This is why gluten is banned from my house

[Mom-ninja.]

My mom brought cheesecake (with graham crust) over for Christmas dinner. My telling her that I already had dessert covered didn't matter. My bil likes cheesecake so she decided he needed cheesecake. Whatever.

 

(Oh, my mom spent that night sick with vomiting and diarrhea from the cheesecake but she refuses to be tested properly for celiac. Her choice) Tangent over.

 

There, of course, was cheesecake left. My mom refused to take it back home because my dad hates cheesecake. My sister and bil didn't take it because they had a 9 hour drive. So I stuck it in the freezer to take it to my in-laws. I forgot it when we went over there yesterday.

 

So this morning, my dh decided to have some for breakfast before work apparently. When I got up I saw the wax paper with cheesecake and crumbs all over it on the counter. I asked my ds to throw it away. Then I became busy getting ready to go. Forgot about the counter.

 

Just a little while ago, I was making something to eat. I scooped some ice cream with my spoon, ate it, and put my spoon on the counter. I then used a serving spoon to scoop out the cobbler I had made. I used the ice cream scooper (not my spoon I had already put in my mouth) to scoop out ice cream. After putting everything away, I picked up my bowl and spoon. I noticed crumbs stuck to my spoon. Remember, my spoon had residual ice cream on it. I started to stick the spoon into my mouth to lick off the crumbs. Right before I did an inner voice yelled, "STOP!" At that moment I realized that I had not yet put that spoon into any cobbler and so therefore it shouldn't have crumbs on it. That's when I looked closely at the counter and noticed all the graham crust crumbs spread all over from the cheesecake this morning.

 

That is why I do not allow gluten in my house. People do not take care to 1) not get crumbs on the counter and 2) do not clean up after themselves.

 

That was a close call to me becoming very sick. :glare:

[Virg]

I totally understand! My son is allergic to milk and his sister to peanuts. People just do. not. get. it. Even when they should, like they have visited us in the hospital. It doesn't seem to click. "Oh you mean I shouldn't use the same knife for the jelly that I used for peanut butter a second ago?" *sigh*

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

That's why we're a peanut/nut free house too.

However we are not a mustard or egg free house. Some stuff is easier to contain.

[littleWMN]

I have Celiac and I totally understand. I'm still dealing with inflammation from Thanksgiving when we shared a condo kitchen with my inlaws. GF cookies aren't GF anymore when you stick your hand in the bag after eating crackers. Tub of butter is ruined when you reuse the knife on regular toast, etc. I got glutened twice (at condo and at a restaurant on salsa). I was SO sick for a few hours then the inflammation, headaches, fatigue... it totally sucks.

[AK_Mom4]

The really sad thing about this is that there are some amazingly delicious gluten-free cheesecake recipes out there. Cheesecake is a dessert that translates to gluten-free with ease. It could have been a perfectly safe treat for everyone in the house.

 

:grouphug: - and I'm glad you didn't get sick!

[greenvneck]

I knew exactly where that story was going when I read "cheesecake." :tongue_smilie: A couple years ago my mom made a cheesecake and, after slicing it, offered the spatula to my celiac son to lick off. Normally he *always* checks to make sure what he is offered by someone else is GF, but he knew that I had also made a cheesecake...gluten-free. So he licked off the spatula and I saw from across the yard; it was like I was in slow motion, running through the grass, yelling, "Noooo, thaaaat's gluuuuteeeennnn!!!" My poor mom, she looked at me blankly and said, "What do you mean? It's a *graham cracker* crust, I didn't use any flour!" :lol: :lol:

 

Glad you avoided the glutening!

[mommymilkies]

I knew exactly where that story was going when I read "cheesecake." :tongue_smilie: A couple years ago my mom made a cheesecake and, after slicing it, offered the spatula to my celiac son to lick off. Normally he *always* checks to make sure what he is offered by someone else is GF, but he knew that I had also made a cheesecake...gluten-free. So he licked off the spatula and I saw from across the yard; it was like I was in slow motion, running through the grass, yelling, "Noooo, thaaaat's gluuuuteeeennnn!!!" My poor mom, she looked at me blankly and said, "What do you mean? It's a *graham cracker* crust, I didn't use any flour!" :lol: :lol:

 

Glad you avoided the glutening!

 

Are you related to my In-Laws? My Grandmother in-law insisted her stuffing was safe on Thanksgiving because she used packaged breadcrumb stuffing. Not flour. :confused:

[DawnM]

Does your mother normally eat gluten? Does she normally throw up from it?

 

I ask because I am not sure that is why she threw up.

 

I do not have celiac, but I have some other issues with wheat, not sure yet if it is the gluten or just wheat.

 

Dawn

[NicAnn]

Totally understand. Dd is Celiac, and thankfully she has a good handle on what that means. At four. Other people...adults, doctors, waitstaff, do not. It's frustrating.

[Jen in PA]

:grouphug: My MIL insists that anything not labeled "wheat" is GF -- as in she thinks I can have a sandwich on white bread, just not on anything labeled "whole wheat bread." Seriously.

[Mom-ninja.]

I have Celiac and I totally understand. I'm still dealing with inflammation from Thanksgiving when we shared a condo kitchen with my inlaws. GF cookies aren't GF anymore when you stick your hand in the bag after eating crackers. Tub of butter is ruined when you reuse the knife on regular toast, etc. I got glutened twice (at condo and at a restaurant on salsa). I was SO sick for a few hours then the inflammation, headaches, fatigue... it totally sucks.

 

:grouphug: I'm sorry your sick. I you heal quickly.

 

 

 

Does your mother normally eat gluten? Does she normally throw up from it?

 

 

Dawn

 

 

Yes, all the time. She is sick all the time. She is sick every single day. Every day she has cramping, bloating, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, sore joints, and headaches to name a few symptoms she lives with. She vomits at least a few times a month. She also broke her ankle basically from just walking. Her grandmother had intestinal cancer, I just found out a few weeks ago. Yet, she won't go to a GI. She told me she doesn't want to know because it would be too hard to change her lifestyle at her age. She's 56. :001_rolleyes: She is also lactose intolerant and yet she will binge on diary, and then suffer for days. Yet, as soon as she's done vomiting she will grab the whip cream can or butter or cheese. Like I said, her choice.

[Danestress]

It's a painful price, but worth it if you have to have cheesecake.

[Jen in PA]

It's a painful price, but worth it if you have to have cheesecake.

 

I make wonderful crustless cheesecake!

[NicAnn]

It's a painful price, but worth it if you have to have cheesecake.

 

Making your own is pretty easy actually. They have a very similar taste.

[ElizaG]

Thank you for posting this. In recent years, we've been asking dinner guests not to bring anything with gluten. I still feel like a big meanie at times, but your experience reminds me of why we had to do this. It had proved pretty much impossible to keep track of cracker status, butter segregation, contaminated pie slicers, and guests helpfully putting their gluteny plates in the dishwasher (which has some sort of water recycling feature, so who knows how long the residue would be swishing around?). :tongue_smilie:

 

ETA: I also have close relatives who have digestive and autoimmune conditions that are often linked to gluten, but have never been open to considering that possibility. They seem to think that it's implausible, and in any case, it would be "impossible" for them to follow the diet (even though they've seen me do it for many years). So I can relate to that feeling of frustration, too.

Edited December 27, 2011 by Eleanor

[Hope in God]

I hear ya! It is so sad when people go out of their way to make a treat that is safe for your child (after I have repeatedly told them it is okay I will bring something for my kids, don't go out of your way etc....) and I know that the treat is probably not safe even though they tried to make it safe. What do you do? Do you let your child eat the treat and then suffer the concequences later or do you hurt your friends feelings when they were trying to do something nice?:confused:

 

My kids have more allergies than anyone I know. We have gluten, dairy, soy, rice, corn, eggs, flax, almonds, cashews, cinnamon- but not peanuts. :001_huh:

[Lovedtodeath]

Yes, all the time. She is sick all the time. She is sick every single day. Every day she has cramping, bloating, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, sore joints, and headaches to name a few symptoms she lives with. She vomits at least a few times a month. She also broke her ankle basically from just walking. Her grandmother had intestinal cancer, I just found out a few weeks ago.

I have all of those symptoms, even brittle bones,and was precancerous... and I do not have a problem with gluten. But, her problem is probably gluten since it runs in the family... IDK funny thing... DD was sensitive to wheat, but not all gluten and DS and I are sensitive to yeast, but not wheat.

 

I know what you mean about keeping it out of the house. DS and I have had a few accidents with things.

[ocelotmom]

My poor mom, she looked at me blankly and said, "What do you mean? It's a *graham cracker* crust, I didn't use any flour!" :lol: :lol:

 

Yeah, we've had more than one person insist that graham crackers are made out of graham, not wheat! Including teachers at our housemate's school.

[Mom-ninja.]

It's a painful price, but worth it if you have to have cheesecake.

 

She never told me she was bringing cheesecake, or that anyone wanted cheesecake. I would have made cheesecake if it was requested. I make a darn good pumpkin cheesecake. No, she just happened to see it at the store and bought it to bring over without a word to me. :glare:

 

 

Yeah, we've had more than one person insist that graham crackers are made out of graham, not wheat! Including teachers at our housemate's school.

 

I know a middle school teacher who asks me all the time what I can and can't eat. She was surprised that pizza has wheat. She said, "But the pizza dough is made from flour." :001_huh: I asked what she thought 'regular' flour was made out of. She said, "Flour is wheat? I just thought it was flour." She never once stopped to think about what "flour" is.

 

The she asked me if I can eat garlic bread. I said I could eat garlic but the bread would be a problem. She said, "You can't even have french bread? What? French bread is wheat? But it's white bread not wheat bread."

 

She still amazes me with her questions. Yet, what I love is that she asks, and is trying to slowly comprehend. At least she pretends to.....;) She could just be making conversation.

 

BTW, the rest of the cheesecake ended up in the trash.

[Lovedtodeath]

I know a middle school teacher who asks me all the time what I can and can't eat. She was surprised that pizza has wheat. She said, "But the pizza dough is made from flour." :001_huh: I asked what she thought 'regular' flour was made out of. She said, "Flour is wheat? I just thought it was flour." She never once stopped to think about what "flour" is.

 

The she asked me if I can eat garlic bread. I said I could eat garlic but the bread would be a problem. She said, "You can't even have french bread? What? French bread is wheat? But it's white bread not wheat bread."

Wow.

[Impish]

Crustless cheesecake isn't hard to make at all.

 

Sheesh. Some ppl.

 

I swear it's like they don't want to believe there's an issue, and if they can just sneak it in, they can go, "AHA! See, I KNEW it wasn't a problem!" :glare:

[littleWMN]

My mom and MIL are clueless too. Both have asked me if I can have fruit and vegetables. I was diagnosed 4 years ago so it's something I've explained multiple times. MIL does try though. She will make something then put spices with gluten in them, etc. It makes me feel terrible when I have to skip something she tried to make for me. And she's a control freak about making all the food. It offends her if you bring anything.

 

I find the social aspect of celiac the hardest.

[lexi]

I so understand! We have allergic kiddos and people are so very clueless. I try to give them a little grace but really?! Sometimes their inconsideration blows my mind! We don't allow any "toxic" foods in our house. And anyone who wants to come through our front door must wash hands first. People think I'm crazy but it's worth it to stay safe. So frustrating!!!

[sbgrace]

I hear ya! It is so sad when people go out of their way to make a treat that is safe for your child (after I have repeatedly told them it is okay I will bring something for my kids, don't go out of your way etc....) and I know that the treat is probably not safe even though they tried to make it safe. What do you do? Do you let your child eat the treat and then suffer the concequences later or do you hurt your friends feelings when they were trying to do something nice?:confused:

 

My kids have more allergies than anyone I know. We have gluten, dairy, soy, rice, corn, eggs, flax, almonds, cashews, cinnamon- but not peanuts. :001_huh:

I just say thank you but my son (anaphylactic allergies) is just safer not eating anything because of the potential cross contamination. If we can my son doesn't eat away from home. If unavoidable he only eats what I bring and I supply the dishes, utensils, etc. too. I don't think we offend anyone. I hope we don't but I don't have a choice anyway.

[Mom-ninja.]

My mom and MIL are clueless too. Both have asked me if I can have fruit and vegetables.

 

I find the social aspect of celiac the hardest.

 

Yes, the social part is hard. I know people who don't understand think I am just an absolute freak. Oh well. I'll take being a freak over being sick.

 

My MIL asked me if I can eat fish. :)

 

On Christmas day she offered me pie. I just smiled and said no thank you. She said, "I have pecan and chocolate pie. You said you can eats nuts and chocolate." I just told that the pie crusts holding the pecans and chocolate are not okay for me to eat. She looked at me in surprise. Then she said, "Well, I'm sorry you can't eat anything here. Maybe someday you'll overcome it. You know, when you're stronger."

 

Anyone care to try and explain what she meant? It irritated me a lot, but as always I just smile and be the duck.

[Mommee & Baba]

I'm so sorry!! :grouphug:

 

Gluten isn't allowed in our home in any shape or form. I have celiacs disease and my dd6 suffers from a gluten allergy. DH & our other 2 children have also realized they feel better without gluten too, so probably some slight intolerance to gluten as well.

 

I'd in the future request anything brought into your home to be gluten free. If it can't be, then they don't need to bring it. Oh and for those people that think you can just "overcome" a gluten allergy needs to read up on the allergy! You have to cut out gluten for the rest of your life. And you will feel stronger when you don't have gluten so why would you want to re-introduce the one thing that is causing your pain to begin with?? Explaining celiacs disease and fibromyalgia to other has been so energy exhausting over the years.

Edited December 27, 2011 by mamaofblessings

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

Yeah, we've had more than one person insist that graham crackers are made out of graham,

 

Poor Mr. Graham... :D

 

I've had people ask if peanut butter was safe for a kid allergic to peanuts. :confused: :001_huh:

 

My SIL was happy I made a gluten-free Yule Log, which also happened to be peanut and nut free. Unfortunately for my daughter, it wasn't egg free, but there was another log that was safe for her to eat. It just felt weird that I would prepare something that my own child couldn't eat (we're not an egg-free family, her allergy is very mild and she can usually eat baked goods with eggs in them without any problem at all. She even tasted the wheat-free log, and liked it. ) Allergies are not all created equal, which is why people don't 'get it'. She *can* eat eggs, but she *can't* eat peanuts nor nuts. Yet she's allergic to them all. It's not easy for outsiders to follow.

Edited December 27, 2011 by CleoQc

[caedmyn]

:confused: :001_huh:

 

My SIL was happy I made a gluten-free Yule Log, which also happened to be peanut and nut free. Unfortunately for my daughter, it wasn't egg free, but there was another log that was safe for her to eat. It just felt weird that I would prepare something that my own child couldn't eat (we're not an egg-free family, her allergy is very mild and she can usually eat baked goods with eggs in them without any problem at all. She even tasted the wheat-free log, and liked it. ) Allergies are not all created equal, which is why people don't 'get it'. She *can* eat eggs, but she *can't* eat peanuts nor nuts. Yet she's allergic to them all. It's not easy for outsiders to follow.

 

Is she allergic to eggs or intolerant to eggs? I think that's one reason why people don't get it, because most people call intolerances allergies. As in, "I'm allergic to dairy, milk gives me an upset stomach." No, you're not allergic to dairy, you're most likely lactose intolerant. So I think when people hear "peanut allergy" they tend to think eating peanuts will cause an upset stomach or a rash.

 

We don't have any allergies here thankfully, but my kids all have a bazillion food intolerances. Even when I try to tell people that they're intolerant to foods, they immediately translate that to "oh they're allergic to all those foods?" or ask if they're celiac. People just don't get it. I don't think most of them try too hard though.

[AK_Mom4]

She looked at me in surprise. Then she said, "Well, I'm sorry you can't eat anything here. Maybe someday you'll overcome it. You know, when you're stronger."

 

Anyone care to try and explain what she meant? It irritated me a lot, but as always I just smile and be the duck.

 

It means she's clueless. People get their feelings all wound up in the things they cook. Especially folks who are good cooks - the ego gets bound up in the cream sauce, I think....

 

Quack!

[celticmom]

:grouphug: I'm sorry your sick. I you heal quickly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, all the time. She is sick all the time. She is sick every single day. Every day she has cramping, bloating, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, sore joints, and headaches to name a few symptoms she lives with. She vomits at least a few times a month. She also broke her ankle basically from just walking. Her grandmother had intestinal cancer, I just found out a few weeks ago. Yet, she won't go to a GI. She told me she doesn't want to know because it would be too hard to change her lifestyle at her age. She's 56. :001_rolleyes: She is also lactose intolerant and yet she will binge on diary, and then suffer for days. Yet, as soon as she's done vomiting she will grab the whip cream can or butter or cheese. Like I said, her choice.

 

Allergies can cause an almost addiction-like craving. I have had to eliminate foods from my diet and it can require a great deal of willpower.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

Is she allergic to eggs or intolerant to eggs?

She is indeed allergic to eggs. However eggs have lots of different proteins in them, and one can be allergic to only certain proteins and not the others.

In my DD's case, she seems to be allergic to proteins that get "disintegrated" by heat. If the heat was high enough, for long enough, that protein is no longer there in the same form and no longer presents a danger to her.

 

The egg allergy is the most variable allergy, according to our allergist, because it will depend on the protein the person is allergic to. Sometimes it's only found in the yolk, or in the albumen (whatever the 'white' part is called in English).

 

My DD can take baked goods, but not omelets, or egg sandwiches. She doesn't complain at all with muffins or cakes, or even crepes and pancakes. But if I bake chewy cookies - the way I like them - she claims it tingles in her mouth, and she will get a rash. The cookies are not baked quite enough for her.

[Crimson Wife]

It means she's clueless. People get their feelings all wound up in the things they cook. Especially folks who are good cooks - the ego gets bound up in the cream sauce, I think....

 

Ouch, that was really uncalled for :glare:

 

Food is one of the love languages. It isn't about the cook's ego 99% of the time, but rather that the person is trying to express that he/she cares through putting in the effort to do something nice for the would-be recipient.

 

It's unfortunate that the cook doesn't understand about celiac disease or other gluten allergy/intolerance. But I can see where they might feel hurt if their gift is rejected.

 

Not saying you're wrong in rejecting the gift (obviously your health is more important), just that I think it isn't about ego at all.

[kitten18]

 

 

 

She told me she doesn't want to know because it would be too hard to change her lifestyle at her age. She's 56. :001_rolleyes:

*head slap*:svengo:

Now, if she were 86, I could maybe understand not wanting to make the change, but 56?????

[EmilyK]

Ouch, that was really uncalled for :glare:

 

Food is one of the love languages. It isn't about the cook's ego 99% of the time, but rather that the person is trying to express that he/she cares through putting in the effort to do something nice for the would-be recipient.

 

It's unfortunate that the cook doesn't understand about celiac disease or other gluten allergy/intolerance. But I can see where they might feel hurt if their gift is rejected.

 

Not saying you're wrong in rejecting the gift (obviously your health is more important), just that I think it isn't about ego at all.

 

I really think this is right. I totally get that the OP can't have gluten.at.all. But I have seen first hand how hard it is when baking or cooking is someone's way of showing how they care.

 

I also know this isn't the OP's situation, but one of my kids needs to avoid wheat. It makes a huge difference for him -- mood, concentration, bed-wetting. But it isn't as severe as the OP's situation, and he isn't affected (as far as I can tell) by cross contamination or small amounts. I have a friend in that boat too. So I think this landscape is confusing for the casual observer. They may think that people who say they have to be more careful are over-reacting.

[ElizaG]

Not saying you're wrong in rejecting the gift (obviously your health is more important), just that I think it isn't about ego at all.

:iagree: I was thinking about this last night. Food is so important socially, culturally, even as part of religious rituals. It's also the major way that we use one of our senses. It's almost like a means of communication.

 

Looked at this way, being unable to partake of most things that other people offer you (because of multiple allergies, cross-contamination issues, etc.) is IMO a pretty significant disability. It's difficult for the people with the dietary restrictions, but it's also unsettling to those who care about them. In some ways, at family gatherings, it can be even harder for the other people, because we're matter-of-factly bringing our [whatever food(s)]-free world along with us, and it's foreign to them. Almost like keeping kosher, which is intimately and deeply connected with the sense of separateness of the Jewish people. But people on restricted diets don't usually have their own social community -- and even if they did, this would set them apart from their relatives, friends, church, etc.

 

Don't get me wrong... I'm also bothered when people are clueless or thoughtless about others' needs. But the situation calls for understanding on everyone's part. :grouphug: