Just normal, everyday life...

I received a text from a friend a few days ago. Knowing that I had been the self-appointed "peanut police" for 6+ years, so asked where she could find individually wrapped, peanut-free cookies. Umm...I don't know. 

I have no idea.

The "individually-wrapped" part throws me a bit, so I offered a few brand names and suggested websites where she could order.  But I started to realize that I haven't read a label in a while. A long while... After 6 years of reading every label everywhere we went (reading every label because Cal's life depended on it), I now can't remember the last time I looked at one. 

Wow.

Sometimes I forget about the day-to-day activities that consumed so much of our lives. The real fear that anything and everything was a potential bomb. 

Now I am only focused on sharing the good news of OIT, the success we've had and encouraging other parents to find out if it could work for their child. Oh, and I have to remember to buy more peanut M&Ms - Calista goes through a bag pretty quickly these days!

Warning - OIT is bad for your health.

It is.  OIT causes weight gain in parents. 

We had not been able to visit an ice cream shop for 6 years. Now, we have COMPLETE freedom. 

Got the call earlier today that Calista has been cleared on all nuts. That includes tree nuts that we've avoided for 6+ years. 

This paves the way for endless amounts of Rocky Road, Nutella gelato (she tried this evening) and pecan pie. 

I'd better up my gym membership :)

IgE numbers

For those who are interested -

IgE - February 2012

Peanut 55.08 (Class 5)

Hazelnut <0.08 (Negative)

Almond <0.08  (Negative)

Pecan <0.08  (Negative)

Cashew 0.30  (Class 2)

Pistachio <0.08  (Negative)

IgE - July 2013

Peanut 8.05 (Class 4)

Hazelnut <0.08  (Negative)

Almond 0.09 (Class 1)

Pecan <0.08  (Negative)

Cashew <0.08  (Negative)

Pistachio <0.08  (Negative)

Almost 1 year already?

Calista has an appointment this week at Dallas Allergy.  Scheduling this appointment has made me think about all that has changed since we met Dr. Wasserman.

Wow.

508  days ago, I sat in a doctor's office and watched a nurse give Calista the tiniest fraction of a peanut (mixed in liquid).  And I was scared.  Out.  Of.  My.  Mind.

But I was cool ;)   - probably not, but I was trying to be.  I was trying to be cool because Calista was a little nervous.  I'd spent her entire life telling her that peanuts were dangerous and then I let a nurse give her some (over and over for an entire day).

Wow.

In hindsight, she REALLY handled that well.

And now -- school is starting and I don't have to have that conversation with the teacher.  You know, the conversation where you tell them all about peanut allergy and how dangerous it is.  The conversation where you show them the Epinephrine and teach them how to use it and teach them the symptoms to watch for.  The conversation where you try not to scare the hell out of them while trying to make sure they realize that your child could die if they make a mistake.  The conversation that makes you think you really should've purchased a huge bubble and placed your child inside (just to keep her safe).  Yeah, that conversation.  And as you walk away, you add "And she needs a little help in math too"  - because the start of a school year has so much more to do with food allergy safety than anything else.



But I won't have that conversation this year.  Yes, she will have an Epi.  I'll tell the teacher about food allergies.  But my girl ate 24 whole peanuts on September 7, 2012 and has had 14 peanut M&Ms every single day since.

So back to school is actually about her education this year.  What an amazing concept :)


I am so very thankful to the entire team at Dallas Allergy Immunology.  OIT works.  It worked really well for us.  Some patients have bigger setbacks, but it is worth investigating.

For more information: http://dallasallergy.net/

410 days since our Day One

410 days ago, Calista and I sat in Dr. Wasserman's office in Dallas.  I tried not to freak completely as a nurse gave Callie poison.  Just the tiniest bit of poison.  But really, poison.  For 6 years, I'd done everything I could to avoid peanuts, tree nuts, peanut residue, etc.  And I actually sat in a doctor's office watching a nurse give my 6 year old POISON.  And I even paid them to do it.

Thank goodness, these thoughts really didn't enter my mind until the night before her first appointment.  If they had, I might not have been able to go through with it.

But it worked.  And we were blessed with very few stumbling blocks along the way.  Some of our other desensitization friends haven't been as lucky.  They have had updoses, had to backtrack, etc.

And now, 410 days later...Calista eats her 8 peanuts every evening.  And it is no big deal.  That's something that I still get goosebumps saying.  To go from "life-threatening allergy" with "no cure" and have to live a life where "strict avoidance" is required --- to eating 8 whole peanuts (or 14 peanut M&Ms) every single day, well I'd say that's pretty amazing.

It is also amazing that Calista can eat birthday cake.  It is also amazing that Calista can play softball and eat the team snack.  So many simple changes that I never imagined.