Re: I'm going to Italy - help!
07/18/07 05:52 AM
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caputsky
Reged: 03/24/07
Posts: 256
Loc: Baltimore, MD
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First off, I just wanted to say that Italy is amazing and I hope you have a wonderful time. That being said, I agree with Toady and use those helpful Italian phrases when ordering. I went to Italy for 10 days as part of my senior trip in high school, and it was incredible! Although thankfully I didn't have IBS back then and could enjoy the gelati -- no way anymore  . Also, Italian people love Americans, and are all about being hospitable. So if you explain your dietary needs in a clear, concise manner, they will probably bend over backwards to make sure there is food you can eat. Don't be afraid to be adamant and specific about food -- my father is Italian and cooks that way, and when I got diagnosed, instead of lamenting about how I couldn't eat any of his amazing (but often fattening) dishes, he has made a concerted effort to adapt these so they are IBS friendly. Italians love food because they love to see other people enjoying the food they make -- so they will try their best to accommodate. Most Italians also have a decent knowledge of English, but you might want to buy a small Italian-English dictionary before you go in case you get in a pinch.
Otherwise, enjoy the weather and the sights! There is so much to see, and do in that wonderful country (though I might be a bit biased because it's part of my heritage, lol). Honestly, if you try not to focus on your IBS and obssess about the food, you are guaranteed to have a nice trip. Oh, and take TONS of pictures! 
Julie
IBS-D, GERD, lactose intolerant
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"We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it."
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