I’ve often said in the 4 months since
I was diagnosed with celiac disease, a severe gluten intolerance, that I have
the least glamorous disease in the world. My symptoms after eating gluten are mostly large intestine related, and that is as specific as I’ll to get with anyone who doesn’t have the disease. Unless of course I’ve had a few drinks, at which time I might try to explain what “
leaky gut” means. I might also accidentally say “bowel” instead of “gut.”
No joke, this is what happened to me last week at a bar. After those words spilled out from my mouth, and after the guy I was interested in responded, “That sounds, um, messy...”
I ran to my bus stop, cursing my stupid disease and my inability to be suave about it.
Luckily guys are more accustomed to talking about gross things than most girls are, and he still asked my friend for my phone number after I ran away in embarrassment. For our date, he researched a restaurant we could walk to after I got off work since I neither drive nor bike. Bonus point number one!
He also took the time to find a celiac safe restaurant for me. Bonus point number two! It was a Vietnamese restaurant, a cuisine I had never tried before but consists mainly of rice and rice noodles. Still, I ended up ordering practically the only thing on the menu that had soy sauce without realizing it.
Soy sauce contains gluten, so I stared at my plate, panicking about what to do with the lovely dinner my date had just bought for me. Bonus point number three: He switched dinners with me!
The last thing I was majorly concerned about is the fact that I can’t kiss a guy who has eaten gluten. I have to either explain this to them before they eat anything, or ask them to vigorously brush their teeth with Crest (not all toothpaste is GF).
For this reason
I am probably one of the only people in the world who would be relieved to hear that their date has mono. He was actually exposed seven weeks ago and was most likely not contagious, but he didn’t want to run the risk of infecting me since I’ve never had the kissing disease before. Bonus point number four!
This scenario turned out ok for me in the end, but overall I am still feeling awkward about explaining celiac disease to my dates.
Do you have any experience navigating both the food allergy world and dating world?
Image Source
Recommend
Comments (27)
Aww, that has to suck. On the plus side it's easier to tell who really likes you.
I can eat anything, and often do. Though that's not necessarily a good thing.
haha. obviously no one drives in bk. but i'm dying to know, what's your problem with the train?
i personally wouldn't find it a problem to date a glutard, though i would probably shoot myself if i was one. (well, with the additional condition that you share your shitting stories, because that's one of my favorite topics of conversation.) i think the overriding issue to me (in your particular case) is living in bk--that's long distance and i don't have it in me to do that, unless *maybe* a girl lived in park slope cause i have a really good friend there who i see pretty frequently.
i really enjoyed this post, by the way--keep it up :)
What a blessing it is that you found out that you have it!! It must be making a huge difference for you...you probably feel better and are gaining weight.. So good.
Sounds like this guy is especially sensitive to you... you don't find those types of guys very often!!!
There is a great website and you can subscribe to a free newsletter..though you may already know about this.. http://www.celiaccentral.org/
Good luck to you... Happy for your luck in finding such a thoughtful guy!!
Christy (RN)
This guy treated you well! That's awesome :)
I used to work at a restaurant and a guest had severe food allergies and asked if it was possible to cook her food on a brand new pan/pot or whatever cookware that is used to prepare the food. the answer was no. we don't have brand new cookware and utensils lying around and one wrong mixture and she'd probably sue because she told us beforehand and someone accidentally did something to cause a severe or deadly allergy attack. I haven't dated someone with food allergies. I don't really like dining out to begin with. I don't have food allergies, but I probably wouldn't be that compatible with a foodie in general. if dating consists mostly of going to restaurants, then I'd be bored with that quickly. some people get excited when their date or s.o. or whoever takes them out to eat, but I kinda dread it lol I'm really not a health nut or on a diet. I eat junk foods sometimes. I just find dining out as an unnecessary expenditure that I could personally do without. smoothies and other sweets, however, are a necessary evil-guilty pleasure
Sorry to hear you have celiac disease, but congratulations on actually being diagnosed. I only say that because I have a family friend with it and she was miserable for a long time and didn't know why. Finally, they figured it out and after diagnosis and going gluten-free, she was like a new woman!
My ex had a mild allergy to tree nuts but that's about my only experience with that sort of thing (fortunately).
Also, your date sounds like a really nice guy!
Finally a good post about a guy...I was beginning to think all guys blogged about on here are monsters.
I'm not a guy but it's refreshing for a change to see that there are good guys out there other than the one that I know.
I love the photo on this post! It sounds like the guy is understanding and considerate, so hopefully a keeper. ;)
Is there such thing as gluten free soy sauce?!
@TheNotoriousGOD@xanga - Oh woops, I forgot to update that I moved back to Portland, OR thus there is no subway ;) Its a pretty easy town to get around in, its just socially awkward if you dont bike since that is the main mode of transportation here for people under 30. Glad you enjoyed the post! I knew guys would be more open about this kinda thing than chicks, haha.
@Guest - @AuCinema@xanga - @vicdaily@xanga - Yes, nice guys DO exist! I do feel like people are more open to talking about the bad parts of relationships because others can commiserate, whereas talking about the good stuff can feel like bragging.
@eugenia@xanga - There is definitely GF soy sauce, but not many establishments opt to use it. At home I prefer to use Bragg's amino acid (but I hear it is horrible with sushi).
maybe this could work out for you if you run into someone else new, but from reading about your dinner date with this guy, I say he's has great potential! wish you luck with him!
Daw your date sounds like quite the gentleman! Plan any future dates?? ;)
@TheNotoriousGOD@xanga - hahahahhaahhhaha glutard..
@RachelR@ireallylikefood - oh, very cool--i had heard that portland was bike friendly, but i didn't realize that it was the standard there. every time i leave the city and see people driving everywhere i'm like...wow you people are fucking losers. an acquaintance of mine from grad school moved to portland after we finished, and a close friend of mine might be shipped out there for like 6 months. i could never ever move back to the west coast, but after hearing what you said, i'm kind of intrigued to go visit portland.
And, I'm uncomfortable with your limiting self-title of 'Celiac Girl". You sell yourself short.. you are SO MUCH MORE than that.
YES YES YES to all of this. I have sensitivities to gluten, dairy, refined sugar, and a ton of other things... it makes eating out virtually impossible, and dating hard.
The last guy I dated was adorable about it, though. At the movies he bought some candy and stopped right before he put a swedish fish in his mouth. "So how allergic ARE you? As in.... as someone going on a date with you, should I NOT be putting this in my mouth right now?"
Major points when they're considerate :)
...Marry him.
Allergic to shellfish, tree nuts and peanuts with shellfish and tree nuts being the sort of allergies that start reactions when the food is in the same room with me. Sensitivities to dairy and gluten but not intolerance. I was a cheap date, literally, because I can't walk into places that serve shellfish without itching. My hubby constantly forgets that he can't eat half the foods I'm allergic to because two or three minutes after he kisses me I start rubbing my eyes and wondering what I ate wrong.
Wow, just what I'd want to do on a first date, discuss your medical issues and dietary intolerance and shitting problems... let's just go bowling and drink iced tea or something =/ ...
I once dated a girl who had food allergies, she was so obsessive about it, took the fun out of everything we did. Even when we went on "non-food" dates.. (want to go for a motorcycle ride?) conversation inevitably turned to her food allergies, I think she wore it like a badge or something.... it got old real fast...
And yes, there are a lot of nice guys out there, but that doesn't equate to being a doormat or a total baggage boy...
As for biking, it's fine, but so is riding in a luxury car or riding a motorcycle. Give me a '67 Camaro any day of the week... you can bike in Portland when it is raining and cold and miserable, which is about 6 months a year...but hey, it's preppytown, what would you expect.
It's been over a year since I've been diagnosed with celiac disease. I don't really think of it as a big issue though. I honestly just avoid eating out. When friends want to do that, I suggest pot lucks (where I can bring my own food), movies, grabbing a coffee, etc. Broke students are rarely intent of spending more money anyway. There are some places that are also really easy to eat if you have celiacs, like sushi restaurants, if you call in advance most have GF soy sauce, or are willing to let you bring your own. I really don't feel the need to discuss my disease with everyone I meet. It comes up eventually, but it seems like most people know what it is these days anyway. I just started my PhD and one of the funny comments I got when another girl found out was "So THAT's why you're always eating rice cakes!" haha. I've been with my boyfriend for years before I was diagnosed, so he already knows that unfortunate stuff since we live together though, so I haven't had to date.
As a side note, definitely excited to check out your GF food blog!
geez, i never thought such condition would lead to such a complicated life.
lol MARRY THAT GUY hahahaha that was amazing!
I love this post.
I can relate to your condition and position!
Also: what a sweet guy!
I can RELATE.
-----stomach transplant anyone?I am not only lactose-intolerant BUT ALSO have IBS...which pretty much rules out enjoying anything except water.