If you know me, you probably know that dining out is probably the most stressful situation you could put me in.
Actually, eating at home is stressful.
Scratch that, eating is stressful.
May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month, and if you don't know what Celiac Disease is, that is totally okay. I didn't fully understand it at first, so let me give you the low-down on this super fun autoimmune condition.
Celiac Disease is a genetic disorder that affects 1 in 100 people, where the villi in your small intestine basically flatten when you ingest gluten (wheat, barley, rye, or any derivatives.) This can lead to a whole list of health problems, and the list is different for almost everyone with Celiac Disease. Some common symptoms include GI issues, brain fog, bloating, fatigue, nausea, anxiety, malnutrition, anemia, and stunted growth. This list is totally not inclusive; there are tons of symptoms that people don't even know are because of this condition until they start treatment. What is the treatment for this disease, you may ask?
Going gluten-free for the rest of your life.
This doesn't mean "just pick the croutons off your salad" or "you can put your gluten-free bread in the regular toaster." This means you have to carefully make sure that every single meal you eat for the rest of your life is safe and sans gluten.
This doesn't seem like such a big deal, but when you're getting food with friends, or going on a date with your significant other, or you're at Thanksgiving dinner with your aunt who doesn't know what gluten is and puts the stuffing fork in every other bowl of food, it's not so easy.
You have to constantly be an advocate for yourself.
You don't get to just order food from a restaurant, you have to now be that person that always asks where the food is made and if the chef can change their gloves and sanitize the cooking area if there isn't already a dedicated area (spoiler alert, there usually isn't).
This is sometimes incredibly uncomfortable, especially if you're not used to asking for special accommodations. It's almost always awkward to be in this position, so you learn to adapt in ways like sitting at the end of the table so you can speak quietly to the waiter/waitress about what they put in the house salad, or if they can prepare your meal on a clean surface away from all the flour in the kitchen.
Gluten is sneaky and pops up in things you wouldn't think of, like Twizzlers, tea bags, and soy sauce. I mean, WHY does there have to be wheat in those?
Sometimes, you just want to give it up and go back to life before where you didn't have to be the annoying restaurant patron and could grab a meal anywhere you wanted. The life you had before you had to read each and every ingredient on every single thing you pick up at the grocery store.
Sometimes it feels like people don't think the pain you feel after ingesting something you're not supposed to eat isn't legitimate, and it makes you want to push through just so you don't disappoint your friends and family.
It's extremely tempting, but then you remember that before you started eating foods that didn't hurt your body, you didn't want to eat anything. Food was not enjoyable, and you ate foods with the knowledge that you were going to suffer afterward but you didn't know why.
I never expect anyone to automatically know how to cater to my dietary needs, and I try to explain why I need to be careful about what I put in my body.
Honestly, the long-term consequences of continuing to eat gluten with Celiac Disease are scary.
Things like osteoporosis, diabetes, infertility, MS, cancer, and other issues are possible if you ignore your health. It is not guaranteed that everyone with Celiac Disease will acquire these issues, but the possibility is sometimes overwhelming.
I have been truly blessed enough to have had the most supportive network possible. My immediate family, significant other, and groups online have done nothing but help me find alternatives for foods I can't have anymore and listen to me complain when I do have a reaction (it's not all too fun for them, but they do it anyway.) I will never stop appreciating all that they do for me, and I hope that I support them in all the other ways that I can.
Having Celiac Disease isn't the end of the world.
It has been an opportunity for me to try a plethora of new foods that I would never have wanted had I been able to eat the gluten-filled option instead. I think everything happens for a reason, and as much as I would love to be able to grab a slice on the way to class or have a gyro from that new place on the corner, I'm just as happy to be healthy and feeling good eating my GF pizza.
