Ok, so today's blog is a bit of an angry one. There's a bit of a stigma I've noticed that's placed on those who are gluten-free. Whether because of an intolerance, an allergy, Celiac, or whatever other reason. We are seen as picky. So what if we get a little indigestion? Can't we just take a pill? This spills over into television as well. Most recently, an episode of Glee featured an obnoxious individual asking if the veggie tray was gluten free, and stating later on that he was going to have a "shame Triscuit" and he didn't care if he ended up in the bathroom all day. The overall message is that we are annoying, and unnecessarily inconveniencing others.
First of all, Celiac is an autoimmune disorder. As I've mentioned before, consequences as serious as miscarriage, RA, and lymphoma can result if we eat gluten. A simple cross-contamination can put us out of the running for days at a time. If someone has an allergy that can cause them to asphyxiate, it's reasonable to ask that their food be cooked separately from those ingredients. I don't think anyone would dispute that. The same should go for Celiac sufferers and gluten. The problem, I think, is that people don't know it's that serious. I certainly didn't. A little bit of education can go a long way. And anyone who knows how serious Celiac is would never downplay it.
Except they would. While looking for restaurant cards today (which I feel ridiculous even looking for, and I shouldn't - I'm making sure I stay safe), I found some on a website specifically for those with Celiac that classified Celiac simply as "a gluten intolerance."
Which of these sentences makes you think it's a big deal to make my chicken on a counter that had flour on it: "I have a gluten intolerance," or "I have an autoimmune disorder that requires me to avoid gluten." Mind you, I am not at all downplaying gluten intolerance. It's painful and uncomfortable for those who go through it. I'm simply saying that people who have no concept of what Celiac is aren't going to get that I'm not just a picky jerk if that's the way it's phrased. And I would expect an organization that specializes in Celiac to know that.
Guess I'll just have to keep cooking. After all, I know what I can eat.
Hey there. A friend of mine was diagnosed with this a few years ago and she started out pretty angry and frustrated at the degree of misunderstanding and lack of options available when she was learning how to handle her disease. She was lucky in that she had the support of another of our friend who has been living with this for 10+ years to help show her the ropes and occasionally lighten things up with a bodily function joke.
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to let you know that since I became keyed into the Gluten Free reality 8 years ago, amazing leaps have been made in awareness and food options. 8 years ago there certainly was no GF Betty Crocker cake mixes, the boxes of Chex cereal weren't labeled gluten free.
I won't say learning to live with this is getting easier, because I don't have to live with it. I do occasionally get to bake *for* it, which is pretty cool because "Baking is science you can eat!" (Questionable Content- Jeph Jacques). However, I do think I can make the statement that things are getting progressively less hard.
If you are ever in NYC, there's an awesome little (and I mean tiny) GF restaurant and bakery that is worth checking out: http://risotteria.com
Anyway, good luck! May you find the humor in every situation, and all the ninja-glutens, too. (Apparently even the labels on clear broths like miso soup need to be read.)
Thank you for the support - and I love Questionable Content! It's good to know that it's at least easier now than it used to be. And if I'm ever in NYC, I will absolutely check out that restaurant.
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