Oh Soy

A few weeks ago, Jack got the "all clear" to eat soy products. Really good news - perhaps the first we've ever received from an allergist. But a mixed blessing because big sister is still highly soy-allergic. So while before we could flag "the spoon that stirred the chocolate milk" or the "knife that cut the grilled cheese" now we're adding more ammo in the minefield. My kitchen requires great powers of concentration.

And the hurdle is keeping it in his diet on a regular basis -- because although he loved the vanilla soy milk he drank at the doctor's office, that honeymoon was over by the time we got back home. He resists eating or drinking anything with soy. I've baked some treats for him and secretly used soy milk. I have to warn soy-allergic Big Sister in a whisper ("code soy!" I say. It's a really tough code to crack) so that she doesn't accidentally sample something.

Getting pure, uncooked soy into his diet is proving tough. I hate to sneak it in - first, because it's extremely important that he be able to trust us, his parents, about food. If he can't trust us, than who? Second, because I need him to be a reliable reporter if he is reacting after a meal. I worry that he won't identify an early reaction if he thinks he was just drinking his regular rice milk, for example. And third because he simply deserves to know exactly what he is eating. This is the transparency we demand for all food allergic individuals, in restaurants, in the grocery stores, anywhere.

But for now we need to hide soy in his food. And I hate that.

At last, this week he was excited about the idea of soy yogurt. I bought some strawberry, the most common brand, in a small 8 oz cup. Today for lunch he begged for the whole container! I spooned a small amount into a bowl -- just in case he gobbled it up, I didn't want him to "overdose" on straight soy. Going slow, I could see how he was reacting to it and stop if he got itchy or had any odd symptoms.

One taste. Tears. Sobs.

"I'm sorry, buddy. You don't like it?"

Spitting and blech noises. More sobbing.

"You're disappointed, huh? I know you were really hoping it would be yummy."

"Yeah," he sobbed into my shoulder. "I didn't want THAT taste!"

Truth be told, it was really disgusting. His mood brightened when I suggested we could go to the supermarket and look for soy chicken nuggets. I've definitely got to hit the jackpot with a tasty soy item and soon. I won't get many more shots at it.