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I have to say, I really admire Annmaureen's gusto. And I think she and Cliff
bring up some wonderful points for discussion. Really, they both represent a
whole lot of attitudes that we need to understand out there in the real world.
 
I do not expect that the world should revolve around my daughter's restricted
diet. However, I absolutely DO expect that I should be able to bring her to a
restaurant, travel with her, give her necessary medications, and send her to
school without fear of her getting sick from something she ate that was not
labeled or prepared properly. I refuse to stay home and be insulated in our safe
kitchen, and I expect my daughter to always feel completely justified and
comfortable in expecting that her needs will be met. And so I am very angry that
our labeling laws make this so difficult for us.
 
I agree that if New Zealand can create a safe environment, then the US certainly
ought to find a way. What do we have to do?
 
I also agree with Evelyn that the common name of this particular food
intolerance--celiac disease--is terribly misleading. The first time I heard it,
I thought my daughter must have something fatal. My husband thought it might be
contagious. We nearly always refer to it as gluten intolerance, or food
allergies, to avoid the word "disease"--which simply doesn't fit with a healthy
person--and to be more accurate.
 
What can we do about this? Should we lobby to change the name? Have a huge
brainstorming session to create a new, accurate, and positive name? If I grew up
having to describe myself as "diseased," I would have had a much harder time
feeling positive about myself. However, I didn't mind telling people that I was
allergic to chocolate and seafood.
 
Jax Peters Lowell's book did have some excellent general coping strategies,
although it assumed a much more upscale style than I can afford. (I'm sure that
if I frequented a four-star restaurant, then the chef could create a wonderful
GF meal. But I'm more concerned about the children's menu at Friendly's.)
 
Aaargh. No easy answers. What I really want is to smooth down the path so my
daughter doesn't have to struggle so much later on.
 
Trisha