read so many forums and it give us help in advance on some things. Right now she is crying and curled up in a ball and it upsets me. I do not know what to do. We get thru most everything. We have the gluten free shopping down to a science, we do the best in the house but at times like this we need help. Have you ever been glutened and wanna curl up and die? This is how she is feeling. She used a heating pad earlier. She is in so much pain now she won't listen to me or do anything but lay there and cry and she said all she can do is wait it out. I can't believe that is true. I can't relax watching her. I wanna take her to the hospital but they will take forever, we can't afford it and I am sure nothing will be done to help.

Thank you for reading.

Where are you located. There might be a suppot group in your area.

You won't find a better site for information about Celiac then here. Please take some time to read some posts. It has been a lifesaver for me when no one around me knew anything about what they said I had.

kbtoyssni Contributor
kbtoyssni
Posted

Unfortunately, there probably isn't a lot you can do now that she's glutened. Most of us just have to ride it out, and I think everyone has some comfort foods or techniques to make them feel better. Mine is sleeping a lot. And eating way too much cheese and milk. I'm not sure a hospital could do much, either, unless she's getting dehydrated.

You really need to take steps to make sure this doesn't happen again. It seems like she was doing just fine when it was just you living there. I'm a little unclear about where the roommates come from, but you need to get them to follow the house rules about gluten. If they can't stop contaminating things, you could say the whole house has to be gluten-free or not let them stay there anymore. You daughter's health has to be #1.

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

Open Original Shared Link

Here is some contact information in your area.

Many times once the reaction begins you just have to ride it out. The BRAT diet can be soothing - Bananas, Rice, Apple Sauce and Tea/Toast. Plently of water might help the system flush itself. All this is assuming that her discomfort is caused by gluten or cross contamination. I never had the stomach pains but there are many many here that do.

I hope that she will feel better soon.

jstoy Newbie
jstoy
Posted
  • Author

Thank you for your response and I am sorry you also have this horrible Celiac. She has been sick for over 7 years and just recently found it was Celiac. The roomates are her sister and her sisters boyfriend that had no place to live. They are careless but I am sure it's not on purpose. When my daughter is feeling better, she will need to do as you suggest and have a talk about complete gluten free foods in this house. I say not staying here is the best option. We have talked about just her and me in the house. It is abit expensive but I think we will be ok and she will feel better. I am building a website on Celiac and all gluten free recipes and I have learned alot. I'm kind of lazy in the cooking department but once I buy some of those flours they talk about we can eat quite well. I'm impressed with the foods you can eat.

Merry Christmas and thank you so much.

Unfortunately, there probably isn't a lot you can do now that she's glutened. Most of us just have to ride it out, and I think everyone has some comfort foods or techniques to make them feel better. Mine is sleeping a lot. And eating way too much cheese and milk. I'm not sure a hospital could do much, either, unless she's getting dehydrated.

You really need to take steps to make sure this doesn't happen again. It seems like she was doing just fine when it was just you living there. I'm a little unclear about where the roommates come from, but you need to get them to follow the house rules about gluten. If they can't stop contaminating things, you could say the whole house has to be gluten-free or not let them stay there anymore. You daughter's health has to be #1.

jstoy Newbie
jstoy
Posted
  • Author

Thank you so much. After you mentioned it I went and located a support group in Nashua close by. I think I need it more than she does lol. You are so young to have this and I am sorry you do. You are very lucky not to have the pains, I hope you never do.

It was the BRAT diet I found, she had a banana and some apple sauce. We didn't get to the rice and tea part. She hates tea, I say too bad drink it :-)..She is stubborn..I think when your as sick as she can get she doesn't want to do anything, just curl up. I suppose I can force feed her banana's and dump some apple sauce over her head in hopes she get some in her mouth LOL..we have to joke about it at times.

Thanks for your help.

Merry Christmas

Open Original Shared Link

Here is some contact information in your area.

Many times once the reaction begins you just have to ride it out. The BRAT diet can be soothing - Bananas, Rice, Apple Sauce and Tea/Toast. Plently of water might help the system flush itself. All this is assuming that her discomfort is caused by gluten or cross contamination. I never had the stomach pains but there are many many here that do.

I hope that she will feel better soon.

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blueeyedmanda Community Regular
blueeyedmanda
Posted

It is horrible that she has been controlling her diet so well and now the new people in the house are not concerned at all. Is there a way you can talk to them and educate them about CC and your daughters health. It might helps things until they move out.

jstoy Newbie
jstoy
Posted
  • Author

Hi

We have told them over and over what it means. They actually went out and bought ingredients for gluten free stir fry once. Then all of a sudden they were making pasta in the microwave and adding it to sauce in the same electric pan she uses for her gluten free foods. How many times have I said what are you doing? It is not registering or one of them just doesn't care.

I won't bore you with the details but because this could get lengthy but soon we will be having a house meeting on gluten free or packing it in and have a nice life somewhere else talk :D

Have a safe and gluten free holiday

It is horrible that she has been controlling her diet so well and now the new people in the house are not concerned at all. Is there a way you can talk to them and educate them about CC and your daughters health. It might helps things until they move out.
WW340 Rookie
WW340
Posted

If it is your house, I would simply make it totally gluten free, period.

I am the only one with celiac disease, yet my house is gluten free except for one loaf of bread that my husband is very careful with and his cereal. My son and husband can eat gluten outside of our home, but at home all cooking is gluten free. My son is not careful enough with gluten food, so he simply is not allowed to have it here.

Cross contamination is a difficult enough issue without someone in your own home sabotaging you.

This is a matter of health, not personal preference. If my husband wasn't as careful as he is with his bread and cereal, that would be gone too. It is no small matter to be sick from a glutening as you are currently witnessing. I am sick for up to 3 weeks from 1 cross contamination.

My husband and son have adapted very well and think that our food is even better than before I was diagnosed. My son's favorite food is Amy's gluten free enchiladas. He likes them better than any other brand.

We don't use a lot of prepackaged foods, so the expense is no more than regular food, because it is regular food.

I hope your daughter gets over her glutening soon.

pixiegirl Enthusiast
pixiegirl
Posted

Boy do I agree with the above poster. Its your house, I'm assuming your doing them a favor by letting them move in... I'd tell them the house is gluten free - period the end. When they want gluten they can go to the grocery store and eat the junk in their car. Or go to a restaurant and have it.

This disease could permanently effect your daughters health, the fact that your other daughter and her boy friend "try" isn't enough. I'd say ok we tried it, its not working and now the house is gluten-free. Done. If they can't abide by the rules of the house, find another house.

Susan

jstoy Newbie
jstoy
Posted
  • Author

You are all so kind to help. I sent your reply's to my daughter. Today would be a great day to say no more gluten in this house period!! I agree. We talked to one of them today, I believe she understands now my daughters health overrides a roof over her head when in fact she has another place to live if necessary. The other will be dealt with when he wakes up. This is frustrating for them also, daily saying this and that and all the notes left around. I had a conversation with my daughter today saying this has to stop, I can't handle this, you are too nice and it's killing you. So mother has to be the meanie today. Gluten Free or Move out, that's it. Thanks for all your advice. I was headed in that direction, just wanted to make sure I wasn't being too mean to people around us. Actually, after what I witnessed last night they are lucky to be in the house at all.

Hope everyone has a Safe, Gluten Free Merry Christmas ;)

pixiegirl Enthusiast
pixiegirl
Posted

i know its hard to do but mom's often have to be meanies, comes with the territory! Again this is about good health so its so important.

Good luck!

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