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Food Allergy Compassion: Celiac Edition

By on Jun 28, 2016 in Advice, Celiac Disease, Dining Out, Gluten Free, Health, Travel | 0 comments

Food allergy compassion is a delicate subject to many who suffer from Celiac Disease or other autoimmune disorders. While the general public lives their lives relatively care-free when it comes to food consumption, someone with food allergies lives in constant fear of their next exposure. They know it will eventually happen, but will the circumstances be manageable? What if they are miles away from home in a strange town, or even out locally with acquaintances. The people you are with and the people who are serving you have varying levels of food allergy compassion, and you have to be confident and aware that you must control the situation. Scenario 1: Visiting Family Afar Imagine you are 2500 miles from the gluten-free oasis that is your kitchen. Your kitchen equipped with pots and pans that have never touched gluten, dedicated prep surfaces and care from your live-in family, this is...

A Celiac Friendly Wedding

By on Jun 20, 2016 in Celiac Disease, Dining Out, Gluten Free, Travel | 0 comments

We had the pleasure of attending a Celiac friendly wedding over the weekend. This was the first of it’s kind we’ve ever seen. The assortment of treats was great for a wedding – chocolate covered pretzels, nuts, gluten free cookies and cupcakes. The best part about it was that the gluten free table was on the far side of the hall, kept far away from the alternative gluten-laced treats. On top of that, they also had place cards with a gluten free designation for the Celiac guests. Our First Celiac Friendly Wedding Although we have only been to a handful of weddings since Julie’s Celiac diagnosis, we have yet to come across a party that actually caters to Celiac sufferers. It helped that a number of people on the groom’s side have Celiac Disease, so that certainly encouraged the hosts to provide something they could eat. The caterers seemed to understand the...

How Your Spouse is Affected by Celiac Disease

By on Jun 11, 2016 in Celiac Disease, Gluten Free, Health, Relationships | 0 comments

I waited some time to write an article about the Celiac sufferer’s spouse, mainly because I wanted more time to reflect on what to say after covering observations of others and the effects of Celiac on the body. Talking about Celiac Disease and how it affects your spouse is a delicate subject, and comes with a broad spectrum of emotion. From being overly protective of my wife to watching others around her like a hawk, Celiac changed the way I live with my spouse. I try to keep an eye on everyone and everything gluten, making sure that what she’s eating and what she’s near won’t make her sick. I get anxious, demanding and exhausted with others. I do everything I can to brighten her mood. But altogether, I am forever changed. Understanding Celiac Disease When we first learned of Celiac Disease, I admit, I was slow to realize the extent of the danger that...

How Celiac Disease Affects Your Friendships

By on Jun 6, 2016 in Advice, Celiac Disease, Relationships | 0 comments

Celiac Disease can have a serious impact on relationships in your life.  Friendships are the most strained, since friends are often met at different times in your life under different circumstances. Your family will tell you things like, “we’ll always be there for you,” or “call me anytime you need to talk.” This is great for some people, but many need the connection with friends in their life to help them feel secure. Maintaining friendships after Celiac diagnosis is one of the more difficult challenges. Initially, your friends may say that they support you. They may tell you that others in their family or friends circle experience other auto-immune disorders, or even serious diseases like cancer. They may try to push you to do things that may seem dangerous to a Celiac sufferer, like attending a cookout or join them for a dinner out. Again, these may be...

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