You see, I've been hired by a gluten-free girl.
That's right. Little Miss is gluten-free. And nightshades-free, and citrus-free and peanut-free.
And lettuce-free.
And bananas and kiwi-free.
And coffee and beer-free. LOL
Okay, so you get it. She can't eat anything except chicken, apples and rice. Well, that's how it feels somedays.
So back to the job: many people have been disappointed that I stopped baking for customers. And some are even shocked. (Which is a nice compliment, actually.) But it was definitely needed.
Have you seen this face?
This is Little Miss (age 6 1/2) during her 9-day bout of dangerous, give-me-a-heart-attack hives in April.
Or how about this face (below) when she was about 2 1/2? Back then it lasted three days.
Since April 2013, Little Miss has been going through rigorous testing to see what this is. I've blogged a bit about it while trying to stay positive and humorous, but it has been difficult.
After blood tests, X-rays, MRI's, EEG's, allergists, anti-histimines and PediaPred, we sent a blood sample away at the end of August to a Naturopath Clinic and the results that came back shocked me. So many food intolerances, and not one of them could I have predicted.
Lettuce? Seriously?
But with help from family and friends, Mr. Man and I got to work.
What's ironic, is that for my entire life, mom and I have been reading ingredients lists on packages and recycling, always looking for the dreaded word, peanut. Now, we are looking for peanut, soy, gluten, wheat, barley malt, lemon concentrate, orange zest, potato starch, cashews, walnuts,....and the list goes on.
Really, I've just had to make everything from scratch. But luckily, that was how I was raised.
However, I could eat porridge, for pete's sake! She can't even eat porridge!
So where is God in all of this?
Watching.
He hears me. He knows how my mind works. He knows when I've had enough. And He supplies my need. He is with the friends who arrive with gluten-free pancake mix. Or with the blog follower who sends reassuring words. He is with the doctors and pharmacists who listen and ask, really ask, what I need from them.
When Mom was in my situation and I was the child, there were no peanut-free products or gluten-free recipe books. No one had ever heard of a peanut-allergy before. Now, I have facebook friends sending websites and recipes everyday, librarians voluntarily ordering books through interloan libraries, and cake customers dropping off their own personal stash of gluten-free recipe books for me to borrow.
This is when you know who loves you and loves your kid. Who knew gluten-free rice krispy treats at a friend's place would bring such excitement? Or a little rice dish placed beside the mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving, such reassurance? That a co-worker takes the time to give the right candy to our kids would brighten our halloween?
There are times when I think, "Is this really what it comes down to? Food? Are we not just wearing ourselves out for nothing? Can't we just eat a big soft pretzel and call it a night?"
I am overwhelmed as others are hurting in worse ways, some losing their marriages, some their lives, and I think, "let's just give up and go help someone else." I am tired of her crying over ketchup. I am tired of brown rice, and using beets instead of tomatoes. I am tired of being tired.
There is a knock at the door and my last client walks in to talk about her upcoming wedding cake. It's a big one, and we have lots to go over. Suddenly she asks about my daughter. I am surprised, but I have been writing about it on my business blog so most of my clients would probably know.
We sit down at the kitchen table and she shares with me about urtacaria (acute hives and swelling) and how she suffers from severe rashes and swelling due to a wheat-intolerance. In fact, she is allergic to peanuts and nuts, and is sensitive to many grains, and milk. She shows me the marks on her fingers from where she swelled so big, her fingers split open.
I jump up and quickly grab the large file folder I have on Little Miss, including photographs of her hives.
"It's like I am looking in a mirror," the young woman said, "that's definitely urtacaria." My heart pounded in my ears as I felt God in the room. This was the answer. It had to be. I was doing this right.
Urtacaria occurs in some people when their immune system is so completely attacked by in-tolerated foods that it cracks up. Breaks out. Little Miss's lasted for nine days. This young woman had hers last for months.
Lyndsay is now on Prednasone every day, has had her gall bladder removed, as well as part of her liver. She believes none of this was necessary if she had known how to eliminate gluten and other foods from her diet. She believes in what I have been doing.
And she believes if we keep Little Miss from her food intolerances long enough, she will be able to eat some of it again, most likely in limited quantities or spaced out intervals.
So just when I'd had enough, the Lord sends exactly the right person to me. Almost a perfect stranger. That's how I know He's watching. And that is enough for me at this time.
I don't know what is going to happen. I don't know if April's disaster was viral or food related or a combination, but I know I am on the right track. And if ever you need confirmation for what you are doing, God will send it. He's watching.
To each of you who have helped us through the last few months (and they are not over yet), know that I appreciate you. Every recipe or website sent through facebook or email, every book dropped off at the house, and especially those of you in church who ask Little Miss how she is, it all means a great deal to us.
Thank you.
Erin
