Having any kind of disease is not a piece of cake (pun with today’s story’s topic intended). Your physical and mental health suffers, and dealing with people’s reactions to it isn’t easy either.
Like in this story, where a celiac woman had a sister-in-law who always seemed to have an issue with her disease. Her annoyance with it went so far that she didn’t shy away from trying to ruin the woman’s birthday party in the pettiest way possible.
More info: Mumsnet
Having a disease is already hard enough, but sometimes people around you make it even harder
Image credits: pvproductions / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Like for this woman, who’s celiac disease was deeply unliked by her sister-in-law
Image credits: prostooleh / Freepik (not the actual photo)
For instance, when this sister-in-law always rolled her eyes when the woman had to have gluten-free versions of food
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
One day, during the woman’s birthday party with two cakes – one normal, one gluten free – the sister-in-law decided to make a petty move
Image credits: prostock-studio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
She cut the gluten-free cake, cross-contaminating it with the glutenous one, saying the kids wanted it
Image credits: mypantsareonfire
She rambled how the birthday woman should share the cake and it was not a big deal
One day, the OP’s family decided to throw her a surprise birthday party. They prepared two cakes for it – one regular and one gluten-free – since the birthday woman has celiac disease, gluten literally hurts her.
The cakes looked very similar; the only slight differences were in their ingredients, taste, and price. So, everyone who participated in the party was cut a piece of “normal cake”, while the gluten-free version was put aside, so the woman could enjoy it later, when there would be no risk of cross-contamination.
Then, a little later, the OP’s sister-in-law decided to cut her kids a cake that was put aside, justifying that the kids thought it looked nice and that she had left some of it for the woman. But knowing she had cut it on the same board as the other cake, it was pointless, as the gluten-free version was now cross-contaminated.
Granted, later on, the brother-in-law, realizing how jerk-ish this SIL’s move was, replaced the cake and apologized for it. Apparently, the SIL herself wasn’t so happy with everyone taking the OP’s side, as she was always rather passive-aggressive when it came to the woman’s gluten allergy. And now she caused major family drama because of it.
The thing is that it’s hard to find justification behind the SIL’s annoyance with celiac disease. After all, it’s not like women chose to have it – a person gets it through a combo of genetic predisposition and environmental triggers, not a choice.
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
And it’s not an easy disease to have. First, you can’t indulge in various treats like other people. Just take this story as an example – the woman has to have a separate, less tasty cake, which sucks for her.
If she had “normal” cake, she would have to go through tiring symptoms, such as stomach pain, gas, anemia, unexplained weight loss, dental enamel defects, or even infertility or mental health issues in the long run. When you look at it through this lens, it doesn’t paint a pretty picture.
What is even worse is that celiac disease cannot be fully treated – only managed. And to do so, the person has to adhere to a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet, along with supplements and constant health monitoring.
So, when you think about it, the SIL’s annoyance with the OP’s disease is annoying in itself. Rolling your eyes or stealing cakes just because you think someone is making a fuss by watching their health is full-blown jerk behavior.
At least that’s what netizens decided. What about you? Please, share all your opinions and takes on this situation in the comments!
Netizens decided that this woman was simply passive-aggressive by cutting the cake when ordered not to, and not in a sharing move, as she claimed it to be
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