Fiance’s kisses make woman physically ill

DEAR ABBY: I struggled for years with vomiting and nausea, as well as other digestive issues I dismissed as having a “sensitive stomach.” When my fiance, “Marc,” and I started dating, he urged me to find out the cause of my issues. Six months ago, I was diagnosed with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that is managed through a gluten-free diet.

Marc has been incredibly supportive, and our kitchen is mostly gluten-free. I can get fairly sick, so we are pretty careful. There’s just one issue: I can get crosscontaminated if he kisses me after eating gluten, and he does eat gluten quite often. It can be resolved if he brushes his teeth thoroughly, but he brushes his teeth only every two or three days.

Marc is a grown man, and while we’ve discussed it briefly from a health standpoint, I don’t want to be responsible for managing his oral hygiene. That needs to be his responsibility. I don’t know where to draw the line, though, without being controlling. Is it reasonable to expect my fiance to brush his teeth after eating gluten? Or every morning and evening? Or must I just accept that I won’t be able to kiss him except on rare occasions? -- BAD KISS IN KANSAS

DEAR BAD KISS: If kissing your fiance causes you to have episodes of nausea and vomiting (as well as other digestive issues), out of respect for your welfare, your fiance should be willing, if not eager, to modify his snacking habits. Insisting that he do what dental health professionals have urged as far back as I can remember is not “controlling” -- it is protecting your health and his. SPEAK UP!