Progress

I have had nine NAET treatments so far, and I do feel a difference. Probably the most significant change is with corn. In the last few months, the smallest amounts have caused major sinus flare-ups. After tiny amounts of corn syrup in sausage, or a serving of french fries dusted with cornstarch, I could count on three days of sinus pain, swelling, and stomach cramps.

Since Will cleared me for corn, I have tried little bits here and there (a few bites of the sausage with corn syrup, ten pieces of popcorn, a single row of corn on the cob). I have suffered no adverse effects. No, I can't bring myself to eat an entire cob, or a bowl of popcorn like I used to. My mind is still wary; it seems so unlikely that this treatment is working. But my confidence grows with each experiment.

With each treatment, my body -- which a mere month ago was rejecting almost everything I ate -- accepts a wider variety of food with greater ease. My digestion is better. I have stopped taking one of the three nasal medications I've been taking for months (the caustic antihistamine). I can hear out of both ears, almost all of the time. My energy is better and far more consistent. Sometimes I forget to have my afternoon coffee. That may not sound like much to you. But to me? Miracle.

The results I'm seeing are enough to make me want to try this with the kids. In the meantime, I continue to read about other ways to boost our nutrition. It all still feels daunting. There's so much to learn: How to make almond milk. How to bake gluten-free muffins. Where to buy all of these unfamiliar ingredients. It takes time to change habits, for my mind to adjust to a completely new way of eating and being in the world.

I have years of conditioning to overcome. At times I feel like a salmon swimming upstream, alone. That's when I love the Internet most, because I can do a quick search, read a few of the blogs I love, and remember that I am not alone. Many women have taken this journey before me, radically changing their families' habits and diets for the sake of greater health. We can do it, too.

I was just about to hit "publish" on this post when Sweetpea wandered in. She glanced at the Spunky Coconut cookbook on the desk next to my laptop (gluten free, casein free, sugar free) and instantly complained, "But I want sugar!"

Then she flipped it open and scanned a few pages with interest. "Vanilla pudding? Can we have that sometime?"

"Yes," I answered. "I'm going to learn how to make all of the things in that book."

She brightened a little. "I could help you ..."

She reminds me, once again: This journey is not at all about deprivation, going without. It's about the new sweets we find along the way.