<p>So my roommate just added me on Facebook, and we’ve been messaging back and forth (as in she messaged me and I replied back and now I’m waiting on her…XD).</p>
<p>From her profile and interests and the group she’s in, we’re going to get along GREAT! I’m so excited…we have a lot in common, and it seems like we’re somewhat similar! :)</p>
<p>I’m so happyyyyy. ^_^</p>
<p>Awww :)</p>
<p>I just talked to her on IM, and it was one of the BEST first conversations I’ve ever had.</p>
<p>Like…we talked about random stuff, but we just…talked. It was so awesome!</p>
<p>I can’t wait. :)</p>
<p>That’s a relief!</p>
<p>You are very fortunate. My D & her roommate had nothing in common, and they were basically ships that passed in the night. She is rooming with a friend this year & is so excited. While a great roommate isn’t really a necessity, it definitely is a nice thing to have. I’m very happy for you!</p>
<p>That is just awesome. Have a great time getting ready!</p>
<p>How exciting to know your roommate so you can both start to count down the days!!!</p>
<p>One of the best pieces of advice I gave my D last year was “you don’t have to be best friends with your roommate - you just need to be able to live together”. This proved to be true. While they got along and all, they had different friends, different schedules and interests, BUT they lived together well - room dynamics, scheduling, etc. </p>
<p>Have you started talking about who’s bringing what? The refrig? The microwave? The fan? etc., etc. etc.!!!</p>
<p>abasket-we only talked for about 20 minutes, so we didn’t get to do much of that. </p>
<p>However, I just went ahead and bought almost everything (with the exception of the most expensive…ie microwave/minifridge/etc.), figuring that I’d probably have to buy it eventually anyway so I might as well go ahead and do it.</p>
<p>Also…does anyone know anything about Celiac Disease? I know that she has it and we talked about it a little last night, but I don’t really understand it (medical web sites are confusing XD) and I want to be able to be considerate of it if it comes to that. Tips/Suggestions?</p>
<p>About celiac disease, I know that if you have it, you can’t eat [or at least really SHOULDN’T eat] foods with gluten in them… like bread or pasta or stuff like that. If you do, somehow it messes up your intestines [I don’t know too much about that], but it causes you to become malnourished, as if you hadn’t eaten anything. So it can cause really bad weight loss, and any nutrients in the food can’t be absorbed into your body.</p>
<p>HFGM - coping with Celiacs can be both very challenging for her, and very educational for you. Next time you’re at a grocery store, pick up random items and see how many have gluten in them. It’s many more than you think. Now realize she has to avoid all those items.</p>
<p>Thankfully there are now lots of specialty stores (and even some major grocery store chains) that carry a wide array of gluten-free products, so it makes it easier for those who can’t have them. </p>
<p>I’m sure she has notified residential housing about her needs so they can assure her a gluten-free meal plan. However, you will find that many times, she will still need to ‘question’ the chef/waitress, etc. about the menu.</p>
<p>Also, she will probably bring in a nice supply of her own gluten-free food for those times she needs a snack and can’t just run to the vending machines like most of us. As long as she’s compliant with her diet, she should be fine, and you’d never know.</p>
<p>Go buy Gluten Free Girl by Shauna James Ahern; it will give you excellent insight into the life of a celiac who was recently diagnosed after years of health issues. It is also a really good book. : )
Or, if you don’t want to or can’t do that, read her blog-- just google Gluten Free Girl.</p>
<p>Essentially, celiac is an autoimmune disorder in which the small intestine is unable to break down gluten and instead begins an inflammatory reaction which damages the villi of the small intestine and inhibits the body’s ability to absorb nutrients. You should expect, living with a celiac, to learn to become both very sensitive to how many foods have gluten in them and to be very considerate of your roommate’s needs. This probably means if you are going to buy your own food, you need to be very careful that it doesn’t contaminate your roommate’s-- even a small bit of gluten can cause a day or two of misery and discomfort for her.
Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks for all the tips and advice! I’ll definitely be careful, especially with dishes in our kitchen (I cook a lot and I’m planning on making a lot of my own food).</p>
<p>en42-I’ll definitely check it out 
thanks!</p>
<p>It almost sounds a little bit like Crohn’s Disease, which my older brother has.</p>
<p>Also be careful about any junk food or candy [I don’t know if you eat that kind of stuff, but either way], because it has gluten in it, along with other processed foods. So it’d always be good to know so you don’t accidentally offer her stuff she can’t eat :]</p>
<p>Same ballpark, different diseases. The importance to you is knowing she refuses those goodies you offer for a good reason, and any other realities that surface while you two share a room. Now you know why she will do some things differently, it is medical, not her personality, that makes her act what otherwise may seem strangely. Read up on the illness and then you can move on to all the other facets of being roommates- I’m sure your attitude towards her illness is a big relief to her.</p>
<p>The advice I gave my son came from “The Naked Roommate” and it was to say in the beginning, “I really want us to get along, so please tell me if I’m doing anything that bothers you.” He and his roomie got along great although they are moving to different roomies this year. This is normal. It’s just great if first year roomies can make it work.</p>
<p>I sure hope she feels that way, wis75. It’s just not a big deal to me…my mom has had Rheumatoid Arthritis since I was 7, and my brother has had Crohn’s for about 8 years now. So I’ve gotten pretty used to dealing with diseases that can effect lifestyles.</p>
<p>Also, great tip remembering that she would refuse things for a reason. I’ll definitely keep that in mind.</p>
<p>I eat junk food every once in a while, but not always. Like I said, I’ll probably do more cooking than anything else.</p>
<p>Is there a way I can cook with gluten-free stuff so I can share with her? Like…do grocery stores carry this stuff? I feel like I would feel really bad if I made a whole big thing of food and didn’t even offer her any (even though I know it’s not because I’m being selfish…still).</p>
<p>YES grocery stores carry it! and it’s usually pretty plainly marked as “gluten-free.” Also, organic food stores especially would probably have what you need, you can get gluten-free flour [which would be big, if you’d like to share your food with her], and stuff like that. Maybe even in the organic food part of the aisle in Publix? I don’t know if all Publix’s have those, but mine does. Lots of good stuff! :D</p>
<p>Go online/to your library and read up on the subject. Also, slow down, there will be plenty of time to get to know your roommate and discover foods you can share when you get to campus. Also, be sure to not let her disease be the focus of your relationship. I’m sure she would rather get it out of the way this summer and focus on everything else this fall. It is better to be able to forget about it and make a mistake than to always have it hovering at the forefront when you relate to her, I’m sure she’ll appreciate being treated as a normal person.</p>
<p>I’m sorry about your brother, by the way – I hope he’s doing well. I’ve had pretty severe Crohn’s Disease for more than 30 years, since I was 22, and it isn’t an easy thing to deal with by any means.</p>
<p>There is a health & fitness expert in Michigan, Peter Nielsen, who has dealt with Crohn’s since he was a young child. He has some amazing advice. He has a website (his name dot com). If your brother wants to get some great tips, this is a great site.</p>
<p>As for your roommate … we have another “famous” person in Michigan who has celiac disease. Mickey Redmond is a former hockey player & he was the Red Wings’ announcer for many years. He had to cook his own food on the road … he used to tell stories about how he’d get busted by hotel staff at fancy hotels because he cooked on a hot plate in his room! One of the biggest problems for a young person with the disease is the high cost of a gluten free diet. I am certain your roommate will be very happy to help you understand her disease and what is involved.</p>
<p>You are so wonderful to try to do research in advance. :)</p>
<p>Donna-thank you. He’s doing very well, and has actually lost about 70 pounds since the initial outbreak about 8 years ago. However, they had to remove about 6 inches of intestine, so he’ll have iron issues for the rest of his life. </p>
<p>kelsmom-thanks for the tip! I just want to try and know as much as I can beforehand so that I don’t seem insensitive or uncaring.</p>