We shop at Whole Foods about once a week, normally on the weekend but this weekend is weird so we did it today. While getting meat at the counter, we had a new lady who doesn't know us. Now you need to know that almost everyone at Whole Foods knows us. Well they know the kids and we're the grownup faces that comes with them. ;) The kids are extremely outgoing and friendly and new cashiers and baggers always get an exhuberant greeting and chat about whatever is on their minds. And all our regular friends there get shouted at from a cross the store. Ms. Pier, Justin, Heath, Tyler, Lynda, the other Justin... all make a point of coming to see the kids for at least a second if they're too busy for a long chat. They all know the kids are recovered from autism and just love to see what new things they have to say. We love Whole Foods; it's one of the social highlights of our week. Which may sound pitiful but when you have kids who are allergic to touching food... trying to socialize in a food-centric country is not easy. They miss alot so WF is a treat because everyone there knows not to touch them with food on their hands and treat us like completely normal people.
Bwahahahahahha... normal... whatever!
Anywhoo, so this new lady got us our cut of meat and I saw the board she used was right next to the board our regular guy was using and he was making beef patties with cheese. So I asked her if there was any chance in the least that their meat could have touched his board or work area. She went over and showed me the two areas were seperated, I just couldn't see it and then our regular guy said he was sure it didn't touch. So she came back to me and asked why. I told her the kids have fatal allergies to dairy and I just needed to make sure they didn't get any on their meat, not even the essence of cheese needed to be on the cutting board, etc. She looked very skeptical and said "They can't even touch it?" (Funny it didn't occur to her that if it touched their meat they would later injest it.) So I showed her our epipens and told her that Tony could die from touching it and Grace went anaphylactic in the store last week from getting too close to the peanuts and smelling them. Her eyes got very wide and she asked a few more questions. She was asking in a way that showed she wanted to understand, not in an unbelieving or mocking way. I love when people ask questions! When we were done talking, she told me about some products in the store she thought the kids could have (I already knew of them but thanked her for her kindness anyway). What a sweet lady!
When I walked away I went over to Tim, who was keeping the kids away from the cheese section (why do the meat and cheese sections always have to be in the same area?) and told him that it still surprises me that people don't automatically know what I'm talking about when I say the kids can die from touching food. Seriously, it takes me by surprise every.single.time. It's so weird. I suppose it's because we've lived with it being a daily reality for 10+ years so it's normal for us.
I look forward to the day when I don't have to say that anymore. We're just a few weeks away from finishing our allergy treatments and we will see if their immune systems have been calmed down enough to let go of it's over-reactions. I am so hopeful!!
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