Ah...how to deal with this??

[shadowkat]

As many of you know - if you've read my lj for the last five or six months, I am gluten-sensitive. This means I cannot eat anything with gluten in it. Gluten = wheat, barely, oats, kamut, spelt, and millet. Also be careful of buckwheat (cross-contamination), oats is controversial.

Here's the problem...I'm considering doing a couple of things that involve lots of activities around food and with people who love to eat foods high in glutens: BBQ sauce, pancakes, pizza, cakes, cookies, brownies, most creative chocolates/candybars, pies, bread, sandwiches, bagels, muffins, smores, beer, some wines (not all, most are fine - particularly California wines are fine), crackers...and some ice creams. Both trips will be in environments where my choices are going to be limited. They group decides. Money is a factor. And one takes place at a conference in a Holiday Inn.

I don't know what to do? Do I bring food with me? I don't want to be an inconvenience or put people out. This has been my fear from the beginning. I *hate* being a bother or a pest. I *hate* being noticed. I'm the sort who goes along with what the group wants to eat - yay democracy. This diet makes that impossible. I will get sick.

Help???

Comments

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Hanging in there. Thanks for the link - turned out to be pretty useful and to contain the best description of gluten and the condition I've found so far. Also like how she states you can either be "celiac" or "gluten sensitive" (ie. made uncomfortable by glutens or sick but not in the same way someone with celiac disease is - most celiacs refuse to see this distinction. So for a while I was taking the stance, okay, might as well just treat myself as pure celiac, easier than trying to explain gluten sensitivity to everyone. Human beings like "definites" or things clearly delineated. Gray areas make people uncomfortable and antsy, I think. )

Haven't been posting or engaging much because I can't at home anymore, my system is so screwed up that it either disconnects me halfway through, freezes so I can't disconnect or the third option - tells me there's an error and must shut down costing me the entire email. So am waiting until I get my lap-top before doing much at home. Can't do much at work - since internet usage is heavily monitored, due to the fact that the company has so much of its own services and systems hosted on the web. Some sites we simply can't visit - because they are considered entertainment.

Very frustrating.

And well, the universe and I have been at odds of late. I'm hoping things will change soon. I think they will. Just have to ride out this wave.

Hope you are okay...sorry haven't been able to read yours or others journals lately.

[(Anonymous)]

There you are!

I'm glad to "see" you. I've been wondering how you're doing & what progress you're making toward getting your online access back, not to mention reconstructing your records & feeling a little more secure. Sorry to hear your company is keeping such a tight rein on Internet use--can't they take your circumstances into account & cut you a little slack for a while?

As for grey areas, this human being likes 'em, & likes full-color areas even better. I get uncomfortable w/only 2 options, & w/the idea that only a narrow little line connects them.

And I hope you ride out that wave & find calmer waters soon. And that you're able to see this before too long!

--anom