So…it seems some people weren’t too enamored with my “What are Some of the Things you Love About Celiac Disease?” blog post last week.
For the record…no, I don’t love celiac disease. What’s the opposite word of love again? Time to whip out the thesaurus.
Despise. Dislike. Hate.
Yeah…that’s more like it.
Anyway, the point of my post was to find the silver lining in our disease; to point out some of the positives from having this disease; to show those who are struggling that it’s not all bad; to boldly go where no man has gone before.
I knew it was a stretch, but hey I got some amazing answers and was able to put together a rockin’ article for Simply Gluten Free magazine.
All is good…or so I thought.
Well…a few very popular gluten-free companies shared my blog post on their Facebook pages and a lot of the feedback wasn’t pretty. Actually, it was…
thesaurus time
…ugly, repulsive and unattractive. Naturally, I did NOT want to respond to any of the comments on their Facebook pages and cause a to-do.
But who am I to let a good opportunity pass me by? Let me take a few of the zingers and respond accordingly now.
Sad Sally said: His original post was aimed at his “wonderful sarcastic community” so he wanted sarcastic answers.
Gluten Dude says: I LOVE my wonderful sarcastic community…but no, I was looking for real answers.
Nancy Negative said: This is stupid. There is nothing to “love” about Celiac disease.
Gluten Dude says: C’mon now…don’t just read the headline and call something stupid. Read the article. Open your mind a bit.
Polly Pessimist said: You are using Tony the Tiger from Kelloggs Corn Flakes! They are NOT gluten free!
Gluten Dude says: Oh…please. If people will eat them because of my picture, that’s on them, not me.
David Downer said: I hate having Celiacs disease! There is nothing great about it! What a strange question!
Gluten Dude says: Not a strange question at all. Trying to find light within the darkness is what life is all about.
Angry Alice said: That whole post is strange. It is posts and people like this that diminish the seriousness of our illness which in turn causes US health and contamination issues.
Gluten Dude says: I diminish the seriousness of our disease? Moi?? Why…because I don’t bitch about it incessantly? Lordy.
Harriet Humorless said: To Mr. Gluten Dude, I love all the comments I get about having Celiac Disease! I just love getting annoyed!
Gluten Dude says: Getting annoyed is a choice you make. Don’t blame it on the disease.
Dark Side Diane said: Are Tony Tiger products Gluten Free and we never knew it? This whole thing is strange.
Gluten Dude says: Am I missing something here? Did anybody here really think I was promoting Frosted Flakes as gluten-free?
Cranky Christopher said: Is this a dam joke or what?
Gluten Dude says: No…I was really trying to get people to think outside the box a bit. (I also had a deadline to meet for the article.)
Peter Petulant said: The person who posted this question is Mentally Ill!!!
Gluten Dude says: No…I am not crazy (nor do I like you using the term “mentally ill”…at all!) You want crazy? This is a bit crazy:
Me? I’m just a guy trying to make the best of his life living with this crappy disease.
Perhaps you should join me on this journey. Like Mikey and Life cereal, you just might like it.
Dude
Looks like you opened another can of beans by the campfire … Is schnitzengruben really free of gluten?!?
A few Hubbard quotes may be appropriate here:
“Don’t take life too seriously. You’ll never get out of it alive.”
“Do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing, and you’ll never be criticized.”
“Never explain – your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway.” — Elbert Hubbard
———————————-
“…Who wears the pants.
I’m smoother than ginseng.
I’ll teach you attitude.
An act that’s so convincing,
They’ll think you’re a dude.”
— “Keep ’em Guessing” by Mushu/Eddie Murphy/Disney animated film Mulan
Nicely done Hap. Took me a minute to get the “beans by the campfire” reference 🙂
They think there is something wrong with us? For finding positives in a difficult situation?
I feel sad for them. I sure don’t want to be walking around in those shoes the rest of my life.
Heavy shoes indeed…
“Haters gonna hate hate hate” *said in my best sing song voice. Let ’em hate. You keep preaching it boy. We need more awareness of this stuff. This is a SERIOUS disease, not a fad. And you are right, there’s always a silver lining, we just have to squint hard to find it here. But it is there. (and seriously, who would think frosted flakes are gf??? maybe someone who does gf as a ‘fad?’)
Squinting is mandatory…but it’s there.
Dude and Nicki – I was thinking the EXACT same thing – “haters gonna hate.” I don’t know what’s been in the water lately, but it seems like it’s been an epidemic the last few weeks out there in the blogesphere and cyberspace. Keep being the light and don’t let the ba$tards get you down. Hugs from your NCDGF Sister, Holly
Aren’t we all supposed to look for the positive in life instead of focusing on the negative? I loathe Celiac disease too, but I’m GLAD that I know I have it now. I’m GLAD that I no longer battle depression, get debilitating migraines, feel like Orca the whale because I’m so bloated, etc., etc., etc. So yeah, as much as it sucks, I’m glad and grateful!
We know you can’t make everyone happy all of the time, but some people just flat out suck. 🙂
Oh great! Now people will think Cd causes flat tires! Or maybe that car tires are appropriate for a good gf breakfast!
well, car tires are probably tastier than some of the cooking misadventures that I had early on in my GF culinary adventures……..?????
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
I needed a laugh today! That was perfect.
I just had to purchase FOUR (4) tires for a two (2) year old car! I wonder if I drove through a field of gluten somewhere or something???????
Nah. It was a gluten intolerant neighbor chewing on your tires cause GD says they are GRRRRRRRREAT!
I too hate CD but I finally know what’s wrong with me. I’ve been gf for almost 12yrs now and have this thing called energy since I’ve been eating gf. I’m happy to have a diagnosis that I can live with. When I was first gf it was torture as there was nothing in the stores, other than my wonderful health food store, that I could eat. I mean other than the produce, meat and dairy. I was so sick just trying to get a few things from the supermarket exhausted me. All those labels to read! I would leave the market in tears because I simply didn’t know what to do and sit in my car and cry. I look back now and marvel at how much easier it is to change your diet to a gf diet. I don’t have to make my own bread any longer as we have a pretty large selection, I can buy cookies now. Before I had to make them and when you’re extremely ill it’s just easier to not do it so I went a couple years probably without enjoying a cookie or cake or pie. Yes the disease stinks but no longer to I sit and worry that I have cancer or another horrible disease. So I’m grateful I have Celiac Disease because there’s a lot worse out there.
Sorry Dude missed your first article and sorry the haters are doing their normal “hate thing”. It’s good to bring awareness to people that while nobody want’s this disease there is an “up” side to it.
I’m happy to have you on our side. Yes, there are days, maybe weeks where it’s hard to see the positive. And there was a time I would have said some similar things. Like those first few months. But I look at the 16 year old boy who just had his arm bitten off by a shark. He has an awesome attitude about it. He has a choice to wallow in self pity, or move on with his life and get strong. He’s choosing the later. And we should all do it too. Plus, I said this yesterday. Don’t rob someone else of wanting to see the positives. Not everyone wants to live that way.
Where was my positive response?…
I have learned how good some friends and family ca be when they make sure my food is safe when dining with them….
and learn about celiac disease…One friend actually made me a flourless chocolate cake for our son’s wedding because the catering company wanted nothing to do with my meal needs.
Good Grief I hate humans and their ability to poop all over something meant to be lighthearted. I bet all the whiners are those types of people who have to make sure EVERYONE knows just how much they suffer…get over yourselves. It could be a hell of a lot worse. >_<
“I hate humans and their ability to poop all over something meant to be lighthearted.”
Oh how I love that.
Sorry that you’re getting such a backlash Dude. Not cool fellow celiacs, not cool. If given the chance to come up with one…just one…positive thing from having a life-changing disease and you can’t come up with one, you have a lot more to work on than just perfecting a GF diet. Take this as an opportunity to change your life. Does CD suck? Absolutely. But you are more than your disease.
I appreciated the challenge in finding the silver lining! In everything, you have got to be able to find one positive. Yes, it’s not anything we’d wish on your worst enemy, but we have it and have to deal with it, so why not find that one little light at the end of the tunnel. I always remember: It could be worse!
This is actually laughable to me. People like to live behind the anonymity of the internet and make comments you would never do to someone’s face. We ALL know that having Celiac sucks, but why NOT try to look on the bright side? That’s what life is about, right? Making choices on how we react to others. Making choices on how to live ours lives. Making choices on how to deal with adversity. I could piss and moan all day every day about my Celiac, my Hashimoto’s, my fibromyalgia, and on and on, but I choose to not let it define me or absorb my every living thought in an attempt to have a positive outlook. What other life do I have to live, so why not try to put a positive spin on something sucky? People are weird. Ignore the haters. You were and are doing a good thing. Let go and let God!
And the frosted flakes thing, get over it, people. If their big heads could get past the photo and actually READ what the post was all about, life would be much better. It’s too easy to quickly judge people. It just makes those people look dumb though, because it really had nothing to do with the frosted flakes.
You can love things even though the circumstances are not ideal. I love the extra 20 pounds that I lost that I never could seem to lose.
Anyway, in non-sequiter news, I am taking the family to Beach Haven NJ for a week over the summer. Anyone have any good restaurant or food recommendations for me?
thanks
I grew up on LBI…but haven’t been in a few years. Wish I could help you…or join you.
But wait, are you saying that Life Cereal is gluten free?
KIDDING!
Thanks for trying to put a positive spin on it. Sometimes it’s hard to see the silver lining, and even harder for other people to understand why we need to.
Well GD, all I can say is that this post gave me a good laugh this morning! It is 6am here in paradise haven’t had my coffee yet. I would have spit it out with laughter. This is one of your best posts and shows what a great sense of humor you have inspite of the fact that you got all those negative idiots trying to bring you down. Using that video to define “crazy” was brilliant
Gluten Dude you are Grrr-E-A-T!!!!. ALOHA!
Celiac disease is physically hard enough on the body and brain, I decided long ago that it would not kill my spirit and well being. I couldn’t make the choice of getting Celiac disease or not, but I could decide to live in the “silver lining” of that *#@& disease!!
Celiac disease is hard enough on the physical body and brain, but to allow your spirit and well being to be swallowed up by it is even more devastating. I didn’t have the right to choose whether or not I got Celiac disease, but I sure have the right to decide how I’m going to live with it. I’m not a victim, I’m a survivor.
Thanks, Dude, for being the brunt of a lot of “stupid” flack from those who drank the hate koolaid, and can’t/won’t/will never “see” that silver lining.
I am one to complain about my Celiac’s. I miss having gluten filled food but its just because gf is expensive, I miss being able to go out and not worry about cc, and I’m tired of gluten controlling my life. I am 20 years old and I want to live like a normal 20 year old. However I do love my Celiac’s disease because I have a wonderful support group including people from all over the world. Celiac’s disease has helped me eat healthier since I can really only eat whole foods and protein. I’ve also found that my life is better now because I can understand others that have diseases like Celiac’s . I am more sympathetic towards others. Yes I get frustrated when people assume I am just taking part in a fad diet but little do they know I’m not loosing any weight. So why would I want to take part if a diet that’s expensives and doesn’t necessarily have a wide variety. To others with Celiac’s disease please just stop making it seem like you have such a terrible life. You could be homeless or dying from a disease that can’t be managed by a changed diet.
This is my two cents. I think part of the problem with people trying to wrap their heads around the original question is that it’s not really the disease itself that people love, it’s the positive things that have come from getting diagnosed and the treatment for it. Celiac itself is no fun, no disease is. But the eating healthier, finally having an ANSWER to why you’ve feel so crappy and a solution to it, people supporting you, etc., IS nice.
So some people maybe misunderstood the intention of the question, ‘What do you love about CELIAC DISEASE, ‘ and they answered basically, NOTHING…about the disease itself. RIght? I think that’s a fair answer and telling people they have a bad attitude and to just ‘be positive’, in my opinion isn’t helpful. People are struggling, that’s where they are with it right now and that’s their right.
I have been very sick with Celiac symptoms since I can remember as a small child. I was a cranky, unhappy kid and was told basically to ‘suck it up’. Every doctor I saw as an adult sent me to a psychiatrist because they were too ignorant/lazy to properly diagnose me. I was the one who finally figured it out and asked for the tests. I’m sure I’m not the only one out there with this experience, so maybe some people have a hard time with being told to ‘suck it up, put on a happy face and find the positive.’ We’ve done that already…a lot.
I personally find it hard to read Celiacs judging other Celiacs for their attitude about the disease. Cut people a bit of slack when their hackles go up, you don’t know exactly where they’re coming from so don’t judge if they’re not exactly on the same page as you right now. Maybe you’ve found peace and positivity and they haven’t…yet. Or maybe they just misunderstood the question. Ok, so what? We’re all human and no one has the right to judge in my opinion.
Well I hope this doesn’t sound negative. I have been a celiac for two decades. There are a lot of angry celiacs out there. Many people just never come to grips with the disease and continue to be pissed off about the things they are missing out on instead of focusing on the positive changes in their health and life. But that is how the world is, glass half full and glass half empty people. Who tend to marry each other BTW. I used to belong to two celiac groups back in the day and although they did good things, mostly they argued with each other and contradicted each other, had 2 national celiac days etc. Like you said there are a lot of negative things about celiac, we all know it’s hard. You can dwell on it or not.
@ Gloria, love your post! Having a positive attitude about this disease is a choice. You can love the gluten free life or hate it. I personally have found so many great gluten free foods that I’m just fine. And having my health back after 20 years of suffering…………priceless.
I guess I think a question which blithely imposes a smiley face onto a serious condition is galling. Now I see that answering the question reasonably makes me a hater. Prolly going to get me flamed around here, but maybe instead of forced happiness people should try getting their gluten intake down to the point where they genuinely feel better. Even if that means laying off the processed GF food wishful thinking economy. I have, and it’s transforming.
Did anyone read that Joe Murray of Mayo Clinic recently cited a study wherein 65% of celiacs showed no signs of healing? Here’s a link,
http://allergicliving.com/2015/06/05/why-are-so-many-celiacs-getting-glutened/
Sorry for the ranting, Dude, but you’re not the only one with a bit of ‘tude.
I do think that it is wonderful that we are all more conscientious of what we are putting into our bodies. And my sister has enjoyed getting creative in the kitchen to modify her recipes and try new ones.
As my daughter said…..”Celiac Disease is not funny but it requires a sense of humor!” Come on People!!!! Some great things about having Celiac Disease……1. I now know what was making me miserable. 2. Perspective…..we don’t take much for granted and we celebrate the small stuff. 3. Empathy…..”Everybody’s got a thing”, is the motto at our house. You don’t always know what someone is going through but we navigate with the idea that we should all be nice. 4. You Find Out What You’re Made Of!! One of our favorite quotes from Winnie the Pooh…..”You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.” It’s so true and dealing with Celiac has proven that to each of us. 5. We’re lucky to have the diagnosis, but unlucky to have the disease. It took over a decade to find out what was making my daughters and I so sick and we know that we are fortunate to have found the answer because so many are still on the arduous journey to get their answers. It’s not a party and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone but if you can’t find the positives, you aren’t paying attention. It can be rough and we definitely have our times of despair or sadness or frustration but Celiac has brought forth parts of life that we should pay more attention to.
It is unfortunate that some people were put off by your question. I am newly diagnosed with Celiac. The thing that I absolutely love about having this disease (if you had to have one), is that it is 100% curable without having to take any medications. I’m sure there are cancer patients, diabetics, and other brothers and sisters with various forms of diseases that would change places with us Celiacs without a second thought. I loved your question because we should look at the positives.
May the fleas of a thousand camels infest their armpits! OK. not sarcasm exactly but I’ve been waiting for the right opportunity….
Anyone who has Celiac Disease and had suffered horribly pre-diagnosis knows full well how marvelous it is to be healthy again! There are hundreds of reasons I am grateful to know what is wrong after 20 years of suffering, hospitalizations, bankruptcy, etc. If people cannot see the silver-lining in a life restored, well, that’s their issue.
The Tony the Tiger reference was just funny. People really need to stop taking things like this so damn seriously. Health on the other hand is worth taking seriously.
Related to the being positive thing…if you guys aren’t sensitive to dairy, you MUST try Against the Grain pizza!! It’s seriously magnificent! 😀
I was ok with that post last week. But in looking above at your replies to some of the complaints, I see you haven’t addressed the concerns of Fussy Freddy and Suspicious Aloysius — so that ticks me off. Just kidding!
WOW! What a crazy ride this turned out to be, Gluten Dude.
I am new to your blog, but here’s my 2 cents. I (We) have been dealing with this disease for 30, count them, 30 years!
My daughter was diagnosed when she was 6. After she was diagnosed, guess who else was diagnosed? Runs in families,
right?
No silver lining other than you KNOW what you are up against!! Fun? Never! Illumination? Absolutely!
There are no survivors anyway, so DEAL with the hand you have been given. It’s too late to give it back!
Light at the end of the tunnel? Absolutely!
My beautiful daughter is now an attorney and film maker.
WE WIN!!
Just keep on Truckin’! ( Isn’t that a song??) Life goes on……….
Awesome (and some comical) feedback folks. You da best.
I love my Celiac diagnose because now I can leave the house without worrying if I can find a bathroom. I was sick my entire life, one thing and another, but always stomach related. To have energy, and a tummy that works like a normal tummy is amazing. After about a year on my GF and egg free diet, I woke up to a terrible tummy ache, that just got worse as the day progressed. It hurt so bad I was afraid to eat, fearing it would all come back up. Finally my beloved hubby convinced me to try some tea and a few spoonfuls of rice, and the tummy ache got better! Turns out, I hadn’t ever had hunger pangs that I could separate out from my usual background tummy pain…. And my beloved hubby has gone beyond and way above to keep me safe to the point he won’t kiss me after eating gluten until he has brushed his teeth and washed his beard.
I love all these comments! Wow I NEVER thought kissing my husband, who also has a beard, could have been the culprit in those times I couldn’t figure out what the hell I ate that hurt me! Duh. Thank you!
I find your humor enlightening and am grateful for it! No one likes having a “disease” but come on, if you cannot find humor in it, you may as well be sitting in your basement, in the dark, alone…It’s all green eggs and ham 🙂