<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

It's amazing how much food gets to be a social/emotional issue instead of
just a way of getting fuel.  Celiac and related issues have definitely
catapulted me into the 'its just fuel' way of thinking.  I do not care if
family members cook for me.  I do not care if I eat at a restaurant or in
the car on the way to the restaurant.  I just want to avoid both
fainting/bitchiness from hunger and being the hermit in the
restroom/bitchiness from cramping of intestines.  Yet I understand it is
offensive to be told by a relation, 'Hey, you just offered me poison' -
which is the message, no matter how politely put.  How do we get people
to simply accept facts - you can't feed me, I'm not offended or at risk
of starvation, lets just hang out.  To get my mother to understand this,
we both had to endure the results of my getting canola oil (I know, not a
universal celiac disaster, but it is for me).  To her credit she 'got it'
and I lived on microwaved potatoes and rice crackers quite happily for
the rest of the visit.

So - I've got a final next week.  The prof. invited people to bring food
to share.  Now if everyone unloads their Easter candy, no problem.
However, gluten-laced baked goods, even though I'm not fool enough to eat
them, do seem to give me trouble just by being there when the crumbs
start flying.  Last week I held a baby who was eating pretzels.  I did
not ingest ANYTHING until I'd scrubbed my hands, and I still had a
reaction.   It doesn't make sense, but it doesn't ever not happen,
either.  So - I'd like to explain to my prof. that if the gluten looks to
be too much I'd prefer to just take my exam in the hallway.  It seems a
fair compromise between allowing others a fine social ritual and not
being paranoid about crumbs.  Any ideas?

Elizabeth