I apologize to the woman I met in Whole Foods today!

August 27, 2010

So, I'm looking at the Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakery products when I woman

comes up to me and says (very sing-songy) " Oh, are you doing gluten-free,

toooo? " Just the way it was said….like it was this most fantastic new diet ever

invented and that I just must try it…. well, I had this gut reaction where I

kind of snapped back " No, I HAVE to do this diet. " After talking back and forth

a minute (during which time I felt the awful realization of how I must have

sounded during our initial greeting), she told me she was being tested for

celiac disease.

All the latest news we are hearing about celebs jumping on the " gluten-free fad

diet, " people going gluten-free to try and lose weight, etc., I think it just

got to me. We don't have a choice. Even after 10 years, I realize that I still

resent this diet a bit because it represents deprivation to me. The deprivation

part is the inconvenience of the g-f diet, the cost of the g-f diet, the social

awkwardness of the g-f diet, etc. Yes, I know I am healthier and should be

grateful I was finally diagnosed after years of ill health. And I know that

there are delicious g-f products we can now buy. And I know that g-f menu items

in restaurants are exploding now. For all of this, I truly am thankful. Just a

momentary feeling of frustration, I think.

Anyway, to the nice woman who was just trying to reach out and communicate with

another person who might be afflicted with the same disease, I apologize!

Sincerely, Sue

August 27, 2010

That's too bad -- I use this excuse to mea culpa something worse I did, something I still feel bad about.

When I was newly diagnosed and hadn't yet found this support group or met anyone who was CD, I saw a woman examining rice-based GF food. I was eager to talk and to learn from a real live CD person. I asked the obvious question, and she answered that she wasn't CD, but was allergic to wheat. I foolishly, dismissively said, "Oh, you just have a wheat allergy." Stupid. Of COURSE a wheat allergy can be serious, deathly serious. She didn't point this out to me; she graciously expressed sympathy for my CD.

Most of us get a turn at doing, saying, things we regret.

Recently a neighbor wrote something in the NYT to the effect that a benefit of old age is the loss of memory -- he's able to forget his past blunders and remember only his shining moments.

We've learned from your experience. You've paid your penance, now. You're absolved.

H.

-----Original Message-----

From: CalicoSue <susan.hersom@...>

< >

Sent: Fri, Aug 27, 2010 12:37 pm

Subject: [ ] I apologize to the woman I met in Whole Foods today!

So, I'm looking at the Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakery products when I woman comes up to me and says (very sing-songy) "Oh, are you doing gluten-free, toooo?" Just the way it was saidÂ….like it was this most fantastic new diet ever invented and that I just must try itÂ…. well, I had this gut reaction where I kind of snapped back "No, I HAVE to do this diet." After talking back and forth a minute (during which time I felt the awful realization of how I must have sounded during our initial greeting), she told me she was being tested for celiac disease.

All the latest news we are hearing about celebs jumping on the "gluten-free fad diet," people going gluten-free to try and lose weight, etc., I think it just got to me. We don't have a choice. Even after 10 years, I realize that I still resent this diet a bit because it represents deprivation to me. The deprivation part is the inconvenience of the g-f diet, the cost of the g-f diet, the social awkwardness of the g-f diet, etc. Yes, I know I am healthier and should be grateful I was finally diagnosed after years of ill health. And I know that there are delicious g-f products we can now buy. And I know that g-f menu items in restaurants are exploding now. For all of this, I truly am thankful. Just a momentary feeling of frustration, I think.

Anyway, to the nice woman who was just trying to reach out and communicate with another person who might be afflicted with the same disease, I apologize!

Sincerely, Sue

August 27, 2010

If truth be told, it is usually me that approaches someone looking at

gluten-free food in a store or ordering a gluten-free meal in a restaurant. I

like to talk with people who I might have something in common with and maybe

learn a thing or two. We were even in a restaurant in Naples, Italy where I

overheard people at the next table order gluten-free menu items – yup, I went

over there to talk with them. Their little girl had CD, and they spoke pretty

good English! My husband tells me he could never approach a stranger. I don't

think of people who are eating gluten-free as strangers – I think of them as we

are all in this together and can learn from one another.

Thanks for the absolution of my momentary lapse of judgment! :)(Happy Face!)

Sue

>

> That's too bad -- I use this excuse to mea culpa something worse I did,

something I still feel bad about.

>

> When I was newly diagnosed and hadn't yet found this support group or met

anyone who was CD, I saw a woman examining rice-based GF food. I was eager to

talk and to learn from a real live CD person. I asked the obvious question, and

she answered that she wasn't CD, but was allergic to wheat. I foolishly,

dismissively said, " Oh, you just have a wheat allergy. " Stupid. Of COURSE a

wheat allergy can be serious, deathly serious. She didn't point this out to me;

she graciously expressed sympathy for my CD.

>

> Most of us get a turn at doing, saying, things we regret.

>

> Recently a neighbor wrote something in the NYT to the effect that a benefit of

old age is the loss of memory -- he's able to forget his past blunders and

remember only his shining moments.

>

> We've learned from your experience. You've paid your penance, now. You're

absolved.

>

> H.

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: CalicoSue <susan.hersom@...>

> < >

> Sent: Fri, Aug 27, 2010 12:37 pm

> Subject: [ ] I apologize to the woman I met in Whole Foods today!

>

> So, I'm looking at the Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakery products when I woman

comes up to me and says (very sing-songy) " Oh, are you doing gluten-free,

toooo? " Just the way it was saidÂ….like it was this most fantastic new diet

ever invented and that I just must try itÂ…. well, I had this gut reaction where

I kind of snapped back " No, I HAVE to do this diet. " After talking back and

forth a minute (during which time I felt the awful realization of how I must

have sounded during our initial greeting), she told me she was being tested for

celiac disease.

>

> All the latest news we are hearing about celebs jumping on the " gluten-free

fad diet, " people going gluten-free to try and lose weight, etc., I think it

just got to me. We don't have a choice. Even after 10 years, I realize that I

still resent this diet a bit because it represents deprivation to me. The

deprivation part is the inconvenience of the g-f diet, the cost of the g-f diet,

the social awkwardness of the g-f diet, etc. Yes, I know I am healthier and

should be grateful I was finally diagnosed after years of ill health. And I

know that there are delicious g-f products we can now buy. And I know that g-f

menu items in restaurants are exploding now. For all of this, I truly am

thankful. Just a momentary feeling of frustration, I think.

>

> Anyway, to the nice woman who was just trying to reach out and communicate

with another person who might be afflicted with the same disease, I apologize!

>

> Sincerely, Sue

>

August 28, 2010

I can definitely understand how it can be frustrating for people who *have* to

eat GF when there are people who chose it because it's a fad. But the more

people who get into the " GF thing, " the better it is for everyone on the

continuum. I'm not celiac, but since learning about my sensitivity to wheat, not

only do I feel better, but I've learned a lot! I was one of those uneducated

people who thought celiacs could eat a trace of wheat or flour and be ok. Since

joining this group I know that's not true, and I can tell people about it and

more and more people learn the truth as a result.

Kathy

> >

> > That's too bad -- I use this excuse to mea culpa something worse I did,

something I still feel bad about.

> >

> > When I was newly diagnosed and hadn't yet found this support group or met

anyone who was CD, I saw a woman examining rice-based GF food. I was eager to

talk and to learn from a real live CD person. I asked the obvious question, and

she answered that she wasn't CD, but was allergic to wheat. I foolishly,

dismissively said, " Oh, you just have a wheat allergy. " Stupid. Of COURSE a

wheat allergy can be serious, deathly serious. She didn't point this out to me;

she graciously expressed sympathy for my CD.

> >

> > Most of us get a turn at doing, saying, things we regret.

> >

> > Recently a neighbor wrote something in the NYT to the effect that a benefit

of old age is the loss of memory -- he's able to forget his past blunders and

remember only his shining moments.

> >

> > We've learned from your experience. You've paid your penance, now. You're

absolved.

> >

> > H.

> >

> > -----Original Message-----

> > From: CalicoSue <susan.hersom@>

> > < >

> > Sent: Fri, Aug 27, 2010 12:37 pm

> > Subject: [ ] I apologize to the woman I met in Whole Foods

today!

> >

> > So, I'm looking at the Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakery products when I woman

comes up to me and says (very sing-songy) " Oh, are you doing gluten-free,

toooo? " Just the way it was saidÂ….like it was this most fantastic new diet

ever invented and that I just must try itÂ…. well, I had this gut reaction where

I kind of snapped back " No, I HAVE to do this diet. " After talking back and

forth a minute (during which time I felt the awful realization of how I must

have sounded during our initial greeting), she told me she was being tested for

celiac disease.

> >

> > All the latest news we are hearing about celebs jumping on the " gluten-free