What “Getting Glutened” looks like

There’s all this chatter about people and their food allergies and sensitivities online these days. 

 

Team No Hearts

“I or my child doesn’t have issues with X so don’t make us suffer with you  #CupcakesForLife”

Team Compassion

“Let’s support these people who have issues with X because their lives are hard enough”

I get it because I live as though I have Celiac though not technically diagnosed. I’m one of those assholes.

Many of these written pieces will say “I’m not talking about those with real allergies, but those with sensitivities or intolerances.” You know, because they matter less.

Maybe those people don’t realize that people can be suffering from other health concerns that cause the sensitivities and intolerances. For myself, I have a thyroid auto immune disease.  I may also have Celiac.  Add those 2 together and it’s a digestive nightmare. Auto immune diseases of all kinds tend to really destroy your digestive system and lend themselves to food intolerances overnight. It’s as fun as it sounds.

I don’t need your sympathy.  Or your gluten filled cupcakes.

I need you to not be an asshole.

Are there people out there over dramatizing their issues?  Maybe, and for those of us that suffer, we know they’re not helping the cause as a whole.

The recent/current gluten free craze is one that really gets people’s eyes rolling.

 

“Oh, you get a little bloated when you eat gluten, poor you.”

before after gluten

Did I eat a Jimmy Johns?  Some delicious pizza?  Garlic cheese bread?

No.

I ate maybe a half cup of chocolate ice cream before I felt wrong and ran to container to see that it had gluten in it.

It was my bad for not checking the label and I won’t make that mistake again but THAT is what my “little bloating” looks like and it turns into a digestive nightmare for me for about 2-4 weeks until it’s out of my system.   (Fun fyi, gluten can take up to 6 months to totally leave your system)

It also affects me cognitively.  My brain feels like my brain is split into two halves and thoughts on one side cannot cross the bridge to the other side to be completed.  I can’t think of words and cannot process information.  I get overwhelmed with anything over one step.  I have to think it’s a lot like dementia in older people.

That glutened episode made me gain 10 lbs in 3 weeks.  How?  When my digestive system is that inflamed, my thyroid medications are unable to be absorbed and I’m dealing with those symptoms as well.

To say I’m miserable would be an understatement.

It took one month for my body to get back on track from one accidental exposure.

So when I say I can’t have gluten, I mean it.  Don’t worry, I don’t expect any accommodations from you, I can take care of myself.

Just don’t be an asshole and if you can keep your eyes from rolling, that would be nice too.