Are you sure you can eat that?

Let's talk about this for a second. I have a disease. My disease does in no way effect my instincts for natural preservation. It does not effect my common sense and it doesn't change the fact that I am an adult capable of handling my own affairs.

I find that some people discover I have celiacs and immediately take control of this situation. They think that for some reason I am incapable of handling it myself. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate people who ask me what I can and can not eat. I love it when someone texts me before a party to ask what brand of tortilla chips I can eat. This might be the only thing at the party I can eat and that is totally fine but I love them for caring enough about me to ask.

 I don't however, appreciate people injuring when I am two seconds from biting into something, "Are you sure you can eat that?"

It is the ultimate insult to imply that I am either so careless with my own health or so stupid that I need a wing man for my intestines. I don't know why Celiacs get treated like this, I think it might be the new GF fads that are rocking the western world. I would never imagine asking a diabetic what their blood sugar numbers are before they have a glass of wine or dessert. That would be the height of rudeness. I assume that they have their disease completely under control and if they need my assistance for anything, they will ask. Why then does everyone consider themselves master of my disease?

Everyone who eats gluten free by choice now fancies themselves an expert on being me. Make no mistake, ye who can eat at every party without a care, or who can leave the house for longer than four hours without packing a lunch because you can buy something on the road, or who can eat  every single thing at Tim Horton's - you do not know what it is like to be me and you have no right to claim that you do.

"Are you sure you can eat that?" is a question fraught with passive aggressive tones, none of which are welcome in my world. If I am three seconds from shoving it in my gullet, I am sure I can eat it. If I am mistaken, (which has happened - more than once) I am the one that will suffer, not you. So (as the kids say these days) mind your own fucking business.

Also, some Celiacs can cheat and are willing to do that every once in a while. I understand their desires because if I didn't get so sick that I wished I was dead, I can't tell you I would not have eaten a big mac last week. Who knows? But I can certainly tell you that if i was going to cheat, that would be none of your business either. None, nadda, zip,zero.

It is no more your business what I eat than what you eat is my business. How would you feel if I came up to you while you were mowing down on that bag of chips like it owed you money and asked, "Are you sure you can eat that?" and look pointedly at your slightly large behind. Or what if I enquired after your cholesterol levels while you were ordering extra bacon on your burger? Would you like that? I don't think so.

So keep your expert opinions to yourself. Shower your Celiac with love, not parenting.

And to answer your question, YES I can eat that.
How do you know?
Becuase I am eating it, that's how.