What to Expect When Your Relative Has Celiac Disease
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My mom has Celiac Disease. It’s been an adjustment for the entire family. I don’t live by most of my family, so I get to have my mom come visit. That provides even greater opportunities for adjustments. There are some things I’ve learned and come to expect. For any just starting on this journey, I’ll share some of what I’ve learned.
Don’t be offended if your family member/friend brings their own food. Think of it this way: If you were hosting an intergalactic guest, you wouldn’t be offended if they brought their own air. You wouldn’t say, “What?! My air isn’t good enough for you?” To them, your air is poison. For someone with Celiac Disease, your food is poison. You probably don’t want to poison them, so be understanding of their need to pack their own food.
Someone with Celiac Disease may not trust your food preparation. For many celiac sufferers, cross-contamination is a big concern. Even gluten-free foods can become a problem if they come in contact with gluten, be it from a food or just a food preparation surface. That’s why food packaging lists if the food was prepared in a plant that also processes wheat. They need to know if there’s even a chance something could have gotten in there. Don’t feel bad if they’re nervous about what your counters might hold. They’re just trying to protect their health.
Rinsing dishes and silverware at your house is not an indication that they find your dishwashing insufficient. My mom rinses everything she uses at my house. I rinse everything when I’m cooking for her and I rinse the dishes she’ll be using to eat. I use wheat flour in my kitchen. That dust probably settles on everything. We all feel safer when things are rinsed as a precautionary measure.
They may tire easily. My mom has been diagnosed for almost two years. She has been diligent about her diet and treating her celiac appropriately. She still has to be careful not to overdo it. Be understanding when they just can’t do all that they used to. Hope that, as they take care of themselves, they will return to what they could previously do. Understand that it may be a long road.
If you find a treat they previously enjoyed that is in a gluten-free form, surprise them with it! Making such extreme dietary changes and giving up foods they love is tough. Finding new gluten-free treats is a happy thing, especially if they’re also working to gain back weight they lost while their body wasn’t absorbing nutrients.
There are more things to add, I’m sure. In fact, if you have other things you’d like to share, please do. I’d love to hear other tips and bits of wisdom. I’m the type that likes to know what to expect.
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