this I spent six weeks in Davos? We disembarked with a redfaced baby, a child with fever, and two vomiting kids. I thought I would lose it right there. But as we headed home, I remembered hearing that things could get worse before they got better. The first week Simi's skin was very irritable, but by three weeks after arriving home, her skin began to clear up. It was unbelievable to watch the foods I ate show up on Simi's skin! If I kept to my regimen carefully, things were good. If I cheated, I paid the price, until things improved again after about ten days. But unlike before, when my diet only curbed total disaster, after our trip it really kept her complexion clear. When we spent Shabbos at my parents' one week, I realized Iโd forgotten my spelt challah. I took the risk and tasted a small piece of my mother's wheat challah at the Shabbos day meal and seudah shelishis. I waited one day, two days, and nothing happened. So I learned
that when I'm desperate, very small cheats can sometimes wiggle their way through the system! Dairy, however, is a big no-no; there are almost immediate flare-ups with the smallest nibbles. Is it a pain to keep to this prohibitive diet? Yes, especially when I'm not home, and there's absolutely nothing for me to eat. But on the whole, Iโve discovered reservoirs of strength I never knew I had, and this did become the new normal. Today, I do spend time baking, because if I
The day we left, Simi was looking her worst. That was a good thing; I definitely didnโt have any second thoughts!
crave good food, I'll do something crazy like bake some spelt kokosh cake โ just for myself! People like to comfort me with claims that in this day and age you can find "everything" in spelt or egg-free varieties. Iโd like to argue that point. There is very little out there that conforms to my complete diet, and whatever does โ well, go splurge on a $7 spelt challah just for yourself every week. I'm grateful to Hashem that weโve come this far and that my baby is comfortable and mostly eczema-free. I don't know what the future holds. Most Davos veterans report that relief usually lasts several months, and then it's back to the mountains again. It is encouraging to note that eczema and allergic conditions often disappear as the child matures. However, some eczema sufferers do find permanent relief after one visit to Davos โ and by strictly keeping away from any triggers, if theyโre lucky enough to know what they are โ and I sorely hope Simi will be one of them. Please note: The protagonist of this story did not travel to Davos as a participant of any treatment program.
Malka Katzman is the author of Teens Talk, the literary companion that shares over twenty teenangersโ real-life stories.
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