Whining and Moaning: What to Do when You can't eat out

[Guest guest]

Hi... me again. My office is having this " retreat " . A cheapie " retreat " where

we're going to a book store... then they're holding meetings at a bookstore and

two restaurants: Panera Bread and Dairy Queen. They know I have dietary

restrictions with Bread and Dairy, but seemed to go out of their way to choose

places they knew I couldn't eat at. (There's only six of us in the office).

Unfortunately, I have to go to the " retreat " anyway. I called ahead to Panera

Bread to see if there's anything I could possibly eat. Unfortunately, everything

contains sugars (including the salad dressings) and bread (gluten galore.)

I'm still at stage one of the diet -- (no raw veggies even)... so salads are

out. I called ahead to get the menu, from the manager -- who (my luck!) is also

on a restricted diet without starches, soy, sugars, dairy, etc; ..but not SCD.

Unfortunately all have sugar in them -- even the salad dressings. Luckily, I can

bring in my own meals to the restaurant.

The thing is, I feel like I should say something about this whole " retreat " .

Again, I'm having to pay money out of my own pocket to participate in something

(first the pizza party --where I couldn't eat the pizza) and now the " retreat "

with the food.

I want to confront my manager, I know how she is, and she'll put up a big stink

about it. My coworker said they knew about my dietary restrictions (including

not being able to eat gluten.) But, I don't feel it's right to have to

mandatorily attend an event I was specifically excluded from?

What should I do?