“It’s fine.”
We’ve all said it. Probably when we weren’t even close to fine.
If you’ve ever pretended your coeliac disease wasn’t a big deal just to avoid awkwardness read on.
Why do we do it?
Because sometimes it just feels easier. Easier to smile and nod than explain why we can’t use the same plate you just had a slice of bread on.
Maybe it’s at work, when someone brings in doughnuts and you do the fake grin.
Maybe it’s at a family meal when your Aunt made “gluten-free” lasagne in the same tray as the regular one.
Maybe it’s on a date and you just can’t face sounding like a medical textbook.
We want to keep the peace. We don’t want to be a pain. So we lie.
Been there, done that, got glutened
Here are a few of my own greatest hits:
- “No worries, I’ll just eat later.” (I was starving.)
- “I think the kitchen knows what they’re doing.” (They absolutely did not.)
- “Really it’s fine, I understand how hard it is to shop gluten-free.”
I’ve said I was OK when I wasn’t, just to avoid being *that guy*. And every time, I regretted it.
But here’s the problem…
Every time we downplay coeliac disease, we send the message that it’s not that serious. That a little gluten is fine. That we’ll just get over it.
Except we won’t. It’s not just a tummy ache. It’s long-term damage. It’s days of pain. It’s your body screaming at you because someone didn’t want to wash a chopping board properly.
You deserve better than “fine”
Let’s stop pretending. Coeliac disease is serious and your health matters.
It’s OK to say no. It’s OK to ask questions. It’s OK to be the one person not eating cake in the office, even if people look at you like you’ve just insulted Mary Berry.
Let’s talk 👇
💬 Have you ever said you were “fine” when you weren’t?
💬 Do you still find yourself downplaying it sometimes?
💬 What would you say to your younger self who just got diagnosed?
Drop your story in the comments or message me. Let’s be honest about the pressure we feel, and how we can support each other to speak up more.
Final thought:
You’re not being fussy. You’re not awkward. You’re not dramatic.
You’re coeliac. And you deserve to be safe.
May contain humour, definitely doesn’t contain gluten.
Ben @ The GF Table
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