Ok...so I just need to know from the masses, am I just hyper aware of what has wheat in it because of my disease or are people just incredibly UNknowledgable about life? A few people I work with found it rather odd that I couldn't eat their pasta with them. They couldn't figure out what it was I couldn't eat! Totally shocked I went to somebody else and point blank asked them, "knowing my disease, if we were to eat mac n cheese, what couldn't I eat?" they didn't know either. so I made it easier.. "ok it's the pasta. why can't I eat the pasta ?" "I don't know, but I'm guessing it has wheat in it since you're asking?" "what is pasta made out of?" "ummm, I don't know. Never watched them make it." "fine, what is anything bready my out of? what is FLOUR made out of?" "I have no idea. but I guess i make bread out of wheat flour... wait, so you can't eat bread?" *bottom jaw thumps my big toe" NO! NO, I CAN'T EAT BREAD!
What really gets me is the general consensus that I am a vegan instead. I tell them I can't eat wheat, they automatically assume I won't eat dairy or eggs. For instance, we had grill cheese sandwiches and one of the servers said, "would you like a sandwich? oh wait, you can't eat the cheese. we have some vegan in the back, let me go get one." and here Stephanie goes into a 30 minute speal about WHEAT! WHEAT WHEAT WHEAT WHEAT!!!! BREEEEEAD!
I am willing to say that I am wrong. maybe people really don't know these things. But I swear I knew this before I even turned five. I honestly do not mean to offend by this blog, I just don't understand. If this is really the way the world thinks, I concede, please tell me how horrible I'm being.
5 comments:
Don't worry, you're so not overreacting! I go through the same thing with my Crohn's disease. It never ceases to amaze me the ridiculous questions people ask.
I think this is a problem for anyone with a disease that affects food and eating or with an allergy to anything... but I think that in general people don't think about what they are eating... its like a don't ask don't tell policy. If they did think about it - who could go buy a BigMac or eat triple fudge double fat chocolate butterfinger cheesecake? I think this is how most people who eat meat are not bothered by books or facts about what really is in that stuff because they just don't want to think about it. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, we grew up in a house that pays close attention to the contents of every food item. And the fact that we know what is in things and how to make them makes you able to make delectable no-wheat veggie burgers because you can figure how to make things taste good!
I agree Jaclyn. And people don't bother to learn anything any more so are ignorant about simple things.
This reminds me of something that happened to Grant. He and some friends went into a Subway and ordered several veggie sandwiches.
After making the 5th sandwich the guy says. "Are you guys vegetarian?" When they said yes he says. "Man, what do you eat?" Of course they said, "you just fixed it dude".
Grant's Subway experience is great. And it reminds me of company we had this past weekend and the little 9 yr old girl is trying to avoid wheat per her doctor's orders - otherwise she may develop Celiac's he said, from the reaction she now has to wheat. So I noticed she ate some chocolate cake left over from Ryan's wedding. And the next day when her mom is saying she can't eat something on the table (I forget now what it was) I told her mom that she'd had chocolate cake the day before. The mom said, "it doesn't have wheat in it." She went on to explain that since it wasn't whole wheat in the cake, she thought it would be ok for her daughter to have the cake...
my boyfriend's mother has Caeliac's Disease. i used to spend more time at their house than my own (not so much anymore because Joe now has his own house), so i got really used to the 4-slotted toaster with "GF (gluten-free) ONLY!" written all over two of the slots with black Sharpie =) she has a company or two from which she orders GF doughnuts, bread, etc., which she is absolutely addicted to, and if she runs out before her new order arrives, there is much weeping and gnashing of teeth lol she and i were wondering if Joe has it as well, but i've figured out that it's basically just really greasy stuff that will give him a stomach ache... not unlike how i used to be. but since knowing her and shopping with her, i've really had my eyes opened to how many products out there ARE being made gluten-free and how more stores, such as Wal*Mart, are being much more conscious about labeling which of their items ARE gf. i'm sure that it doesn't make a whole lot of things any easier on you, but i'm glad to see that some people are trying to at least make life more palatable!! =) miss you and hope you're doing well!
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