Readers Respond: What People Shouldn't Say To Someone Who Can't Eat Gluten

Most of us have had people say insensitive, ridiculous or even incredible things to us about our celiac disease or gluten sensitivity diagnoses, or about the gluten-free diet we need to follow to treat our conditions.

Has someone said something to you that you considered completely over the top? How did you respond (well, once you picked your jaw back up from the floor)? Share your story!

What I say...

"Ok I'll eat/drink that. That is if you want me to have diarrhea all over the place!" Usually they stop trying...

—Guest Jessica

High Maintenance

I traveled home to the Maritimes for Christmas. It would be my first trip home since my Celiac diagnosis. Living in Ontario, its much more commonly known here. People down home have NO clue what Celiac Disease is. Doesn't mean they don't have it... Just that they don't know about it. Anyway I was in Nova Scotia visiting with my Aunt and my best friend came over with his boyfriend and planned a huge meal for us, complete with gluten free choices. They were preparing the meal and I must have asked one too many questions (Is that dish scrubbed? Will those meats be on the same tray as those crackers? Have you scrubbed that knife well?) And he said something along the lines of, "Miss fussy pants...." And, "high maintenance." This wasn't my choice. The same way one doesn't choose their sexual orientation.... I did NOT choose to have Celiac Disease. But I have it and I understand it and I know how careful I need to be. So after having returned from leaving the room to cry discretely and

—Guest Jen

"You can eat this. It's fine!"

I hear this all the time from my not-very-allergen/celiac-educated friends and family members, as they wave something that they assume is gluten free in my face... but is not. For example, I often hear, "This is gluten free" as they shove a soy-sauced based dish onto my plate or hand me a granola bar. The best response I've learned after all these years is to simply say, "Sorry. I only eat one-ingredient foods unless I prepare them myself."

—Tonya Lee

I have heard all of this before.

This is a real disease and gluten is the boogey man for all of us folks with Celiac disease. We are not part of a fad. We are no longer part of a gluten status quo. Please, we don't like getting sick. We are not the enemy---we can still break bread with you albeit in a different way. Love us for the HUMANS we are.

—Guest Claudia

My response to snarky comments

I say 'if I eat a trace of gluten, I **** myself wrong side out.' And smile when I say it. There are usually no more snarky comments about my GF diet. LOL

—Guest Donnie

my dil has an answer

My daughter in law and I both are gluten free because it's necessary for our health. She was once asked if she could eat just a little bit of gluten. She managed to just say "no" while thinking to herself, "Can I poke you in the eye just a little bit?"

—Guest diane

Overweight

I thought people who have celiac decease are thin you are ......not that you're fat but.......

—Guest KV

Hmmm..

Education goes a long way on both sides of the conversation. Family members should have the faith that it requires to understand another ailing family member. And over time, it becomes more than just food. Thinking that they will one day 'get it', is nice to keep telling ourselves, but it is my experience that they will never truly understand - unless they become afflicted themselves. My hope is that you all find your strength. It is like we are the aliens that should never ever tell, because then we have revealed a weakness. I feel your pain, and depression. Good luck to you all.

—Guest Doug