Re: Fed up with being treated like I have am a picky eater!

[Guest guest]

I feel you, Peggy.

My sister (who has a dairy ALLERGY –

as in breaks out in hives, can’t breathe) and I kvetch about this all the

time. “Oh, she doesn’t like dairy” “Oh, she doesn’t

eat wheat.”

No, you fucking moron! I get SICK if I

eat it!

It’s NOT like vegetarianism, which

is a CHOICE. If your food touches a burger you will not get sick. In fact, if

you don’t KNOW there are animal products in it NOTHING will happen to

you.

Me, on the other hand? I get VIOLENTLY

ill for DAYS, then am still moderately ill for three weeks!

Idiots!

(Just thought I’d rant with you…)

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of daynurse1

Sent: Saturday, June 05, 2010

11:14 PM

Subject: [ ] Fed up

with being treated like I have am a picky eater!

Hi all,

I want to rant.

I am sick and tired of being treated like I am a picky eater and what I am

dealing with is inconsequential.

I do a lot of charity work. Today I was chair of an event, a pancake breakfast.

I was assigned this job by our board chair,

a doctor, who knew I have Celiac Disease. When she assigned this, I protested

that I couldn't eat the food. She assured me that there would be food from the

regular menu (it was at a restaurant) that I could order. She even changed the

wording on the

poster to say " full breakfast " instead of pancake breakfast.

Since I had to be there for several hours this early am, I ordered eggs and

potatoes. The owner of the restaurant

brought me my order without any problem. I knew other people with Celiac

Disease would be attending but

apparently this became a problem because the owner began to tell people they

could only order the pancake meal.

She had planned a specific breakfast for the people who

were attending the benefit event. Two kinds of pancakes and french toast. One

person with a wheat intolerance complained to me. She had been served a huge

pancake, a very tiny scrambled egg and a sausage (she's a vegetarian).

She ate the egg but looked glum. I mentioned this to the doctor who had planned

this event in the first place and

she became very angry with me. She said I had no right to come to a

" pancake breakfast " and expect to

be served something else. That she had once been a vegetarian and she hadn't

expected a " special meal " to

be prepared for her.

I repeated again that I have Celiac Disease and she became more angry, telling

me I was insulting the owner

of the restaurant who was donating all of the proceeds from the event to our

charity.

Later she told me she was going to talk with the owner and apologize for my

behavior!!! As if I was misbehaving!!

I had not mentioned any of this to the owner at all. She was apologizing

because I had ordered off the main menu.

It was degrading.

I am so upset and angry that a medical professional displays no knowledge of

Celiac Disease. I cannot believe

she would have insisted I eat donuts if I were a diabetic or drink wine if I

were an alcoholic but, somehow, Celiac

disease is treated like a food fetish.

I just had to say this. There must be others on this discussion list with

similar experiences. I know that only

by educating the public and the medical profession can we go past this but, in

the meantime, it hurts.

Thank you for reading this.

Peggy

[Guest guest]

>

> I feel you, Peggy.

Me too.

> It's NOT like vegetarianism, which is a CHOICE.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for saying this! I have been saying this for

years, and have gotten a lot of flak for it, even from family members. As if I

don't _want_ to eat pizza or donuts or Challah bread!

Lori

[Guest guest]

I totally understand people can be so judgmental and dont get it! it took me

getting quite ill during a dinner with some family recently after being glutened

for them to get it. kc

>

> Hi all,

>

> I want to rant.

>

> I am sick and tired of being treated like I am a picky eater and what I am

dealing with is inconsequential.

>

> I do a lot of charity work. Today I was chair of an event, a pancake

breakfast. I was assigned this job by our board chair,

> a doctor, who knew I have Celiac Disease. When she assigned this, I protested

that I couldn't eat the food. She assured me that there would be food from the

regular menu (it was at a restaurant) that I could order. She even changed the

wording on the

> poster to say " full breakfast " instead of pancake breakfast.

>

> Since I had to be there for several hours this early am, I ordered eggs and

potatoes. The owner of the restaurant

> brought me my order without any problem. I knew other people with Celiac

Disease would be attending but

> apparently this became a problem because the owner began to tell people they

could only order the pancake meal.

> She had planned a specific breakfast for the people who

> were attending the benefit event. Two kinds of pancakes and french toast. One

person with a wheat intolerance complained to me. She had been served a huge

pancake, a very tiny scrambled egg and a sausage (she's a vegetarian).

>

> She ate the egg but looked glum. I mentioned this to the doctor who had

planned this event in the first place and

> she became very angry with me. She said I had no right to come to a " pancake

breakfast " and expect to

> be served something else. That she had once been a vegetarian and she hadn't

expected a " special meal " to

> be prepared for her.

>

> I repeated again that I have Celiac Disease and she became more angry, telling

me I was insulting the owner

> of the restaurant who was donating all of the proceeds from the event to our

charity.

>

> Later she told me she was going to talk with the owner and apologize for my

behavior!!! As if I was misbehaving!!

> I had not mentioned any of this to the owner at all. She was apologizing

because I had ordered off the main menu.

> It was degrading.

>

> I am so upset and angry that a medical professional displays no knowledge of

Celiac Disease. I cannot believe

> she would have insisted I eat donuts if I were a diabetic or drink wine if I

were an alcoholic but, somehow, Celiac

> disease is treated like a food fetish.

>

> I just had to say this. There must be others on this discussion list with

similar experiences. I know that only

> by educating the public and the medical profession can we go past this but, in

the meantime, it hurts.

>

> Thank you for reading this.

> Peggy

>

[Guest guest]

Whoa...

Calm...

Breathe.

Remember where we are and who we are with.

EVERYBODY on this list understands how it is to have

special needs while eating in the modern world. And

I know nobody is bashing anyone else.

I brought up the word (vegetarian) because the doctor had used

it in her example about why I shouldn't expect

a special plate. I am a vegetarian.

The person who thought her problems might be worsened

was not bashing. She was just exploring her inner feelings.

We need to respect her and not call her to task for what

was a fairly innocuous relevation of her thoughts.

Let's keep giving each other the benefit of the doubt.

Many thank yous to all who responded, both publically and

privately. It HELPED!

Fondly,

Peggy