Miracles and Wonders

July 18, 2010

Dear Family,

This has been a time of miracles and wonders for our family—the greatest of which right now, is Anne beginning to heal from her chronic eczema! After praying and yearning and hoping and searching for this little one to be healed, we are finally on the track to her feeling better! I have taken her to the allergist, over and over again to the pediatrician with huge doses of antibiotics and steroid creams, put her on vitamin supplements for a month, tried essential oils, visited a homeopathic doctor, talked to many people, and read through many websites and articles looking for answers. The homeopathic place, after doing a computer body scan (????) printed out a long list of her “allergies,” including gluten and milk, so in a weak attempt to see if it helped, we cut back on her milk and grain for a little while, seeing some change, but no huge results. Then, after a VERY enlightening conversation with a sister in the ward, I learned that food intolerances (which cannot be tested for like, allergies) can still have fairly severe symptoms, and then learned that the only way TO identify them is by excluding certain foods from your diet, and waiting to see if the symptoms subside.

SOOO... since Wednesday, our family has started a strict “Exclusion Diet” where we have cut out all: gluten, milk, egg, corn, and preservatives—for 7 days. Even with our previous efforts in limiting Anne's diet, she would often find a stray pretzel or half full bowl of cereal milk, so it was hard to be consistent enough to see results. I asked the children what they thought of all of us going on this “diet” together, and surprisingly enough, they ALL were on board! Granted, we've heard plenty of, “I can't wait 'til this diet is over!” (including from Mom), but they are all great sports, and so supportive of their sister! Let it be noted, we allowed a major cheating day Friday night for Mom and Dad to join the Whitman's on a datenight (and for the older kids to hurry and eat pizza before Anne woke up from her late nap) on into Saturday morning for the Stake Pioneer Day pancake breakfast (I DID bring separate pancake batter and pure maple syrup for Anne's). We've kept Anne 100% though, and as her rashes have cleared up, and her nose stopped running, and her speech and demeanor have improved and improved, it is SOOOO worth it, and in short, SO miraculous!!!!

I read somewhere that it was good for the family to do this exclusion diet together, because many other less serious symptoms can also clear up, so after a couple of days at it, as we were saying a blessing on the pizza, I asked the older children if they had noticed feeling any differently from eating this new way. I LOVED their terribly insightful answers:

Brent, “Yeah, I feel different—like we're a really poor family that can't afford real food.”

Maddie, “I seriously feel like I'm handicapped or something.”

Emily, “I feel hungry from having to eat so much gross stuff.”

Spencer, “I feel like we're in a different country.”

Well, it was a good try on their part, and they HAVE been good sports with all of the new additions to our menu like blueberry cookies, oatmeal bread, rice pasta, rice milk smoothies, homemade sausage, REAL maple syrup, quinoa, and tons of other amazements, like using apricot preserves in place of eggs; rice, oat, and bean flour in place of wheat; and rice milk instead of cowmilk. After cooking like this for so many days (and it has been a fulltime effort—even WITH all of the gluten-free and all-natural conveniences they thankfully sell these days), I find myself vying for which allergies I hope she does or doesn't have. I'm most afraid of gluten I think, though wouldn't be surprised if that's it, and milk would be the easiest. Corn would also be a nightmare, but since I kept using canola oil and baking powder (that are from corn or use cornstarch), without any problem, I let her have corn on the cob last night, and she may have had a mild reaction, but I don't think it's one of our big triggers. We'll keep you posted, as we should have a pretty clear idea of what we need to cut out by this time next week! The other hopeful news is that nearly EVERYone I've talked to has had the food intolerances gradually grow away.  We really appreciate, and have felt the prayers and support from so many in her behalf.  It has been such a struggle, but the relief is that much sweeter as it comes!

And besides miracles (and I still can't say what a difference it has made to reopen the floodgates of peace for me!), we have had wonders not a few around here! FIRST—A PET AT THE DUNCAN HOUSEHOLD!!! We picked up Cosmo the kitten from Uncle Kurt Thursday night (AND got to ride a horse while there!!!), and our little outdoor feline (living temporarily in the garage to get acclimated) has had no END of love and affection the last few days. Even dear Brian, (who most of you would classify as a genuine cat-lover), lets his really affectionate side loose with kitty. The kids were SO excited when we suggested getting it (they write puppy on the grocery list nearly daily), that they almost forgot to be excited about our family vacation to Zion National Park! They spent all day deciding on a name, and Cosmo was unanimous (of course) since it's the name of the BYU mascot cougar :). It was a happy thing hearing sounds of my children (including happy 2yr old) playing with their long-awaited pet in the backyard while Brian worked in the garden.

 (can you guess who picked out the kitten?)

 Riding Sissy at Kurt and Linda's

The week Mom and Dad left us to go back home to GA, we got ready for our trip (that I wondered if we'd ever make it to), and though bushed and a bit unorganized, make it we did, and had a FABULOUS time! We drove down Thursday morning, got to our little Zion Motel right after a quick lunch, and swam in the salt water pool until more shade arrived to do a hike up to Weeping Rock.

 Our motel and the view behind it!--it sure made up for the 100 degree temp!

our first hike--up to Weeping Rock

standing under Weeping rock (waters just seep out of it all the time)

 looking through the waterfalls at Angel's Landing

And yes, we took pictures of a SQUIRREL!!--they may dot the yards of every house in GA, but in Utah, it still seemed like amazing wildlife when they'd get so close.

 Lucy in the backpack

Though Anne had a terrible night, waking us all at 3AM for about a half hour of screaming, we got a hike in that morning to the Emerald Pools, came home for a picnic lunch and another swim while the 2 little ones slept, then went out later for the riverwalk hike, leading to the startof the Narrows. Gorgeous, majestic views everywhere!!, and just exhilarating to walk through such a place all day! Saturday morning, we got packed up, listened to the Great Brain in the van (true stories set in a town not far from where we were), and drove through Bryce Canyon for a little scenic hike, and a thunderstorm, then pulled into town in time for Satruday night baths. Zion Park was great with all of their shuttles transporting us everywhere—even from our motel in Springdale (Anne LOVED riding on the bus so much—and no carseat!), and spring water bottle refill stations at every stop. We carried a backpack w/ fresh fruit, trailmix, and waterbottles, and just had a great time! Miracles large enough to carve Angel's Landing, and small enough to help Anne's toes. We are SO grateful!

 view of Angel's Landing from the Emerald pools

more dripping water by Emerald Pools

exploring along the way

more seeping water with Angel's Landing in the background

 riverwalk hike (Brian and kids ahead)

 getting aboard shuttle bus

 one of the "Patriarch" mountains

 can you believe these views??

 the end of the riverwalk hike

Brent in front of "natural bridge" @ Bryce Canyon Natl Park

Family in front of Bryce Canyon

  little sore toes to great mountains

p.s.

Here are some swim lesson shots, and our growing smiley chubalub Lucy

waiting for swim lessons to be done (usually Maddie stayed home w/ Anne)

can you see her long eye lashes?, and she is now rolling over from her tummy every day!