No Tolerance For Gluten Intolerance

(After struggling with multiple concerning symptoms for years, my Mom is diagnosed with Celiac disease. She takes it quite hard as she already has a few severe food allergies, and now she has to add gluten intolerance/allergy to the list. This happens around the time that “going gluten-free” started to become a trendy diet. We are having dinner with family friends and we’ve just told them about my Mom’s recent diagnosis.)

Friend: “Oh, so you’re trying out the gluten-free diet?”

Mom: “I wish I could just ‘try it out.’ This is a life thing; I have Celiac disease.”

Friend: “Oh, wow, okay.”

(Approximately a month later, same friend:)

Friend: “So, are you still doing the gluten-free diet? How do you like it?”

Mom: “I hate it, and I’m not ‘doing the diet.’ I have Celiac disease. I can’t have gluten, ever. I can’t go back to it.”

Friend: “Oh, right, okay.”

(Another month or so later:)

Friend: “Still going gluten-free, hey? You must have lost a ton of weight by now!”

My Sister & Me: “SHE HAS A DISEASE! THIS IS NOT A DIET!”

Friend: “Okay, sheesh! No need to yell at me!”