Praise!!
During the lifetimes of my son (almost three years) and this blog (a smidgen more than two years) two prayer requests have been constant: Zach’s sleep habits and his food allergies. If you’re new to the blog and have never endured a church potluck with our family, you may know nothing about them.
Here’s a quick recap.
Zach does not sleep through the night. We have tried everything, and I mean E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. Why doesn’t he sleep? Well …
He has had severe eczema, to the point of scratching himself bloody every time he sleeps, since about two months old. Eczema is typically accompanied by, though not directly related to, food allergies. So are ear infections. The poor kid had seven double ear infections before he was eighteen months old. We discovered the food allergies when I innocently handed him a teether biscuit, and hives swallowed him instantly from the chest up. He was between five and six months old. The best allergist in the area confirmed: Zach was allergic to ALL components of dairy (whey, casein, diary proteins, etc.), egg whites, peanuts and possibly dog hair.
This launched our family on a new adventure: learning a new way to shop, eat and store our foods at home and, while in public, protecting our adorable son from well-meaning food sharers of all sizes, ready to pounce from every crevasse of the known universe. I bought new cookbooks (Have you ever tried to make a birthday cake without eggs or dairy?) and relished vegan alternatives. (Long live Whole Foods!) I even learned how to make dairy-free, egg-free French toast. Impressive, eh?
Fast forward a couple years. Within the past six months Zach has been sneaking food. I didn’t fully realize how much until one day at Barnes & Noble. I had ordered a sandwich for myself and Ellie to split. I also got her a brownie. I had stuff from home for Zach. Well, while I was arranging Ellie’s plate and taking care of her drink, Zach stole my entire sandwich. Seriously. He ate the whole thing while my back was turned. It was in no way allergen-free. From the Swiss cheese to the mayo and processed meats, all piled high on artisan bread, it was a disaster for my highly allergic child! Or so I expected. I stared at him for a full ten minutes while internally mapping the quickest route to the hospital. Not a single hive. No reaction whatsoever!
Since then we’ve tested him on small amounts of different taboo foods. We had him re-tested with allergist. His levels were still detectable but a fraction of what they were two and a half years ago. Can I hear a “PRAISE GOD!!”
I’m not light on praise. My college suite-mate and I had a glory dance we did whenever God answered prayers, which, of course, He does all the time. If our conservative school knew how frequently we boogie in our basement dorm … Being one heavy on praise, I want to itemized all of God’s goodness in this area. He has answered our prayers mightily and my son has eaten all of the following foods with pleasure and no ill-effects.
- bread containing EGGS and DAIRY
- cakes containing BUTTER and EGGS
- sandwiches with MAYONNAISE (made from eggs)
- PEANUT BUTTER and jelly sandwiches
- CHEESE and crackers
- cereal with COW’S MILK (as opposed to soy milk)
- PEANUT BUTTER granola bars
- macaroni and CHEESE
- cinnamon rolls
- ICE CREAM
- fish breaded with EGGS
- salad with CREAMY dressing
- chocolate chip cookies with MILK chocolate chips
- sugar cookies (containing both BUTTER and EGGS)
- M&Ms
- CHEESE puffs
- PIZZA (two years ago the crust and the cheese both would have sent us to the ER!)
YEAH!!!!! He’s still not sleeping through the night, but his eczema is better and he hasn’t had any ear infections for a while, so I’m thrilled. And I’m hopeful that the sleep will soon come.
REJOICE WITH ME! 
“Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer
or withdraw his unfailing love from me.”
- Psalm 66:20 (NLT)
Posted on July 22, 2008, in praise, prayer, Zach. Bookmark the permalink. 11 Comments.
that’s great! I don’t know what I would do with out PB here. thanking God with you.
monica
Figures that little stinker would eat your whole sandwich while your back was turned! That’s GREAT that he didn’t react, though!!!! He’ll probably be sleeping through the night before my kids are … *grin*
That really truly is wonderful news
You do not know how encouraging this post is to me today!!! My 3 year old son was diagnosed with 5 food allergies (black pepper, tomato, chocolate, yeast and wheat) 7 months ago. I am praying for the day he will outgrow them and be able to enjoy food like a normal preschooler! He hasn’t been able to enjoy a sandwich for so long, I mean tasty yeast-free, wheat-free bread is hard to come by!
I am soooooooo thrilled for you and Zach because I know from experience how frustrating and life consuming food allergies can be. What a wonderful discovery and answer to prayer! Praise the Lord!!!
Rejoicing with you my friend! This is definitely praise worthy!
And, while I’m here, how in the WORLD do you resist those amazing little boy eyes?
With one look I would have given him as many artisan bread sandwiches he wanted…
THANKS, everybody!!
Jessica: I’ll be praying for you and your son. God is faithful, and if it is His will that these allergies dissipate, it WILL happen in His perfect timing! In the meantime, have you looked into accupuncture? I know it sounds bazaar, but I have a friend whose son’s allergies were much more severe than Zach’s. They’ve been able to eliminate most of his allergies through accupuncture. Might be worth a look.
Kellie Yeah, those eyes are a killer – huh? This is his “innocent” look, the one he usually give while asking “Is that a good idea, Mom?” when it usually isn’t a good idea.
Absolutely, praise God!!!! That is so wonderful!! I’m happy for you and Zach!! Thank you Lord!!
Okay, DARLING picture. Love it. And I am totally doing the dance of joy with you. (Remember Balki from Perfect Strangers? Oh, you didn’t watch that? Um, well, just kidding . . .) Sleep will come, I know it! It might be when they are teenagers and they sleep too much, but we’ll relish those days!!
Woo hoo! That is so cool Tanya. Hopefully he will be sleeping through the night every night next.
Now I won’t panic when Myia hands him some food at the next potluck!
SP: I remember Balki! (I think I’m actually older than you …) Your comment made me smile.
Sarah: I know!!!
This is a relief for us AND everyone who eats near us! Myia can finally relax.
So I’m chiming in late, but this is so amazing. I don’t know if I could deal with a kid with such severe allergies and what a blessing that it looks like things are clearing up. What a sweet little boy picture too.
Just so you don’t feel bad, Landon (2) doesn’t sleep through the night and doesn’t sleep without someone next to him. It is hard on mom and dad for sure. Hopefully he’ll grow out of it because I don’t want to share a bed with a teen age boy.