I often get asked “Is it hard living with Coeliac Disease?” “It must be really difficult, what do you eat!?” Well that completely depends on when you ask that question. In the comfort of my own home, no I barely give it a second thought. If I’m in territory unknown… well that can be an entirely different story.
Coeliac Disease is a medical condition where our immune system cannot differentiate between foreign invaders & our body’s healthy tissues. When Coeliacs consume gluten our bodies create autoantibodies that attack & destroy healthy tissue in our intestines. It is, however, a manageable condition where we have to adhere to a very strict gluten free diet. Which can make eating out rather challenging.
Rule number one is always go prepared. For this trip I wasn’t.
After a 3+hr drive arriving into Dunedin with multiple road closures throughout the city centre, I’m bursting for a wee trying to find a car parking space. Stress levels are starting to rise, but after I find a spot & finally relieve my bladder I discover I’m starving. Unfortunately I’ve failed to pack my trusty little chilly bin which I take every time I head off on a roadie. It’s normally full of simple snacks, as it’s not easy just to grab something with this condition. I head to the safety of supermarket for an emergency snack of crisps, ham & rice crackers.
“Let’s meet for a drink”. I eventually meet up with the other half, which is the the whole reason I’ve come to Dunedin. The selected meeting point is packed as it’s having a launch party with a very loud rock band. The place is heaving & the band sound amazing! We’ve not seen a decent live band for ages! The vibe of the venue is charged, bursting with people laughing & drinking & having a really good time. Had we been meeting for a fun night out it would have been a entirely different story.
“Where we going for dinner?” This is where I totally failed, as I should have planned ahead. I should have known exactly where we were going & booked a table in advance. I always do as spontaneity doesn’t usually pay off. It would be easy to stay were we are, so I grabbed a menu off the bar. Whilst there were several GF options available, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe for us to eat. There’s always a risk of cross contamination if the restaurants are not fully aware of the dangers this causes. The reviews I found online, from Coeliacs, sadly didn’t give many good ratings.
We both get out our phones & start trawling online for any recommendations nearby. There is a GF app which I often use in the city to get advice from follow coeliacs.
I’m suddenly aware that we look like that couple who’s having a miserable time looking at phones & not talking to each other. I often see this in cafes & restaurants & think why bother going out if you’re just going to trawl through social media & ignore one another.
I’m very conscious that everyone around us is having a fun time laughing & joking & I’m frantically looking for somewhere to eat. It shouldn’t be this hard! The music is loud, I can’t concentrate & I’m looking like my phone is more important to me than enjoying conversing with my other half sat across the table from me.
What’s nearby? Sometime it’s just about eating what’s available rather than what you feel like eating. I didn’t feel like burger & chips but Joes Garage was within walking distance & time was pushing on & we’re both tired & we’ve eaten in there several times before.
We arrive at the destination & it’s closed for a private function! Arrrrrgggghhhhhh!! Disaster!
It’s cold, its dark, it’s starting to get late & we need to find somewhere to eat. If you don’t have this condition (or another restrictive dietary condition), then you may not understand. It can be very stressful & the dark cloud that looms above is “will this be the time I get poisoned if I make a hasty decision?” I’m actually terrified of being fully ‘glutened’ as it’s not happened since my diagnosis almost 3yrs ago.
Once again I get out my phone. It’s Friday night, the town is thriving with people enjoying themselves & I’m starting to panic that I’ll end up with rice crackers & hummus from New World.
Food is important to both of us, we love cooking, we love eating & I’m very much out of my comfort zone when I don’t have choices or I didn’t prepare well in advance.
I walk into a Thai place to ask a staff member “can you cater for coeliac” but she’s disappeared into the back & doesn’t return. I walk out feeling very deflated. I’m trying not to show my internal stress levels starting to peak. This doesn’t just involve me. My condition is making the night a disaster for someone else.
We decide to head back to the car, Lew had eaten somewhere the previous night & said he’d seen a sign that they could cater for Coeliacs. I’m trying to call them repeatedly (during peak service time ) & of course they don’t pick up. The reality of the situation is we can’t prepare any food where we are staying. I NEED TO EAT.
F**k you coeliac disease – you make this incredibly hard sometimes!!
As we’re walking back to the car we spot Ombrellos. I pop in & ask “can the kitchen cater for coeliac disease?” “We can’t 100% guarantee but we have a gluten free fryer”. Music to my ears when the say GF fryer – it means they’ve actually thought about it. The lovely young girl points to what is GF on the menu. I order a chicken burger without the bun as GF bread is well just crap really.
The meals arrive & there’s a big fat gluten filled bun on the chicken burger. I ask if this is the gluten free version as I asked for no bun? It’s not actually our order at all, but the table beside. We hand over the plates to the couple beside us (including our cutlery) & tell them to enjoy. This does nothing for my confidence. I’m nervous anyway & this has only heightened my anxiety. Have they passed on the right information to the kitchen?? Am I going to be ill? What will the reaction be? As I’ve never been fully poisoned before, internally I’m starting to panic.
I feel paranoid throughout the entire meal. I have serious doubt that something has been contaminated. I don’t relax.
The food was quite good, but I didn’t enjoy any of it due to the fearfulness that somehow a trace of gluten had made it’s way on to my plate.
I needn’t have worried, I was fine. No reaction, no sickness, just a whole load of paranoia.
Is it hard to live with Coeliac Disease? Usually no. When I’m in the safety of my own kitchen, or I’ve planned in advance, it doesn’t even cross my mind. But when I’m somewhere that’s unfamiliar & options are limited, then yes it can actually be quite hard.
No recipe this time -sorry – just a rant!
I'm Not Awkward I'm a Coeliac 