It has been a while since I could say, "I am pretty sure I got gluttened."
In March, I had one of those rare times.
And I am positive I got gluttened.
I started a new job. I have been eating only my own food.
So how exactly did I get gluttened?
All I can come up with is that I was in an unfamiliar environment where gluten is literally everywhere and I was not cleaning up after it as I do in my own home, nor was I keeping track of it. At home I am like a hound dog when it comes to gluten. I am a bit of a freak about it. I will admit it, but it has worked well for me...being a freak about keeping it in check.
Nothing at home had changed.
The only change was my recent environment.
How Did It Happen?
I have narrowed it down to 2 scenarios.
1.) Either I got gluttened by touching the microwave and then eating my grapes.
or
2.) I got gluttened by using the soap and hand sanitizers in our office and then eating my grapes.
What Have I learned?
1.) I only wash my hands with my own personal soap. I even have small sizes to put in my pocket now for when I am walking around. My career and my illness now require me to wash my hands frequently.
2.) I never use the facility hand sanitizers scattered throughout the building.
3.) I always use a paper towel to turn off the sink.
4.) I always use a paper towel to open the microwave and to push the setting buttons.
5.) I always have a lid on my meal to be microwaved.
6.) And if needed I wash my hands again prior to eating if I messed up on any of 3-5.
7.) And I rarely every touch my food with anything but my wrapped fork or spoon from home.
7.) And I rarely every touch my food with anything but my wrapped fork or spoon from home.
Below is a play by play of how my Gluttened 2 weeks played out.
Day 1:
It was Wednesday. I was on day 3 of my new job. I had brought in my lunch all 3 days. Wednesday's lunch consisted of frozen kale, navy bean and ham soup. We had made it a few weeks earlier and I had frozen some for just this type of day. I also had brought a snack of grapes.
I washed my hands and then I heated up the soup in the office microwave. The soup was taken out and I brought it to my groups office. While I waited for the soup to cool down a little I ate my grapes.
Shortly after I had eaten my stomach began cramping. Not just a little, but quite significantly. I was having a hard time concentrating, was feeling clammy and could feel that jittery "I can't focus on much now feeling" in my eyes.
I was thinking, great, it is my first week of work. I look normal, I have presented myself as normal, and right now at noon on Day 3, I am feeling anything at all but normal.
I sat through a group meeting. All the while I was thinking ~ I am really in need of going home.
Somehow I mustered through. No one could tell that I was grimacing. I've apparently gotten good at hiding my grimace face.
I made a trip to the bathroom. Something most women don't care to ever do when at work. At this moment I didn't care at all. I was dying.
I took some Motrin and I made it through a few more meetings before I finally felt comfortable enough to say ~ "I'm out of here...I'm Not feeling well and all my work has been done."
It's funny ~ not funny how when around people not in the know ~ you can put on a fake face. It's the "Face of An Invisible Disease". And once I got to the car, all "fake faces" were off. I was dying. I was having a hard time focusing. I was having a hard time driving. All I wanted to do was to crawl into bed and die.
Interestingly enough I have finally found a place and reason to use my Lamaze breathing and focusing on something which Is The Pain.
I want to be One With My Gut Pain and for everyone to leave me alone when I experience this.
I checked in with kiddo No. 1 and told her I was on my way home and that I would be crawling into bed as soon as I pulled into the garage. Mama's stomach was not good! She understood.
Kiddo No. 2 was not privy to my state of tummy since he was still at school. He sometimes texts me though inbetween classes or at the end of the day.
This was one of those days .... he decided to text me as I lay dying in bed.
"I need to stay after school today to make up a Spanish Test".
Luckily I was alive enough to respond back with ... "Great! Of course you do!"
Yes, I had made it through a few hours of dying at work, but I was not wanting to drive 5 minutes down the road to pick up the high schooler. I really wanted to just continue dying in bed for the rest of the evening.
Funny, or not, he must have been reading my mind ..... or my sarcasm, as his next text said, "Never mind. I am on the bus."
Really?? Yes, thankfully I did not have to crawl back into my car. It was just a test. Can we pull your leg a little more today?
The cramping eventually stopped ~ i.e. bathroom visits and exhaustion kicked in big time.
I was either in bed or the bathroom from the second I walked in the door that afternoon til the following morning.
Day 2 went as follows:
I got up and went to work.
My stomach was sore, but no longer cramping.
I had a headache from sun up to sun down.
Day 3:
I got up and went to work.
I had a headache from sun up to sun down.
I had significant difficulty focusing on the computer screen.
Thanful that I don't have to sit in front of a computer all day.
I took lots of Motrin and drank a lot of water.
Day 4:
The weekend
My headache persisted and muscle fatigue set in. My arms and legs feel somewhat "jello like" when this occurs. I feel hypoglycemic. Interestingly enough I have felt that feeling on and off for years. Since gluten free never unless I come in contact with gluten.
Lower back pain was just beginning to rear it's ugly head as well. It only took half a day to get going. I could barely stand upright and shuffled around when I needed to go somewhere.
Heat wraps became my friend for the week.
Emotions kicked in and I was just a bit over the edge touchy and grouchy. Ok, I'm trying to be easy on myself. I really was over the top Grouchy. I spent most of the day by myself and I was thankful for this as I would not have been very nice to my family. Smiling was not on the agenda.
Day 5:
My headache was finally gone.
My muscle fatigue was not as significant, but was still present in the am.
Backache in full force and I was thankful it was the weekend. Working like this would have been seriously doubtful.
Oscar the Grouch was here for Spring Break.
Day 6:
I was still dealing with lower back pain, but I went back to work and shuffled and attempted to stand as upright as I could.
Looking normal was my goal for the day. Not sure I pulled it off completely, but I sure did make an effort.
The following week:
My backache persisted for the rest of the week. I used ThermaCare heat wraps for the week and 800 mg of Motrin at a time to deal with the inflammation and the pain. This was recommended by an old friend who is a physical therapist.
Grouchiness lessened day by day.
My ability to focus on the computer screen, paperwork, and anything else continued to lessen a little day by day.
I was amazed that I had allowed this to happen after more than 2 years gluten free. But it is evidence of how vigilant we need to be every second of the day to keep ourselves truly gluten free. We always have to be on.
