“Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”

— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Namaste!

I can vividly remember rushing my son William to the hospital as his eyes disappeared into a ballooning face, and his neck exploded like the hulk. He was 11 months old and had just taken his first bite of bread.

Hours later - after oxygen support, two epinephrine injections, steriods, Benedryl, Zertec, and a nebulizer - we learned he was anaphylactic to gluten.

Today, with an ever-expanding gluten-free marketplace it may not sound that daunting. But imagine 13 years ago, when no one knew what gluten was. (Gluten is in most grains like wheat, rye, barley, and oats, and an endless list of ingredients and condiments, flavorings, thickeners, sweeteners, etc.).

In 2003, being a gluten-free toddler's mom in the land of regular cheerios was no easy feat. I was constantly washing wheat-laden goo from playground swings and shared toys. Relentlessly fending off well-meaning adults who peddled pretzels, lollipops, and cookies. I specialized in interrogating waiters, cooks, and restaurant managers. In short, I became gluten-pro.

Then, in 2014, William was offered an opportunity to participate in a pioneer clinical research study (through Mt. Sinai) using an Oral Immunology Therapy to reduce the severity of his allergy. To participate, they had to ascertain exactly how much gluten caused William to react. In short, they induced anaphylactic shock.

Initially I was very apprehensive and thought, "Purposely expose William to wheat? Why? We got this down!... Besides, isn't every one a little better off without wheat in their diet?"

But the threat of cross contamination from shared butter or a shared toaster constantly loomed. Meals at friends' houses, camps, overnights always came with excessive planning and great stress. And surely, in the blink of an eye, William will find himself on a late night trip to 7eleven with friends to satisfy "the munchies." I needed to know he could be safer out in the world.

So regardless of my fear, and with blind faith, we admitted William in the study. And it began, one step at a time. Literally. The research study was based on baby steps over the course of two years.

William began with a microscopic amount of wheat to ingest daily; only 6 mg (basically what he'd be exposed to if I gave him a kiss after I took a bite of wheat bread). Then, every two weeks, he would go to the hospital and be challenged to tolerate a few more milligrams. If he was successful, his does went up a micro-amount. After two years he was given a "Wheat Challenge" to see if he developed a higher tolerance.

Here are the results:

In 2014: 13 mgs caused an Anaphylactic Reaction (This amount is basically cross contamination from say, sharing a butter knife with someone who just used it on wheat bread).

In 2016: William was able to get up to 4443 mg (almost 2/3 of a piece of bread!). They stopped escalating the test at the first sign of a reaction and William did not need emergency medicine. Only Zertec!

In short, after two years in this study, he is still allergic but he has a significantly higher tolerance. And he also developed the capacity to show warning signs rather than instantly accelerating into anaphylactic shock. To maintain protection, and even build more immunity, he must continue a 'daily dose' of wheat (ie: 4 crackers) for the rest of his life. But still, we feel incredibly less stressed by the threat of gluten.

It was a very difficult two years of protocol to be in this study and there were many times when William, my husband, or myself each wanted to pull out. However, in the end, not only does William now have higher immunity, but we all more deeply understand three essential life lessons:

1. Willpower is a daily practice. Creating new 'strength' takes endurance, commitment. It doesn’t happen on it's own.

2. Will and Grace are the two wings of a bird. While creating change does take willpower, it also takes a level of faith; opening to grace. We had to jump in fully, regardless of knowing if it was going to work, or be worth all the effort. As Martin Luther King Jr. inspires, “Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”

3. Slow and steady wins the race: A little + often = a Lot. And this is how we move forward through change; one day at a time, one step at a time, one breath at a time, one milligram at a time.

Along with the season of renewal, William begins this next chapter. What perfect timing! And along with May's blooms bursting on my lawn, I am feeling super optimistic for today and the future.

To celebrate, this month, in each Yogalicious blog, I will share inspirations and practices to help continue your own renewal along with the transformation of spring.

EXCITING NEWS - MY DEBUTE BOOK!

I'm excited to share that I am writing a book to be published by Rodale in the Fall of 2017! And I'd love your help!

I am collecting personal stories to use in the narrative. I want to know if there was something specific that you 'experienced' in our work together that had some far reaching impact for you? If so, I'd love to hear from you.

Please email me at jillian@jillianpransky.com by May 15th if you would like to learn more about how to send me your story and possibly be included in my book. (I am also happy to honor your anonymity if you'd like to tell your story but retain a level of privacy.)

Thank you for meeting me here! As always, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to connect with me via email or leave a message in the comment section. I am always happy to see what posts you Like and honored when you share your favorites with friends.