Sadly, though I could help his body to heal it was next to impossible to stem the tides of Jake’s appetites or to pleasantly withstand his tantrums when he was denied; he always wanted more in terms of quantity, more in terms of variety, and at more frequent intervals.  Though his organs had healed significantly, his digestive capacity was not nearly as large as he remembered himself enjoying before he got sick.  And never would be.  Jake was not happy about the dietary restrictions necessary for him to retain his newly attained health, and unwilling to stay within the limits of his digestive system’s ability to process foods.  He had gained weight and was back up to 120 pounds.  It was time for him to go home before I lost my good humor.

Jake left with a lot of “good lucks” and stern admonitions to stick to his stringent diet and supplement program.  It was a big moment for Jake.  He had arrived in a wheelchair three months before.  Now he walked unaided to the airplane, something he had not been able to do for two years.

Back at home Jake had no one courageous enough to set limits for him.  His immediate family and every one of his brow beaten associates were compelled to give him everything that he wanted.  So his appetite and lack of personal discipline got the better of him.  He started eating lots of dates and figs.  These had been eliminated from his diet because he was unable to process foods which such a high sugar content.  He also ate larger and larger quantities of grains, nuts and avocados, although I had warned him of specific quantity limits on rich foods.  Most sadly, he returned to enjoying spaghetti with lots of cheese grated on top.  Within months of leaving my care his paralysis and weakness returned, except that unfortunately for him, he still retained the ability to assimilate food and maintain his body weight.  Ironically, the only ultimate benefit of his fasting with me was to permit him to suffer a far longer existence in a wheelchair without wasting away and escaping into death.

I would be failing my readers if I did not explain why Jake became ill in the first place.  Jake had started what grew to become a very successful chain of spaghetti restaurants with a unique noodles and sauces made to his own formula.  He ate a lot of his own spaghetti over the years, and had been reared in a good Italian family with lots of other kinds of rich food.  Jake had a reputation for being able to outeat everybody in terms of quantity and in the amount of time spent eating.  In childhood, this ability had made his Italian mother very happy because it showed appreciation for her great culinary skill.