Setbacks and Moving Forward
I know technically today should be a short story and I'm super behind on those anyway. I think I owe you like eight now! But today I want to talk about a new journey I'm taking. A terrifying journey. A journey I never wanted to take. It's the journey of food allergies.
My daughter has struggled with eczema since she was a small baby. For a while, we seemed to have gotten it under control with occasional flare-ups. But when we took her to the pediatrician to get her up-to-date on her vaccines, I mentioned that we had been considering whether we should have her tested for allergies. We knew she couldn't have regular milk, but wanted to make sure we knew all of her triggers so we could keep her healthy and with clear, beautiful skin. Our doctor agreed that it was a good time to begin this testing. So on the 16th we took our little girl to the hospital for blood tests.
Now I have the results and she doesn't just have a few allergies. She has a lot. She's allergic to things I use every day in multiple meals. Hardest of all, she's allergic to dogs. Our sweet puppy, whom she loves dearly, is one of her triggers.
I read the list and felt my heart break for her. Suddenly some of her quirks when eating made sense. No wonder she would only eat the jelly side of a pb+j; she's allergic to peanuts. The fact that she won't touch scrambled eggs or french toast made complete sense; she's allergic to eggs. Then the guilt hit as I realized how often I had unwittingly given her things that were adding to her discomfort. Garlic in our stir-fry, peanut butter in no-bake cookies, eggs in cakes and brownies, and oats in almost everything.
Then the fear hit. Just what am I going to cook for her? How will I ensure that she's getting a balanced and nutritious diet with so many restrictions? How will I teach her to cook?
I read the list again and became more and more grateful that none of her allergies made it into the "very high" range. She's not deathly allergic to anything. I also reminded myself that we were going to be seeing an allergist as soon as an appointment could be set up. He'll be able to help us know what we can do.
And another thought entered my mind. Long before I had children I'd made the decision that I was never going to raise them to fear food. I can still do that, even with restrictions. I love to cook and be creative with ingredients. In an unexpected way, God had given me just the kind of creative opportunity I was looking for. I still have to mourn over the foods she will likely never experience. It is immensely sad that she will never know the unparalleled delight of my mother's lemon meringue pie. Seriously, best dessert ever! But she will learn others.
The challenges which seemed impossible suddenly didn't seem so bad. So I'll be cooking more from scratch now, awesome! I'll be learning how to substitute ingredients, great! I'll make this an adventure that my daughter and I can take together! And yes, my husband and sons will come along for the ride too. My daughter has allergies. That will mean some changes, but it doesn't have to be the end of the world.
So as we embark on this journey, I'll share our progress here along with new favorite recipes. Challenges in life come in all sorts of packages, but they can be overcome with the right attitude and the support of good friends and family. So thank you to my mom, mom-in-law and everyone else who has helped calm this nervous mama. Together, we can do this!
My daughter has struggled with eczema since she was a small baby. For a while, we seemed to have gotten it under control with occasional flare-ups. But when we took her to the pediatrician to get her up-to-date on her vaccines, I mentioned that we had been considering whether we should have her tested for allergies. We knew she couldn't have regular milk, but wanted to make sure we knew all of her triggers so we could keep her healthy and with clear, beautiful skin. Our doctor agreed that it was a good time to begin this testing. So on the 16th we took our little girl to the hospital for blood tests.
Now I have the results and she doesn't just have a few allergies. She has a lot. She's allergic to things I use every day in multiple meals. Hardest of all, she's allergic to dogs. Our sweet puppy, whom she loves dearly, is one of her triggers.
I read the list and felt my heart break for her. Suddenly some of her quirks when eating made sense. No wonder she would only eat the jelly side of a pb+j; she's allergic to peanuts. The fact that she won't touch scrambled eggs or french toast made complete sense; she's allergic to eggs. Then the guilt hit as I realized how often I had unwittingly given her things that were adding to her discomfort. Garlic in our stir-fry, peanut butter in no-bake cookies, eggs in cakes and brownies, and oats in almost everything.
Then the fear hit. Just what am I going to cook for her? How will I ensure that she's getting a balanced and nutritious diet with so many restrictions? How will I teach her to cook?
I read the list again and became more and more grateful that none of her allergies made it into the "very high" range. She's not deathly allergic to anything. I also reminded myself that we were going to be seeing an allergist as soon as an appointment could be set up. He'll be able to help us know what we can do.
And another thought entered my mind. Long before I had children I'd made the decision that I was never going to raise them to fear food. I can still do that, even with restrictions. I love to cook and be creative with ingredients. In an unexpected way, God had given me just the kind of creative opportunity I was looking for. I still have to mourn over the foods she will likely never experience. It is immensely sad that she will never know the unparalleled delight of my mother's lemon meringue pie. Seriously, best dessert ever! But she will learn others.
The challenges which seemed impossible suddenly didn't seem so bad. So I'll be cooking more from scratch now, awesome! I'll be learning how to substitute ingredients, great! I'll make this an adventure that my daughter and I can take together! And yes, my husband and sons will come along for the ride too. My daughter has allergies. That will mean some changes, but it doesn't have to be the end of the world.
So as we embark on this journey, I'll share our progress here along with new favorite recipes. Challenges in life come in all sorts of packages, but they can be overcome with the right attitude and the support of good friends and family. So thank you to my mom, mom-in-law and everyone else who has helped calm this nervous mama. Together, we can do this!
No comments have been added yet.
