Feeding Jakob Well

Here we end yet another year that passed much too quickly, and the departure for Spain looms ever nearer.

I have mixed emotions about leaving for Spain for my month-long class, most of which stem from our efforts to make Jakob well and my concern over his diet when I'm not here.

Jakob's been through a wealth of testing and a number of specialists.  It's not really clear whether the specialists agree with each other or don't.  We're not even really sure what to call what Jakob has, but we're pretty sure it's a form of arthritis.

Since December 7 - sixteen days ago - Jakob's been eating an elimination (hypoallergenic) diet.  Inflammation comes from something, and many, many common foods can be culprits.  For thirty days, he follows a diet rich in whole foods presented the way God gave them to us - free of processing, enriching, etc.  There's a HUGE list of things he can have, and all of the "cans" are great foods.  Still.  The list of "cannots" is lengthy - and most of what's on that list is the food Jakob's eaten most of his life. 

What are the cannots?  Beef. Pork. Dairy products. Eggs. Refined sugar. Gluten. Oranges. Peanuts.

He's been eating better than he ever has.  Roasted vegetable soup (suprisingly tastey).  Lamb (smelly when cooking, but delicious when well prepared).  Salmon.  Fruits.  Vegetables.  Pastas.  Rice.  Beans.  Chicken and turkey.  Sunflower seeds.  Cashews.  Pistachios.  And this week I'm working on soups and baked goods I hope he'll like. 

Incidentally, if anyone has a good soup recipe that doesn't rely on milk or butter, I'd love to see it.

I'm exceptionally proud of Jakob.  It's not easy to completely change the way you eat overnight, and he did.  It's not easy to be seventeen and hanging with the guys and maintain a challenging diet (b-dubs doesn't have a single thing on their menu he can safely eat).  It's not easy to constantly try new foods when you were happy with what you ate.  It's not easy to accept someone's help for something as simple as eating.

And he's doing it. 

Know what I think he most misses? 

Something convenient to eat.  Pop.  Fast food.  Chips. Toaster strudel.  Pizza.  Tacos.  Freedom to just grab what looks good or smells good without turning to the ingredients list (most often to be disappointed by the second or third ingredient).

But.

He feels good.  For the first time since he was a fourth grader, he's not nauseous every day.  He has almost completely regained range of motion in his joint.  Soon he'll be able to start playing sports again.  His eyes shine and his skin glows with vitality.  He can sleep at night.

The most surprising result of the last sixteen days is his humble gratitude.  The dynamic in our relationship is completely different.  He's so appreciative of the efforts we're making to find him food he'll enjoy that he gladly and immediately does what he's asked to do.  He's witnessing pure acts of selfless service, and he appreciates it.

So, yes.  I'm afraid to leave his diet to anyone else.  We are so casual about what we put in our bodies and food preparation, and we can't afford to be with our boy.

For the next few days I'll be perfecting the soup base and freezing a bunch for January.  I'll also have him test a number of baked products; if we can find things he likes, I'll freeze a bunch of that too. 

When Jakob and Joe get back from their week in Spain, it will be time for Jakob to be adding foods back to his diet.  He'll add one thing from the "cannots" every six days and eat it for four days.  If he has not negative reactions or returning symptoms, it's a "safe" food and he can continue eating it.  The last two food groups he'll add will be dairy and gluten, the most likely allergens.  It'll take months to reach a conclusion about what things cause inflammation in his body, but the effort - if it keeps him feeling well - is so completely worthwhile.

Keep Jakob in your prayers.  This food things is huge, and part of him having a good quality of life for decades.  Still.  He has arthritis.  That's serious business.