<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Hi all, I received many very helpful responses to my question about the inroads that following the GF diet can make on one's social life.(And to the obvious frustration that I was feeling about it!) First, I want to thank everyone. As I read the messages, right away I could feel my mood improving, and I also felt more confident that I could continue to cope reasonably well. The specific practical suggestions are very helpful, and also the spirit in which they were offered was very helpful to me. Many said, don't get isolated- there is always a better way! Several responders have themselves gone on cruises. Two folks made the direct suggestion that I should check out the possibilities of having a really bad disease; stop complaining and realize how lucky I am. To them I would like to say-I agree, compared with a spinal cord transection, MS, crippling arthritis, cancer, congestive heart failure, etc.(some of which were mentioned)- this is a really light duty disease. No problem agreeing fully with that! A few very kind people made the point that this can-do viewpoint had helped them when they felt overwhelmed by the complexity of the GF diet. Even so, I feel that while things can always be worse, it sometimes can be OK, even desirable, to discuss the very compelling frustrations that many of us do experience with this diet. Now I'll try to deal with the food l suggestions that were made. Quite a few people travel the world , both for business and for pleasure, and they feel that they are usually able to stay GF, by being vigilant, assertive, and prepared. Many take a stash of gf hi-protein bars. Some use nuts and dried fruit, as a gf version of the mountaineer's gorp. On shorter trips, or flights, pull top cans of tuna, canned salmon, and of course sardines were mentioned. Everyone who commented on air travel said they had never seen an eatable gf meal on a plane. One person advised against sardines and oily fish in a dating situation. Many people commented how important it is to be willing to take our needs as gluten intolerant people seriously, and make it known to our server and or the cook/chef how important it is to avoid gluten. In this regard, the Dining Card was mentioned, as well as some modifications of the card which I believe are improvements- they don't bother even to try to explain celiac disease, they just say we are allergic to blah, blah, blah and blah, and if we accidentally get even the smallest amount in our food, we could get very sick, right there in the restaurant. It was suggested that it can be helpful to compare to peanut allergy, which is taken seriously by almost anyone in food service today. Some mentioned that this is usually easier in an upscale restaurant; some also said that they had done fine in cheaper places. Oh yes- be polite and remember to tip well! One woman suggested some insulated food carrying bags, and chemical ice, which allow one to carry even fairly complex dishes to a restaurant or pot-luck or friend's house. Potlucks are the easiest- just be sure to make plenty of something that is safe; something that you could survive on if nothing else seemed ok. At a friends house, or churches, etc., if there is a microwave, that gives the possibility of more variety to the gf eater. Buffets at casinos or in hotels were mentioned as relatively easy to deal with. Many people eat before they go out, and then they can just have coffee, or wine or perhaps a plain salad if everyone goes out to eat later. One man carried that to its logical extreme, by eating his day's supply of food in the morning before he leaves home. The he just keeps company with his friends or business associates when they eat out. Many times in traveling one can use a grocery store- just have a list of ok lunch meats, and add fruit, veggies, etc as desired. A number of people said that they just call ahead, talk to the chef, and have usually had it work out fine. (I have worked a lot in hospitals, where overall everyone knows how important the procedures are, yet an awful lot of them get screwed up-so I don't have the basic trust that this approach needs!) Several people said that they have never had a problem, in spite of being only somewhat careful, and some suspected that they in fact had occasional exposures, but were not prone to having symptoms. Some others said that in spite of being very careful, they almost always have symptoms after a restaurant meal.( My guess is sensitivity is a big part of this apparent contradiction) After all, some people are diagnosed without ever having had abdominal symptoms, so clearly they can have exposure without symptoms. Enzymes were mentioned, as being something that might allow ingestion of some gluten without problems. I don't know anything at all about this, but I plan to check it out. And of course- when accidental ingestion happens, and you are in trouble, Lomotil is a friend indeed. I am sure I have forgotten some things, but I want to say thanks once more, to a very helpful group of people. Michael